Alternative user-interface

• US 20050172075A1
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Central Coast Patent Agency, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Central Coast Patent Agency, Inc.
• Inventors: Marcus, R. Cameron
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A system for programming a programmable device having an interface for a portable memory medium has an interactive interface executable on a stand-alone computer appliance for creating a program for the programmable device, a portable memory medium, and a downloading mechanism for transferring the created program to the portable memory medium.

Claims

1. A system for programming a programmable device having an interface for a portable memory medium, comprising:

an interactive interface executable on a stand-alone computer appliance for creating a program for the programmable device;

a portable memory medium; and

a downloading mechanism for transferring the created program to the portable memory medium.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable memory medium is a magnetic strip card, and the downloading mechanism is a magnetic strip writer connected to the computer appliance.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory medium is a thumb drive having a USB male connector.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer appliance is a personal computer (PC).

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the PC is connected to the Internet network, and the interactive interface is provided by a Web site in the Internet network.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the interactive interface is read by the PC from a portable memory medium provided with the programmable device.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the portable memory medium is a compact disk read-only medium (CD-ROM).

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a programmable device having an interface for the portable memory medium.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the portable memory medium is a magnetic strip card, and the interface is a magnetic strip card writer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the portable memory medium is a thumb drive and the interface is a female USB port for receiving the male USB connector of the thumb drive.

12. The device of claim 9 wherein the device is one of a lawn sprinkler controller, a VCR, a thermostat, or a cellular telephone.

13. The device of claim 9 wherein the port for receiving is a female USB port for receiving a male USB connector of a thumb drive.

14. The device of claim 9 wherein the port for receiving is a magnetic strip reader for reading a program from a magnetic strip card.

11. A programmable device wherein the entire programming interface comprises:

a port for receiving a portable memory device; and

logic for reading a program from a portable memory device engaged at the port and for transferring that program to an internal memory for execution.

15. A method for programming a programmable device, comprising acts of:

(a) providing a sole programming interface for the device as a port for reading a portable memory medium and logic for transferring a program from the medium to an internal memory of the device;

(b) providing an interactive interface for creating a program for the programmable device, the interactive interface executable on a display of a computer appliance having a downloading mechanism for recording a program created on the portable memory medium; and

(c) using the portable medium for transferring the program created to the programmable device.

16. A system for programming a programmable device having an interface for receiving a program, comprising:

an interactive interface executable on a stand-alone computer appliance for creating a program for the programmable device; and

a transmitter for transmitting the program to the programmable device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is an infra-red transmitter and the interface at the programmable device is an infra-red reader.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is a magnetic loop transmitter and the interface at the programmable device is a magnetic loop receiver.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and the interface at the programmable device is an RF receiver.