Identification of devices on touch-sensitive surface

• US 20080198138A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kennedy, Kevin, Richardson, Cyra, Keam, Nigel, Bangerter, Neal, Drake, Victor, Silverstein, Dana L., McFarlane, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,063,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

The identification of a data storage device detected on a touch-sensitive display surface of a display device is described. In one embodiment, the presence and location of the data storage device is detected on the display surface and the data storage device is detected on a wireless communications channel. It is then confirmed that the data storage device detected on the wireless communications channel is the data storage device detected on the surface of the display device by communicating with the data storage device over a second communications channel.

Claims

1. In an interactive display device comprising a touch-sensitive surface, a method of identifying a data storage device placed on the touch-sensitive surface, the method comprising:

detecting a presence and location of an object on the surface of the display device;

detecting the data storage device on a wireless communications channel; and

confirming that the data storage device detected on the wireless communications channel is the object detected on the surface of the display device by communicating with the data storage device over a second communications channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications channel comprises a radiofrequency communications channel, and wherein the second communications channel comprises an infrared or visible optical communications channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating with the data storage device over the optical communications channel comprises sending a request to the data storage device over the wireless communications channel for the data storage device to emit an optical locating message, and then detecting the optical locating message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the optical signal is detected via an image capture device disposed within the display device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising reading one or more passive optical elements disposed on the data storage device and determining an orientation of the data storage device on the surface of the display device from the relative positions of the one or more passive optical elements and/or the detected optical locating message.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating with the data storage device over the optical communications channel comprises modulating an optical emitter within the display device and receiving a locating message from the data storage device confirming receipt of a signal from the modulated optical emitter.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating with the data storage device over the optical communications channel comprises reading a passive optical tag associated with the data storage device and querying a database containing records matching passive optical tags to specific devices and/or device owners.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communications channel is an electromagnetic communications channel, and wherein communicating with the data storage device over the second communications channel comprises sending a request over the wireless communications channel to the data storage device requesting the data storage device to emit an electromagnetic locating message, and receiving the electromagnetic locating message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the data storage device over the second communications channel comprises displaying a locating message image on a portion of the display adjacent to the data storage device, sending a request to the data storage device over the wireless communications channel to capture an optical data sample via a photodetector on the data storage device and to transfer the optical data sample to the display device, receiving the optical data sample from the data storage device, and comparing the optical data sample to the locating message image.

10. An interactive data transfer and display device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display system comprising a display, a touch-sensitive mechanism configured to detect an object on the display, and an optical source;

a wireless communications system;

a processor in electrical communication with the display system and the wireless communications system; and

memory comprising machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to detect locations of objects placed on the touch-sensitive display via the touch-sensitive mechanism, to detect one or more data storage devices within wireless communication range via the wireless communications system, and to identify a data storage device placed on the display and detected via the wireless communications system by communicating with the data storage device via one or more of the touch-sensitive mechanism and the optical source.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the touch-sensitive mechanism comprises an image capture device configured to capture an image of the display.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to send to the data storage device via the wireless transmitter a request to emit an optical signal, and to detect the optical signal emitted from the data storage device via the image capture device.

13. The display device of claim 10, wherein the optical source comprises an infrared emitter, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to modulate infrared light emitted by the infrared emitter;

to send a request to the data storage device via the wireless communication system to detect the modulated infrared light via a photodetector on the data storage device; and

to receive a response to the request from the data storage device.

14. The display device of claim 10, wherein the optical source comprises a visible light source and an image producing element, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to identify the data storage device placed on the display by:

displaying an image on the display under the data storage device;

sending a request to the data storage device via the wireless transmitter to capture an optical sample via a photodetector on the data storage device and to transfer the optical data sample to the display device;

receiving the optical data sample; and

comparing the optical data sample to the image displayed on the portion of the display.

15. The display device of claim 10, wherein the touch-sensitive mechanism comprises an image capture device, and wherein the controller is configured to read a passive tag disposed on the data storage device with the image capture device, to display on the display a request for a user to send a confirmation message, and to receive the confirmation message via the wireless communications system.

16. An identification tag configured to wirelessly communicate identification and location information to a display device on which a mobile device comprising the identification tag is disposed, the identification tag comprising:

a wireless communications system configured to enable two-way wireless communication between the identification tag and the interactive display device;

a microcontroller in electrical communication with the wireless communications system; and

a secondary communications device in electrical communication with the microcontroller and controllable by the microcontroller to conduct a location signaling communication with the interactive display device over a secondary wireless communication channel.

17. The identification tag of claim 16, wherein the secondary communications device comprises one or more of an optical emitter and an optical detector.

18. The identification tag of claim 16, further comprising one or more visible passive optical elements configured to indicate to a user an existence of and location of the secondary communications device.

19. The identification tag of claim 16, wherein the secondary communications device comprises an electromagnetic modulator.

20. The identification tag of claim 16, wherein the wireless communications system comprises an RFID antenna and modulator, and wherein the secondary communications device is powered by radiofrequency power received via the RFID antenna from an interrogating electric field.