Method for object identification and sensing in a bounded interaction space
First Claim
1. Apparatus for determining the position of a movable object in a detection region comprising, in combination:
- at least two spaced apart acoustic signal transmitters located at predetermined positions relative to said detection region each of which emits a sequence of timed acoustic signals that traverse said detection region, an acoustic signal sensor carried by said movable object for detecting the times of arrival of said acoustic signals at said movable object, and a data processor for calculating said position of said movable object from said times of arrival.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive media table that includes a tabletop that supports of plurality of movable objects each of which is identified by a unique identification code and each of which can be moved from place to place on said tabletop surface by one or more media table users. A display unit produces a visual image on the surface of the tabletop surface and a position tracking system determines the current positions of each of said movable objects by transmitting timed acoustic signals to each movable object, sensing the timing of arrival of these signals using an acoustic pickup on each object, and estimating the location of the object by triangulation. An infrared communications network exchanges timing information, commands and data between the objects and a controller which provides an API to a personal computer which executes an application program that controls the display.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. Apparatus for determining the position of a movable object in a detection region comprising, in combination:
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at least two spaced apart acoustic signal transmitters located at predetermined positions relative to said detection region each of which emits a sequence of timed acoustic signals that traverse said detection region, an acoustic signal sensor carried by said movable object for detecting the times of arrival of said acoustic signals at said movable object, and a data processor for calculating said position of said movable object from said times of arrival. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An improvement in a media table of the type consisting of a display device integrated with a tabletop that defines a display surface that supports a plurality of movable objects that can be placed on, and moved from place to place on, said surface by one or more users, said display device producing an image that includes at least one image component that coincides with and moves with a corresponding one of said movable objects, said improvement comprising:
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a data processor, at least two spaced-apart acoustic transmitters, each of which responds to commands from said data processor by emitting timed acoustic signals that propagate through said tabletop to each of said movable objects, an acoustic signal sensor carried by each given one of said movable objects for detecting the times of arrival of said acoustic signals at said given one of said movable objects, a wireless communication link coupling said each of said movable objects to said data processor for transmitting data indicative of said times of arrival to said data processor, a program executable by said data processor for deriving location data from said data indicative of said times of arrival and for generating said image based on said location data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A media table comprising:
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a tabletop display for rendering a visual image presented on a tabletop surface that supports of plurality of movable objects each of which is identified by a unique identification code and each of which can be moved from place to place on said tabletop surface by one or more media table users, a position tracking system for producing location data indicating the current positions of each of said movable objects, said position tracking system comprising;
a controller, at least two spaced apart transmitters coupled to said controller for emitting timed acoustic signals that traverse said tabletop surface to each of said objects, an acoustic signal sensor carried by each given one of said objects for detecting the times of arrival of said acoustic signals at said given one of said objects, a wireless communications network coupling said controller to each of said objects for receiving information indicative of said times of arrival of said acoustic signals at each of said from each of said objects, and a position processor for deriving said location data from said information indicative of said times of arrival, and a display processor coupled to said tabletop display and to said processor for deriving said visual image from said location data and displaying said visual image on said tabletop display. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27)
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28. A media table comprising:
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a tabletop display for rendering a visual image presented on a tabletop display surface that supports of plurality of movable objects, each of said movable objects being identified by a unique identification code and each being movable from place to place on said tabletop display surface by one or more users, a position tracking system for producing location data for each given one of said movable objects, said location data including the identification code identifying said given one said movable objects and further including position data indicating the current position on said display surface of said given one of said movable objects when said given one of said movable objects is placed on said display surface, and a display processor responsive to said location data for displaying said visual image on said tabletop display, said visual image including visual components that appear at locations on said tabletop display surface that coincide with and track the locations of corresponding ones of said plurality of moveable objects. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification