Associating a region on a surface with a sound or with another region

• US 20080042970A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Judah Menter, Mari Sunderland, Sulivan Parker, Yih-Shiuan Liang
• Original Assignee: Judah Menter, Mari Sunderland, Sulivan Parker, Yih-Shiuan Liang
• Inventors: Parker, Sulivan, Sunderland, Mari, Liang, Yih-Shiuan, Menter, Judah
• Application Number:
  US11/492,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042970A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/19 by sensing codes defining pattern positions

Abstract

A surface that includes a pattern of markings that define spatial coordinates on the surface is scanned. The pattern of markings is decoded to define a region on the surface. Additional information is associated with the region. For example, a sound may be associated with the region such that, when the region is subsequently scanned, the sound may be audible. In another example, a second region on the same or on a different surface may be associated with the first region.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an optical device comprising a processor, memory and a light sensor, said method comprising:

defining a region on a surface using said optical device, wherein said region comprises a pattern of markings that define spatial coordinates on said surface; and

associating a sound with said region.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a selection of said sound, wherein said selection is made from a sound stored on said optical device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting text into said sound.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said sound is independent of content within said region other than said pattern of markings.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering said sound when said region is scanned using said optical device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

rendering said sound; and

prompting a user to locate said region in response to said rendering.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of regions on said surface;

associating a plurality of sounds with said regions; and

associating said plurality of regions and said plurality of sounds as a group.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

decoding portions of said pattern of markings to identify a set of coordinates; and

defining said region using said set of coordinates.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a second sound with said region.

10. A method implemented by an optical device comprising a processor, memory and a light sensor, said method comprising:

defining a first region using said optical device, wherein said first region comprises a pattern of markings that define a first set of spatial coordinates; and

associating said first region with a second region that comprises a pattern of markings that define a second set of spatial coordinates.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising defining said second region using said optical device.

12. A device comprising:

an optical detector;

a processor coupled to said optical detector; and

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed implement a method comprising;

sensing an encoded dot pattern on a surface with said optical detector, wherein said encoded dot pattern defines a set of spatial coordinates;

decoding said encoded dot pattern to define a region on said surface; and

associating a sound with said region, wherein said sound is audible if said encoded dot pattern is subsequently sensed and decoded.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said sound is selected from a sound stored on said device.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said sound is produced using text-to-speech synthesis.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein said sound is produced using phoneme-to-speech synthesis.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein said sound is independent of content within said region other than said encoded dot pattern.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein a user is prompted to locate said region in response to said sound made audible.

18. The device of claim 12 wherein said region and said sound are included in a group of related regions and sounds.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises receiving information that defines said second region.

19. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a pen-shaped computer system to perform a method comprising:

receiving information that defines a first region, wherein said first region comprises a pattern of markings that define a first set of spatial coordinates; and

associating said first region with a second region that comprises a pattern of markings that define a second set of spatial coordinates.