Physical User Interface
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A physical user interface is provided as an adjunct to a graphical user interface to a device having an operating system. The physical interface has a work surface or workspace that is scanned by one or more sensors capable of determining the position of objects. The work surface or workspace is sub-divided into two or more regions. Each region is representative of a user-generated command. In some examples, the one or more sensors adapted to determine the position and orientation of one or more counters. The sensors can distinguish which region a counter is located in and what orientation it is in. The sensors provide an output signal, based on the determination, to the device.
21 Citations
41 Claims
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1-22. -22. (canceled)
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22. A physical user interface for a microprocessor device that runs an operating system, comprising:
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an array of sensors located below a workspace; the workspace divided into regions that are discernible to a user, each region signifying a command to or an action performed by the operating system; one or more tokens that are uniquely identifiable by the sensors, each sensor producing a recognition signal; a signal processor for determining, from the recognition signal, the identity of a token and the region that token is in and producing an associated first output; a control program for turning the first output into a second output that is capable of being interpreted by the operating system as a command. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 39)
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28. A microprocessor device that runs an operating system having:
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a physical user interface comprising an array of sensors located below a workspace; the workspace divided into regions that are discernible to a user, each region signifying a command to, or an action performed by the operating system; one or more tokens that are uniquely identifiable by the sensors, each sensor producing a recognition signal; a signal processor for determining, from the recognition signal, the identity of a token and the region that token is in and producing an associated first output; a control program that for turning the first output into a second output that is capable of being interpreted by the operating system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 40)
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34. A method for organising and displaying graphic information on a desktop of a GUI interface to a device having an operating system, comprising the steps of:
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placing or relocating a token on a physical workspace below which is located an array of sensors, the token representing a specific program that can be run by the operating system; the workspace divided into regions that are visible to a user, each region signifying a command to, or an action performed by, the operating system; the sensors producing a recognition signal when a token is placed into or removed from a region; the operating system receiving and implementing commands that relate to the organisation of the desktop, from a control program, based on the recognition signal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 41)
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Specification