Data input/output system, data input/output method, and program recording medium

• US 6,795,060 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US10/039,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.1
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An interactive-type data system comprising an integration of instinctive operability of the real objects with multiple purpose functions is disclosed. Concretely, by utilizing a transparent tile incorporating a wireless tag as a unit of interface, a plurality of tiles are disposed on a flat display surface or a tablet. The computing system reads identification data contained in each wireless tag and then activates a corresponding processing operation. For example, the computing system accesses such data resources related to tiles or activates a corresponding function or application program. Further, based on physical positional relationship between plural tiles, it is possible to integrally combine basic capability provided for by individual tiles.

Claims

1. A data input and output system comprising:

a visual interface comprising a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of a physical interface and display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

an identifying means for identifying said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

a data processing means for executing a data processing operation in correspondence with a result of identification by said identifying means and for externally displaying a result of said execution on said visual interface; and

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

said data processing means executes a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data owned by said physical interface disposed on said operating surface and said pen input operation added to said physical interface.

2. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said physical interfaces may be disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface; and

said data processing means executes such a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data owned by two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface and said pen input added to said physical interfaces.

3. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein

in response to the pen input added across two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed to positions adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing means assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces to the other physical interface.

4. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

in response to the pen input added across two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed to positions adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing means assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which the other physical interface is disposed.

5. A data input and output system comprising:

a visual interface comprising a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of a physical interface and display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

an identifying means for identifying said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

a data processing means for executing a data processing operation in correspondence with a result of identification by said identifying means and for externally displaying a result of said execution on said visual interface; and

wherein in response result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means assigns data held by another physical interface adjacent to said physical interface to a remotely disposed physical interface related to said another physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data to a position at which said remotely disposed said physical interface is present.

6. A method of inputting and outputting data which provides an interactive technique via a physical interface on a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of said physical interface and also on a visual interface incorporating display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

said data input and output method comprising the steps of;

a step of identifying said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

a data processing step for initially executing a data processing operation in correspondence with identified result generated via said identifying step followed by a step of displaying processed result on said visual interface; and

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

said data processing step executes a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data owned by said physical interface disposed on said operating surface and said pen input added to said physical interface.

7. A method of inputting and outputting data which provides an interactive technique via a physical interface on a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of said physical interface and also on a visual interface incorporating display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

said data input and output method comprising the steps of;

a step of identifying said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

a data processing step for initially executing a data processing operation in correspondence with identified result generated via said identifying step followed by a step of displaying processed result on said visual interface; and

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

a plurality of physical interfaces can be disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface; and

said data processing step executes a data processing operation in correspondence with combination of identification data owned by two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface and said pen input added to said physical interface.

8. The data input and output method according to claim 7, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step assigns such data held by one of said physical interfaces adjacent to said physical interface to said physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

9. The data input and output method according to claim 7, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step assigns such data held by one of said physical interfaces adjacent to said physical interface to a remotely disposed said physical interface related to said physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

10. The data input and output method according to claim 7, wherein,

in response to addition of pen operation across two or more than two of said physical interfaces adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing step assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces to another physical interface.

11. The data input and output method according to claim 7, wherein,

in response to addition of said pen operation across two or more than two of said physical interfaces adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing step assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces to another physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said another physical interface is disposed.