Control system for differentiating multiple users

• US 20060220788A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmidt-Nielsen, Bent, Yerazunis, William S., Dietz, Paul H., Forlines, Clifton L., Harsham, Bret, Leigh, Darren L., Shipman, Samuel E., Ryall, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US11/098,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220788A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A system differentiates user controls by arranging a conductive surface in a close approximation to each control. A transmitter is connected to the conductive surfaces. The transmitter emits a unique signal to each conductive surface. Electrodes are arranged in close proximity to users of the controls, and a receiver is connected to each corresponding electrode. A particular user is associated with a particular control when the particular user is capacitively coupled to a particular conductive surface via the electrode, the receiver and the transmitter.

Claims

1. A system with differentiated user controls, comprising:

a plurality of controls;

a conductive surface arranged in a close proximity to each control;

a transmitter connected to the conductive surfaces, the transmitter emitting a unique signal to each conductive surface;

a plurality of electrodes, each electrode arranged in close proximity to a particular one of a plurality of users of the controls;

a receiver connected to each corresponding electrode; and

means for associating a particular user with a particular control when the particular user is capacitively coupled to a particular conductive surface via the electrode, the receiver and the transmitter.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the conductive surfaces are electrically isolated from each other.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dielectric sheet configured to electrically isolate each conductive surface.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the unique signals are time-shifted variations of a binary sequence produced by a linear feedback shift register in the transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the signal uses code division, multiple access.

6. The system of claim 1, in which the signal uses time division, multiple access.

7. The system of claim 1, in which the system uses frequency division techniques.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the conductive surface is arranged on the touch sensitive surface.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of chairs, wherein the electrodes are arranged in the chairs.

10. The system of claim 1, in which the receivers are portable, and each user carries a receiver coupled to the corresponding electrode.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for operating the system according to the particular user actuating the particular control.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for operating the system according to the particular user touching the particular control.

13. The system of claim 11, in which a function of the system is varied according to the particular user.

14. The system of claim 11, in which a behavior of the system is varied according to the particular user.

15. The system of claim 11, in which a function of the system is varied according to a role of the particular user actuating the particular control.

16. The system of claim 11, in which a function of the system is varied according to a particular class of users.

17. The system of claim 11, in which a function of the system is varied according to particular user preferences.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for uniquely identifying the particular user.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for classifying the particular user according to a desired classification.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for identifying the particular user role by associating the role with one or more receivers.

21. The system of claim 18, in which the means for identifying is a log-on procedure.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for operating the system according to the particular user actuating the particular control, and according an unique identity of the particular user.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

haptic feedback means signaling according to the particular user.

24. The system of claim 1, in which the plurality of controls are arranged in a vehicle.

25. The system of claim 1, in which the plurality of controls are arranged in an airplane.

26. The system of claim 1, in which the plurality of controls are arranged in a control room.

27. The system of claim 1, in which the transmitters are local to each conductive surface.

28. The system of claim 1, in which the transmitters are coupled to the electrodes, and the receivers are coupled to the conductive surfaces.

29. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating a temporal journal according to operating.

30. The system of claim 1, in which the particular control is a push-to-talk button.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for accoustically steering a microphone towards the particular user.

32. A method for operating a system with personalized user controls, comprising:

transmitting a unique signal to each one of a plurality of conductive surfaces, each conductive surface arranged in a close proximity to each corresponding one of a plurality of controls;

receiving a particular one of the unique signals in a receiver coupled to an electrode arranged in close proximity to a particular one of a plurality of users touching a particular control; and

operating the system according to the particular unique signal.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

isolating electrically the conductive surfaces from each other.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

arranging the electrodes in a plurality of chairs.

35. The method of claim 32, in which the operating is according to a preset user.

36. The method of claim 32, in which the operating is according to a preset user class.

37. The method of claim 32, in which the operating is according to a preset role preferences.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

identifying uniquely the particular user.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

operating the system according to the unique identity of the particular user.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing haptic feedback to the particular user.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

generating a temporal journal according to the operating.