Method and system for using an electronic reading device as a general application input and navigation interface

• US 6,885,878 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gärdenfors, Torbjörn, Borgström, Anders, Hollström, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US09/703,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/556, 455/451.4, 455/557, 455/569, 455/568, 455/11.1, 345/169, 345/125, 345/158, 345/179, 382/314, 250/221
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/315 characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material B41J2/385, B41J2/435 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/028 by thermal printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0005 Accepting output data; Preparing data for the controlling system
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/047 Detection, control or error compensation of scanning velocity or position H04N1/0402 and H04N1/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04712 using unbroken arrays of detectors, i.e. detectors mounted on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04717 on the scanned sheet, e.g. a reference sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04734 : Detecting at frequent intervals, e.g. once per line for sub-scan control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04737 : by detecting the scanned medium directly, e.g. a leading edge

Abstract

A method and system for controlling an electronic device uses a reading device and a specially formatted surface. The specially formatted surface includes a predefined address pattern and at least one field for use in performing a control function on the electronic device. By detecting a portion of the address pattern that is adjacent to the reading device, a position of the reading device can be determined. Furthermore, by repeatedly detecting portions of the address pattern, movement of the reading device relative to the address pattern can also be determined. When a detected position or movement is within a control field, a corresponding control function can be performed on the electronic device.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device, said electronic device including a display screen, a specially formatted surface including a predefined address pattern and further including at least one field for use in performing a control function with respect to a display on the display screen of the electronic device; and

an electronic pen for detecting a portion of the predefined address pattern adjacent to the electronic pen wherein a position of the electronic pen on the specially formatted surface can be determined using the detected portion of the predefined address pattern, and wherein a position of the electronic pen with respect to the at least one field controls the display on the display screen of the electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes the electronic pen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic pen is separate from the electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the specially formatted surface comprises a paper, and wherein said at least one field comprises a plurality of fields for performing a plurality of control functions with respect to the display on the display screen of the electronic device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the specially formatted surface and the electronic pen comprise at least a portion of a man-machine interface for the electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one field comprises a navigation field and wherein the display on the display screen includes a cursor, wherein apposition of the electronic pen with respect to the navigation field controls the position of the cursor on the display screen.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a current position of the cursor is performed by a selection function, the selection function selected from the group consisting of a detection by the electronic pen of a portion of the address pattern within a selection field on the specially formatted surface and a pressure sensitive detection on the electronic pen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic pen includes a transmitter for communicating with the electronic device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter transmits information to the electronic device via at least one of a cable and a local wireless link.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter operates in accordance with Bluetooth radio interface technology.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a computer, a personal digital assistant, a calculator, a game console, a television, and a digital camera.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one field includes a field for providing the reading device with a joystick functionality.

13. A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one position, using an electronic pen, on a specially formatted surface having an address pattern by detecting a portion of the address pattern adjacent to electronic pen;

identifying a control function corresponding to the at least one detected position;

controlling a display on a display screen on the electronic device by performing the control function corresponding to the at least one detected position; and

wherein the detected portion of the address pattern is located within a field on the specially formatted surface, and filed corresponding to the control function.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the control function comprises a navigating function, and wherein the display on the display screen includes a cursor, wherein a position of the electronic pen with respect to the at least one field controls the position of the cursor on the display screen on the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of detecting a selection of a location on the specially formatted surface, wherein the step of identifying the function is performed in response to the detected selection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selection is detected by sensing a pressure on the electronic pen.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of translating the at least one detected portion of the address pattern into a rotation angle.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of translating the at least one detected portion of the address pattern into a tilt angle.