Control of a unit provided with a processor

• US 20030014615A1
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Lynggaard, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,202,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a unit provided with a processor. The method includes receiving at least one graphical notation in the form of positions representing a sensor device'"'"'s movement across a base that is provided with a position-coding pattern, while the graphical notation was made, identifying, based on the at least one graphical notation, at least one command for the unit provided with a processor, receiving an address to the unit provided with a processor, and controlling the unit provided with a processor by sending the at least one command to the address. A computer program product contained within a medium and a device for implementing the method is also provided. The method for controlling a unit provided with a processor uses a sensor device and a product kit for controlling a unit provided with a processor.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a unit provided with a processor, comprising:

receiving at least one graphical notation in the form of positions representing a sensor device'"'"'s movement across a base that is provided with a position-coding pattern, while the graphical notation was made;

identifying, based on said at least one graphical notation, at least one command for said unit provided with a processor;

receiving an address to the unit provided with a processor; and

controlling the unit provided with a processor by sending said at least one command to the address.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one graphical notation at least partly comprises handwritten characters.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one graphical notation is at least partly converted into a character coded format for identifying said at least one command.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying said at least one command comprises identifying at least one graphical symbol from said at least one graphical notation, said graphical symbol representing said at least one command.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying said at least one command comprises detecting a command indicator, based on said at least one graphical notation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein identifying said at least one command comprises identifying a subarea of said position-coding pattern, said subarea being essentially encircled by said command indicator.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising associating said subarea with said at least one command.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sending said at least one command to the address is effected in response to a recording of a pair of coordinates within the subarea.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the address comprises receiving the address from a memory in the sensor device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said identifying, based on said at least one graphical notation, includes identifying at least one association between said address and said at least one command.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving the address comprises receiving the address based on said at least one graphical notation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said receiving at least one graphical notation comprises receiving at least three separable graphical notations representing said address, said at least one command and said at least one association between said address and said at least one command.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one association is identified based on a separable graphical notation connecting the graphical notations representing said at least one command and said address, respectively.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said at least one association is identified as a graphical notation having essentially the shape of a line extending between said graphical notations representing said at least one command and said address.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing, in a memory in said sensor device, an electronic representation of a command hierarchy which comprises at least two commands and at least one association, each of said at least two commands and said at least one association being graphically represented on said base by nodes and arcs, respectively, and each of said at least two commands being associated with a respective subarea of the position-coding pattern.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said providing said electronic representation of said command hierarchy at least partly includes identifying said command hierarchy based on said at least one graphical notation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said providing said electronic representation of said command hierarchy at least partly includes electronically receiving said electronic representation of said command hierarchy.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said providing said electronic representation of said command hierarchy comprises

identifying, based on said at least one graphical notation, at least one further command and at least one further association, and

storing, in a memory of said sensor device, said at least one command and said least one further command, based on said at least one further association.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said electronic representation of said command hierarchy is stored in a tree data structure in the memory of said sensor device.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said electronic representation of said command hierarchy is stored in the form of at least one command string which is formable based on said electronic representation of said command hierarchy.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising forming at least one command string based on the command hierarchy, and

controlling the unit provided with a processor by sending the command string to the address.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said identifying said at least one command comprises receiving a pair of coordinates from one of said subareas, said pair of coordinates representing a chosen command and identifying an electronic representation of said chosen command, wherein

said command string is formed based on said chosen command and at least one hierarchically superior command.

23. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said base, on which the graphical notation is made, is provided with a graphical representation of at least a part of said command hierarchy.

24. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said receiving the address comprises receiving the address from a memory in the sensor device.

25. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said receiving the address comprises identifying the address based on said at least one graphical notation.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the signal processor'"'"'s receiving-the-address-function comprises identifying the address based on said at least one graphical notation.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the signal processor is capable of identifying, based on said at least one graphical notation, at least one association between said address and said command.

26. A computer program product stored in a medium for controlling a unit provided with a processor, said computer program product comprising instructions for controlling a sensor device, the instructions comprising:

instructions causing the sensor device to receive at least one graphical notation in the form of positions representing a sensor device'"'"'s movement across a base that is provided with a position-coding pattern, while the graphical notation was made;

instructions for identifying, based on said at least one graphical notation, at least one command for said unit provided with a processor;

instructions for receiving an address to the unit provided with a processor; and

instructions for controlling the unit provided with a processor by sending said at least one command to the address.

27. An apparatus for controlling a unit provided with a processor, comprising:

a sensor; and

a signal processor for receiving positions representing the sensor'"'"'s movement across a base that is provided with a position-coding pattern, the signal processor is capable of;

receiving at least one graphical notation in the form of said positions;

identifying, based on said at least one graphical notation, at least one command for said unit provided with a processor;

receiving an address to the unit provided with a processor; and

controlling the unit provided with a processor by sending said at least one command to the address.

30. A method for controlling a unit provided with a processor, comprising:

using a sensor device for recording positions representing the sensor device'"'"'s movement across a base provided with a position-coding pattern, while a graphical notation is made on the base;

noting graphically on the base, using the sensor device, at least one command to the unit provided with a processor; and

sending the command to the unit provided with a processor for controlling this unit.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising noting graphically one of a further command and an address to the unit provided with a processor.

32. The method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising noting graphically an indication of an association between two of said command, said further command and said address.

33. An apparatus for controlling a unit provided with a processor, comprising:

a control base provided with a position-coding pattern and a command hierarchy comprising at least two commands, being graphically represented, whereby each of said at least two commands is associated with a respective subarea of said position-coding pattern; and

a computer program product within a medium comprising an electronic representation of said command hierarchy, whereby said at least two commands are identifiable based on a recording of a pair of coordinates within its respective associated subarea.