SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A PORTABLE OBJECT MANAGEMENT

• US 20040054430A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kitada, Naruhide, Fukui, Yoshiki, Taniguchi, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 6,988,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

[Object] To provide an operation control system which is capable of allowing users to easily operate a controlled device over different control ranges, respectively.

[Solving Means] When cards 160a and 160b are brought close to a projector 200, a virtual object management device 100 detects an area-in state of each virtual object C or C′ of the cards 160a and 160b with respect to a virtual object A of the projector 200, and notifies the projector 200 of the area-in state of the card service. The projector 200, upon receiving the card service area-in notification, transmits a service linkage initiation request to a card management device 180. Upon receiving an operation command transmitted in response to the initiation request transmission, the projector 200 controls a projection process in response to the received operation command. The card management device 180 transmits the operation command to the projector 200 upon receiving the service linkage initiation request.

Claims

1. An operation control system for allowing a first virtual object corresponding to a controlled device, said controlled device being operated in response to a given control command, and allowing a second virtual object corresponding to a mobile object, respectively, arranging said first virtual object in a virtual space corresponding to a real space and arranging said second virtual object at a position of said mobile object in said virtual space or the vicinity thereof, respectively, and operating said controlled device corresponding to said first virtual object on the basis of a positional relation between said first virtual object and said second virtual object, the operation control system comprising:

first storage means for storing first object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said first virtual object in a manner corresponding to said controlled device;

second storage means for storing second object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said second virtual object in a manner corresponding to said mobile object;

control command storage means for storing control commands for the operation of said controlled device in a manner corresponding to said mobile object; and

positional information acquisition means for acquiring positional information specifying the position of said mobile object;

whereby said second object information in said second storage means is updated on the basis of said positional information acquired by said positional information acquisition means, and giving a control command corresponding to said mobile object as said second virtual object, among said control commands in said control command storage means, to said controlled device as said first virtual object upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage means and said second object information in said second storage means, that an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

wherein said controlled device is operated in response to said given control command.

10. The output service provision system as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said output device is a projection-type display device.

2. An output service provision system for interconnecting a virtual object management terminal managing virtual objects, an output device, and a portable object management terminal managing a portable object in a communicatable manner, allowing a first virtual object corresponding to said output device and allowing a second virtual object corresponding to said portable object, respectively, arranging said first virtual object in a virtual space corresponding to a real space and arranging said second virtual object at a position of said portable object in said virtual space or the vicinity thereof, respectively, and providing an output service associated with an output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object on the basis of a positional relation between said first virtual object and said second virtual object, the output service provision system comprising:

positional information acquisition means for acquiring positional information specifying the position of said portable object;

wherein said virtual object management terminal includes first storage means for storing first object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said first virtual object in a manner corresponding to said output device, and second storage means for storing second object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said second virtual object in a manner corresponding to said portable object, and is adapted to update said second object information in said second storage means on the basis of said positional information acquired by said positional information acquisition means, and transmit a provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage means and said second object information in said second storage means, that an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

wherein said portable object management terminal includes control command storage means for storing control commands for the operation of said output device in a manner corresponding to said portable object, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage means, to said output device associated with the received provision request; and

wherein said output device, upon receiving the transmitted control command, is operated in response to the received control command.

3. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said transmitted control command is a page turning command for a page turning operation;

and

wherein said output device includes display means, and is adapted to, upon being given display data, conduct a page-unit display on said display means on the basis of the given display data, and to, upon receiving said page turning command, turn pages displayed on said display means in response to the received page turning command.

4. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said transmitted control command is a forward page turning command prescribing turning pages forward;

and

wherein said output device is adapted to, upon receiving said forward page turning command, turn said pages displayed on said display means forward in response to the received forward page turning command.

5. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 3 or 4, wherein said transmitted control command is a backward page turning command prescribing turning pages backward;

and

wherein said output device is adapted to, upon receiving said backward page turning command, turn said pages displayed on said display means backward in response to the received backward page turning command.

