Ink trails on a wireless remote interface tablet and wireless remote ink field object

• US 6,724,372 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Bi, Depeng, George, Jose T., Boals, Daniel A., Merkle, Scott, Gladwin, S. Christopher, Wilson, James Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengitsu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/784,688
• Time in Patent Office: 2,652 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/179, 382/181, 382/187, 395/275, 708/141, 455/432, 235/472, 709/238, 709/250, 709/227
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer system which includes one or more wireless interface devices that are adapted to communicate with a remote host over a radio link. Each of the wireless interface devices is a pen-based device which includes an ink field in which pen events are translated into pen data. packets and transmitted to the remote host over the radio link. Local inking is provided at the wireless interface device in order to maintain the pen paradigm in essentially real time.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more wireless interface devices, each wireless interface device being a pen-based system having a pen mode and a mouse mode and including a digitizer responsive to pen events and mouse events, said digitizer responsive to a passive stylus, means for monitoring pen down events of said passive stylus in said mouse mode and emulating the movement of a mouse and the clicking of a mouse button, said wireless interface devices also including means for switching between said pen mode and mouse mode, a radio communication system for selectively enabling a wireless connection to be established between said wireless interface device and one of a plurality of remote host computers to enable a user to manually select a remote host computer for connection and establish a connection with a selected remote host computer in response thereto, means for translating pen events into pen data packets in a pen mode, means for translating pen events into mouse data packets in a mouse mode and means for transmitting said pen and mouse data packets from said wireless interface device to said remote host computer for processing;

said selected host computer providing centralized computational resources for said one or more wireless interface devices, said host computer including means for communicating with said one or more wireless interface devices by way of a radio link, said host computer also including means for receiving and processing said pen data packets.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless interface devices include means for providing local inking of said pen events at said one or more wireless interface devices.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said translating means includes an embedded ink field control wherein pen events within said embedded ink field control are translated into pen data packets for transmission to a remote host computer.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said host computer is a server connected to a local area network (LAN) defining a LAN segment.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said host computer includes means for communicating with a single wireless interface device.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said host computer includes means for communicating with a plurality of wireless interface devices.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said enabling means includes one or more wireless LAN adapters.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further including switching means which, in turn, includes an embedded ink field control which enables the wireless interface device to be switched to and from a pen mode from a second mode of operation as a function of pen events relative to the ink field control.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, further including means for establishing a predetermined default state for the mode of operation during predetermined conditions.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said predetermined default state is a non-pen mode.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said predetermined conditions include power-up of said wireless interface device.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said switching means includes a predetermined default state on power-up of said wireless interface device.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined default state is a mouse mode.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined default state is a pen mode.

15. The system as recited in claim 8, further including means for disabling said ink field control.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said disabling means includes means for automatically disabling said ink field control as a result of predetermined events.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said wireless interface device includes a keyboard and said disabling means including means for monitoring said keyboard and disabling said ink field control when one or more predetermined keys are selected.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said keyboard is an on-screen keyboard.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said keyboard includes an ALTERNATE key and said disabling means disables said ink field control when said ALTERNATE key is selected.

20. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said disabling means disables said ink field control when any key on said keyboard is selected.

21. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said predetermined event includes pen-down events outside said ink field control.

22. A wireless interface device comprising:

a radio communication system for selectively enabling a wireless connection to be established between said wireless interface device and one of a plurality of remote host computers to enable a user to manually select a remote host computer for connection and establish a connection with a selected remote host computer in response thereto;

means for establishing a predetermined default state for a mode of operation of said wireless interface device, said mode of operation being selected from the group consisting of a pen mode and a mouse mode;

a digitizer panel for receiving input data from a passive stylus;

means for translating pen events relative to said digitizer panel to pen data in a pen mode and to mouse data in a mouse mode;

means for monitoring pen down events in said mouse mode and emulating the movement of a mouse and the clicking of a mouse button;

means for switching between a pen mode and a mouse mode;

means for transmitting said pen data to said remote host computer for processing by way of a radio link during said pen mode; and

means for providing local inking of said pen events.

23. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said enabling means includes one or more wireless LAN adapters.

24. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said wireless interface device includes an ink field control which enables pen events relative thereto to be translated into pen data.

25. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said wireless interface device has multiple modes of operation.

26. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said predetermined default state is a non-pen mode.

27. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said predetermined conditions include power-up of said wireless interface device.

28. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said switching means includes a predetermined default state on power-up of said wireless interface device.

29. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 22, wherein said predetermined default state is a non-pen mode.

30. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 24, wherein said predetermined default state is a pen mode.

31. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 23, further including means for disabling said ink field control.

32. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 30, wherein said disabling means includes means for automatically disabling said ink field control as a result of predetermined events.

33. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 23, wherein said wireless interface device includes a keyboard and said disabling means including means for monitoring said keyboard and disabling said ink field control when one or more predetermined keys are selected.

34. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 23, wherein said keyboard is an on-screen keyboard.

35. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 23, wherein said keyboard includes an ALTERNATE key and said disabling means disables said ink field control when said ALTERNATE key is selected.

36. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 23, wherein said disabling means disables said ink field control when any key on said keyboard is selected.

37. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 23, wherein said predetermined event includes pen-down events outside said ink field control.