MOVEABLE DESKTOP

• US 20100289742A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.)
• Original Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.)
• Inventors: Unsworth, Peter, Pearce, Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

There is disclosed an interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and for receiving inputs from remote devices, the system being adapted to detect the presence of at least two remote devices proximate the interactive surface.

Claims

1. An interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and adapted for detecting the position, in use, of a pointing device on the interactive surface, wherein an icon displayed on the displayed image dragged toward the edge of the displayed image is displayed on the opposite edge of the displayed image.

2. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for detecting, in use, a plurality of pointing devices on the interactive surface, further wherein the interactive surface is divided into at least two active areas, each pointing device being associated with one active area, wherein an icon allocated for use by one user and displayed in one active area dragged towards the edge of the one active area by the one user is then displayed in the other active area and allocated for use by the other user.

3. The interactive system according to claim 1 wherein an icon moved toward the edge of one active area may appear on the opposite edge of another active area.

8. The interactive system of claim 2 comprising a drive grid signal generator for driving a drive grid for a period of time at each of a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the plurality of pointing devices, wherein the system adapts the period of time for a given frequency to optimize said period of time for particular devices.

11. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step, responsive to the step of an icon being moved toward the edge of one active area, displaying the icon on the opposite edge of another active area.

4. An interactive system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and for detecting the position, in use, of at least one pointing device at the interactive surface, the system being adapted to manipulate an image displayed on the interactive surface in dependence on data received from the pointing device, wherein responsive to detection of the pointing device selecting an image and dragging it toward the edge of the displayed image, the image is displayed on the opposite edge of the displayed image.

5. An interactive system according to claim 4 wherein the image is a graphical user interface icon.

6. An interactive system according to claim 4 wherein the interactive surface comprises a plurality of active areas, wherein a dragged image is displayed in a different active area.

7. An interactive system according to claim 4 wherein there is provided a plurality of pointing devices, each pointing device being associated with one or more active areas, wherein responsive to an image displayed in one active area and associated with one pointing device being dragged by that pointing device to the edge of that active area, the image is displayed in another active area and re-associated with another pointing device associated with that active area.

9. A method in an interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and at least one pointing device, wherein in use the position of the pointing device on the interactive surface is detected, the method comprising the step of dragging an icon displayed on the displayed image toward the edge of the displayed image and displaying the icon on the opposite edge of the displayed image.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising the step of dividing the interactive surface into at least two active areas, and providing a plurality of pointing devices, each pointing device being associated with one active area, wherein an icon allocated for use by one user and displayed in one active area dragged towards the edge of the one active area by the one user is then displayed in the other active area and allocated for use by the other user.

16. The method according to claim 10 further comprising driving a drive grid for a period of time at each of a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the plurality of pointing devices, and adapting the period of time for a given frequency to optimize said period of time for particular devices.

12. A method in an interactive system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and for receiving inputs from at least one pointing device position, in use, at the interactive surface, comprising the step of manipulating an image displayed on the interactive surface in dependence on data received from the pointing device, wherein responsive to the step of detection of the pointing device selecting an image and dragging it toward the edge of the displayed image, further comprising the step of displaying the image on the opposite edge of the displayed image.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the image is a graphical user interface icon.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the interactive surface comprises a plurality of active areas, comprising the step of displaying a dragged image in a different active area.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein there are provided a plurality of pointing devices, each pointing device being associated with one or more active areas, comprising the step of, responsive to an image displayed in one active area and associated with one pointing device being dragged by that pointing device to the edge of that active area, displaying the image in another active area and re-associating the image with another pointing device associated with that active area.