Multiple interacting computers interfaceable through a physical manipulatory grammar

• US 6,297,805 B1
• Filed: 08/29/1997
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Want, Roy, Adler, Annette M., Fishkin, Kenneth P., Harrison, Beverly L., Howard, Matthew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, FRANCIS N
• Application Number:
  US08/920,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1-2, 345/903, 345/126, 345/169, 345/501-502, 345/184, 345/156-158, 348/383, 340/572.1, 340/825.54, 340/825.52, 340/568.8, 340/572.4, 341/20
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer

Abstract

A plurality of multiple interacting computer devices for transferring data includes a first device having a processor and a first wireless communication module for transferring data, a second device having a processor and a second wireless communication module for transferring data, and a third device having a processor and a third wireless communication module for transferring data. When the first device is connected in substantially simultaneous wireless communication with the second device and the third device, specific data based on respective spatial positions of the first device, second device, and third device can be transferred.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable intelligent system comprising a plurality of 3-dimensionally tilable display devices for transferring data, the reconfigurable system comprising:

a first device having a processor, a first spatial position sensor, and a first wireless communication module for transferring data;

a second device having a processor, a second spatial position sensor, and a second wireless communication module for transferring data; and

a third device having a processor, a third spatial position sensor, and a third wireless communication module for transferring data; and

the first device is connected in one or more of an intermittent or continuous wireless communication with the second device and the third device to pass data from the first, second, and third spatial position sensors of the respective first device, second device, and third device; and

the reconfigurable system is reconfigurable based on the data from the first, second, and third spatial position sensors.

2. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the first device maintains information about spatial position of the second device and the third device, and transfers differing data to the second device and the third device based on that maintained spatial position information.

3. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third wireless communication modules comprise one or more of a radio link and an optical link.

4. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third devices further have a respective first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a touching action between devices.

5. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a stacking action between devices.

6. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a tiling action between devices.

7. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a wrapping action between devices.

8. A reconfigurable system comprising a plurality of tileable devices for transferring data, the reconfigurable system comprising:

a first device having a processor and a first wireless communication module for transferring data;

a second device having a processor and a second wireless communication module for transferring data; and

a third device having a processor and a third wireless communication module for transferring data;

wherein the first device is in wireless communication with the second device, the wireless communication being one or more of an intermittent or continuous communication, with the first device maintaining information about spatial position of the second device, and the second device maintaining information about spatial position of the third device, and with the first device implementing a first data set, a second data set being transferred from the first device to the second device for implementation, and a third data set being transferred from the second device to the third device for implementation.

9. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, wherein the first device maintains information about spatial position of the second device and the third device, and transfers differing data to the second device and the third device based on that maintained spatial position information.

10. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third wireless communication modules respectively support infrared links.

11. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third wireless communication modules respectively support radio links.

12. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a touching action between devices.

13. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a stacking action between devices.

14. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a tiling action between devices.

15. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, each first, second and third device respectively further comprising a first, second, and third deformable piece, with intercommunication between at least two of the devices being triggered by a wrapping action between devices.

16. A method for transferring information between a first display device and a second display device, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the first device and the second device in one or more of a intermittent or continuous wireless communication;

flicking the first device to provide a morpheme input to the device; and

triggering transfer of information from the first device to the second device in response to the flicking action.

17. A method for transferring information between a first display device and a second display device, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the first device and the second device in one or more of a intermittent or continuous wireless communication;

facing the first device relative to a second device to provide a morpheme input to the device; and

triggering transfer of information from the first device to the second device in response to the facing action.