6. The output service provision system as set forth in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said system is further communicatably connected with a portable terminal;

wherein said virtual object management terminal includes third storage means for storing third object information regarding a shape and disposed position of a third virtual object in a manner corresponding to said portable terminal, and is adapted to transmit said provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage means and said third object information in said third storage means, that said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said third virtual object; and

wherein said portable terminal includes display data storage means for storing said display data, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit said display data in said display data storage means to said output device associated with the received provision request.

7. The output service provision system as set forth in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said virtual object management terminal further includes third storage means for storing third object information regarding a shape and disposed position of a third virtual object in a manner corresponding to a second portable object, and is adapted to transmit a provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage means and said third object information in said third storage means, that said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said third virtual object;

and

wherein said portable object management terminal further includes display data storage means for storing said display data in a manner corresponding to said second portable object, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit display data corresponding to said second portable object associated with the received provision request, among said display data in said display data storage means, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

8. The output service provision system as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein said portable object management terminal is connected with a communication service provision terminal in a communicatable manner, said communication service provision terminal providing a service for communication with said portable object management terminal;

wherein said communication service provision terminal includes constituent information storage means for storing communication establishment means constituent information, said constituent information constituting communication establishment means for establishing communication with said portable object management terminal;

wherein said virtual object management terminal is adapted to transmit said provision request to said output device corresponding to said first virtual object upon determining that said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

wherein said output device is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, acquire said communication establishment means constituent information from said communication service provision terminal, constitute said communication establishment means on the basis of the acquired communication establishment means constituent information and transmit the received provision request to said portable object management terminal associated with said provision request on the basis of the constituted communication establishment means; and

wherein said portable object management terminal is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage means, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

11. A portable object management terminal communicatably connected with the virtual object management terminal and the output device in the output service provision system as set forth in claim 2, the portable object management terminal comprising:

control command storage means for storing control commands for the operation of said output device in a manner corresponding to said portable object;

whereby, upon receiving said provision request, transmitting a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage means, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

13. A portable object management terminal program run in the portable object management terminal, as a computer, as set forth in claim 11, the portable object management terminal program comprising:

a process of, upon receiving said provision request, transmitting a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage means, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

9. An output service provision system for interconnecting a virtual object management terminal managing virtual objects, an output device, and a portable terminal in a communicatable manner, allowing a first virtual object corresponding to said output device and allowing a second virtual object corresponding to said portable terminal, respectively, arranging said first virtual object in a virtual space corresponding to a real space and arranging said second virtual object at a position of said portable terminal in said virtual space or the vicinity thereof, respectively, and providing an output service associated with an output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object on the basis of a positional relation between said first virtual object and said second virtual object, the output service provision system comprising:

positional information acquisition means for acquiring positional information specifying the position of said portable terminal;

wherein said virtual object management terminal includes first storage means for storing first object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said first virtual object in a manner corresponding to said output device, and second storage means for storing second object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said second virtual object in a manner corresponding to said portable terminal, and is adapted to update said second object information in said second storage means on the basis of said positional information acquired by said positional information acquisition means, and transmit a provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage means and said second object information in said second storage means, that an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

wherein said portable terminal includes control command storage means for storing a control command for the operation of said output device, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit said control command in said control command storage means to said output device associated with the received provision request; and

wherein said output device, upon receiving the transmitted control command, is operated in response to the received control command.

12. A portable terminal communicatably connected with the virtual object management terminal and the output device in the output service provision system as set forth in claim 9, the portable terminal comprising:

control command storage means for storing a control command for the operation of said output device;

whereby, upon receiving said provision request, transmitting said control command in said control command storage means to said output device associated with the received provision request.

14. A portable terminal program run in the portable terminal, as a computer, as set forth in claim 12, the portable terminal program comprising:

a process of, upon receiving said provision request, transmitting said control command in said control command storage means to said output device associated with the received provision request.