Glyph address carpet methods and apparatus for providing location information in a multidimensional address space

• US 6,327,395 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox SPA (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox SPA (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Stearns, Richard G., Hecht, David L., Flores, L. Noah, Chang, Kenneth H. P., Jared, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Wenyeng
• Application Number:
  US09/144,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 382/306, 382/232, 382/243, 235/494, 235/456, 235/487, 235/462, 235/454, 235/470, 235/432, 235/375, 358/403, 358/1.6, 358/1.1, 380/51, 283/70, 345/173
• US Class Current: 382/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image

Abstract

A user interface is implemented using visual indicia and a background for the visual indicia that encodes address information. The background appears visually as a stipple pattern, but is implemented using glyphs which form an address carpet that encodes address information uniquely identifying each location of the user interface. An image capture device is used to capture an area of the address carpet that is at or near visual indicia of interest to the user while selecting a location in the visual indicia. The image capture device captures the area of interest, and transmits the image area to a computer for processing. The computer first determines the proper orientation of the image, and then decodes the information encoded by the glyphs. The decoding results in an X, Y address identifying the location of the captured area in the address carpet and, by reference, the address of the selected location. Based on the address, the computer may perform an operation associated with the area.

Claims

1. Apparatus for implementing a user interface, comprising:

sensory indicia embodied in a media;

a two-dimensional embedded address code comprising;

a parallel propagating address code, that further comprises;

a first line of code having a first one-dimensional address code;

a second line of code adjacent the first line of code and comprised of a second one-dimensional address code;

a third line of code comprising the first one-dimensional address code staggered to the right relative to the first line of code; and

a fourth line of code comprising the second one-dimensional address code staggered to the left relative to the second line of code;

a reader for reading a portion of the two-dimensional address code; and

a translator for translating the portion into a discrete pointer associated with the sensory indicia.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensory indicia comprises a graphic element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensory indicia comprises text.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises glyphs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reader comprises an optical reader for capturing an image including the portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reader comprises a pen-like handheld device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said codes comprise plural lines of code and said portion comprises adjacent sections of several of said lines, end wherein the translator comprises a decoder for decoding an address from the adjacent sections.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises plural lines of glyphs, and the translator comprises a decoder for decoding two dimensional addresses from the lines of glyphs.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer for performing a function associated with the discrete pointer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parallel propagating address code comprises:

a first line comprising a unique one-dimensional address code; and

a second line comprising a unique one-dimensional address code.

11. Apparatus for implementing a user interface, comprising:

sensory indicia embodied in a media, each of said indicia being suggestive of information of potential significance to a user;

a parallel propagating address code carried by said media in predetermined spatial relationship with said indicia, said code being constructed to define an n-dimensional address space, said parallel propagating address code, further comprises;

a first line of code having a first one-dimensional address code;

a second line of code adjacent the first line of code and comprised of a second one-dimensional address code;

a third line of code comprising the first one-dimensional address code staggered to the right relative to the first line of code;

a fourth line of code comprising the second one-dimensional address code staggered to the left relative to the second line of code;

a reader for capturing and reading a portion of said code corresponding to a user selected indicia; and

a translator for translating the captured portion of said code into a discrete pointer associated with the selected sensory indicia, said pointer defining at least one address in said N-dimensional address space.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the parallel propagating address code comprises:

a first line comprising a unique one-dimensional address code; and

a second line comprising a unique one-dimensional address code.

13. A method for implementing a user interface using sensory indicia embedded in a media and a parallel propagating address code constructed to define a two-dimensional address space, wherein said parallel propagating address code is comprised of:

a first line of code having a first pattern;

a second line of code adjacent the first line of code and comprised of a second pattern;

a third line of code comprising the first pattern staggered to the right relative to the first line of code; and

a fourth line of code comprising the second pattern staggered to the left relative to the second line of code, said method comprising;

establishing a predetermined spatial relationship between said sensory indicia and said address space, whereby each indicia is spatially associated with at least one address in said address space;

capturing and reading a selected portion of said parallel propagating address code, wherein said selection is governed by a selection of one of said sensory indicia; and

translating the portion into a discrete pointer associated with said one sensory indicia wherein said discrete pointer is an address in said two-dimensional address space to provide x and y coordinates.

14. A method for implementing a user interface using sensory indicia embedded in a media and a two-dimensional address code comprised of a parallel propagating code that further comprises a first line of code having a first pattern;

a second line of code adjacent the first line of code and comprised of a second pattern;

a third line of code comprising the first pattern staggered to the right relative to the first line of code; and

a fourth line of code comprising the second pattern staggered to the left relative to the second line of code, said method comprising;

reading a portion of the two-dimensional address code, and

translating the portion into a discrete pointer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of reading includes capturing an image including the portion using an optical camera.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of translating includes decoding a code associated with the portion.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of translating includes determining a function associated with the discrete pointer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the code is comprised of multiple lines of code and the portion comprises adjacent sections of several of the lines, wherein the step of translating includes decoding a two-dimensional address from the adjacent sections.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the two-dimensional address code is comprised of lines of glyphs, and the step of translating includes identifying a code from the lines of glyphs.

20. The method of claim 14, further including the step of performing a function associated with the discrete pointer using a computer.