INTERACTIVE INPUT SYSTEM AND TOOL TRAY THEREFOR

• US 20110169736A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Akitt, Trevor Mitchell, Guo, Cheng, Thompson, Sean, Bolt, Stephen Patrick
• Application Number:
  US12/709,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1639 the display being based on projection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/039 Accessories therefor, e.g. mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

An interactive input system comprises an interactive surface and a tool tray supporting at least one tool to be used to interact with the interactive surface. The tool tray comprises processing structure for communicating with at least one imaging device and processing data received from the at least one imaging device for locating a pointer positioned in proximity with the interactive surface.

Claims

1. An interactive input system comprising:

an interactive surface; and

a tool tray supporting at least one tool to be used to interact with said interactive surface, said tool tray comprising processing structure for communicating with at least one imaging device and processing data received from said at least one imaging device for locating a pointer positioned in proximity with said interactive surface.

2. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the tool tray is configured to receive at least one detachable module for communicating with the processing structure.

3. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the at least one detachable module is any of a communications module for enabling communications with an external computer, an accessory module, a power accessory module, and a peripheral device module.

4. The interactive input system of claim 3, wherein the communications module comprises a communications interface selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RS-232, and Ethernet.

5. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one USB port.

6. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the tool tray further comprises at least one indicator for indicating an attribute of pointer input.

7. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the tool tray further comprises at least one button for allowing selection of an attribute of pointer input.

8. The interactive input system of claim 6, wherein the tool tray further comprises at least one button for allowing selection of the attribute of pointer input.

9. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the at least one tool comprises an eraser tool, said eraser tool comprising large area and small area erasing surfaces.

10. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the tool tray further comprises a sensor for detecting presence of the at least one tool.

11. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the tool tray further comprises a power switch.

12. The interactive input system of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one indicator for indicating an attribute of pointer input.

13. The interactive input system of claim 12, wherein the module further comprises at least one button for allowing selection of the attribute of pointer input.

14. The interactive input system of claim 13, wherein the at least one tool comprises an eraser tool, said eraser tool comprising large area and small area erasing surfaces.

15. The interactive input system of claim 12, wherein the at least one module further comprises a power switch.

16. A tool tray for an interactive input system comprising at least one imaging device capturing images of a region of interest, the tool tray comprising:

a housing having an upper surface configured to support one or more tools, said housing accommodating processing structure communicating with the at least one imaging device and processing data received therefrom for locating a pointer positioned in proximity with the region of interest.

17. The tool tray of claim 16 configured to receive at least one detachable module for communicating with the processing structure.

18. The tool tray of claim 17, wherein the at least one detachable module is any one of a communications module for enabling communications with an external computer, an accessory module, a power accessory module, and a peripheral device module.

19. The tool tray of claim 18, wherein the communications module comprises a communications interface selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RS-232, and Ethernet.

20. The tool tray of claim 18, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one USB port.

21. The tool tray of claim 18, further comprising at least one indicator for indicating an attribute of pointer input.

22. The tool tray of claim 18, further comprising at least one button for allowing selection of the attribute of pointer input.

23. The tool tray of claim 18, wherein the at least one tool comprises an eraser tool, said eraser tool comprising large area and small area erasing surfaces.

24. The tool tray of claim 18, further comprising a sensor for detecting presence of the tool within the receptacle.

25. The tool tray of claim 18, further comprising a power switch.

26. The tool tray of claim 18, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one indicator for indicating an attribute of pointer input.

27. The tool tray of claim 26, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one button for allowing selection of the attribute of pointer input.

28. The tool tray of claim 27, wherein the at least one tool comprises an eraser tool, said eraser tool comprising large area and small area erasing surfaces.

29. The tool tray of claim 27, further comprising a sensor for detecting presence of the tool within the receptacle.

30. The tool tray of claim 29, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises a power switch.

31. A tool tray for an interactive input system comprising at least one device for detecting a pointer brought into proximity with a region of interest, the tool tray comprising:

a housing having an upper surface configured to support one or more tools, said housing accommodating processing structure communicating with the at least one imaging device and processing data received therefrom for locating a pointer positioned in proximity with the region of interest.

32. The tool tray of claim 31 configured to receive at least one detachable module for communicating with the processing structure.

33. The tool tray of claim 32, wherein the at least one detachable module is any one of a communications module for enabling communications with an external computer, an accessory module, a power accessory module, and a peripheral device module.

34. The tool tray of claim 33, wherein the communications module comprises a communications interface selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RS-232, and Ethernet.

35. The tool tray of claim 33, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one USB port.

36. The tool tray of claim 33, further comprising at least one indicator for indicating an attribute of pointer input.

37. The tool tray of claim 36, further comprising at least one button for allowing selection of the attribute of pointer input.

38. The tool tray of claim 33, wherein the at least one tool comprises an eraser tool, said eraser tool comprising large area and small area erasing surfaces.

39. The tool tray of claim 33, further comprising a sensor for detecting presence of the tool within the receptacle.

40. The tool tray of claim 33, further comprising a power switch.

41. The tool tray of claim 39, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one indicator for indicating an attribute of pointer input.

42. The tool tray of claim 41, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises at least one button for allowing selection of the attribute of pointer input.

43. The tool tray of claim 42, wherein the at least one tool comprises an eraser tool, said eraser tool comprising large area and small area erasing surfaces.

44. The tool tray of claim 42, wherein the at least one detachable module further comprises a power switch.