Collaborative input system

• US 6,930,673 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turning Technologies LLC (Echo 360, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gtco Calcomp
• Inventors: Kaye, Stephen T., Timmons, David Eric, Eckert, Brad, Doubrava, Dana, Jacobs, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US09/986,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-177, 345179-181, 345/1.1, 345/2.1, 345/2.2, 345/2.3, 345753-754, 715/753, 715/754, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1907, 348/14.08, 348/14.1, 348/14.09
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A collaborative input system 10 includes a host computer 12. A display 14 is associated with the host computer. The host computer includes a processor 15 configured for executing an application to provide an image 17 on the display 14. At least one electromagnetic digitizer 18 is provided separate from the host computer. The digitizer 18 has an input surface 22 defining a display space that is mapped to coincide with the display 14, and a pen structure 24 operatively associated with the input surface such that proximity of the pen structure with respect to the input surface, as a result of a user'"'"'s input, is detected by the digitizer. A wireless communication link is provided between the host computer and the digitizer such that a user'"'"'s input can be transmitted from the digitizer, be received by the host computer, and be represented graphically on the display together with the image in real time, thereby permitting the user, associated with the digitizer, to personally provide input to the host computer displaying the image.

Claims

1. A collaborative input system comprising:

a host computer,

a display associated with the host computer, the host computer being constructed and arranged to execute an application to provide an image on the display,

a plurality of electromagnetic digitizers provided separate from the host computer, each digitizer having an input surface defining a space that is mapped to coincide with the display via computer readable medium, at the host computer, having stored thereon sequences of instructions for mapping the space to the display, each digitizer being constructed and arranged to have no display features, each digitizer having a pen structure operatively associated with the input surface such that proximity of the pen structure with respect to the input surface, as a result of a user'"'"'s input, is detected by the digitizer,

a wireless communication link between a single transceiver associated with the host computer and the plurality of the digitizers such that a user'"'"'s input can be transmitted from one of the digitizers, be received by the host computer, and be represented graphically on the display together with the image in real time, thereby permitting a user associated with the one digitizer to personally provide input to the host computer displaying the image, and

computer readable medium, at the host computer, having stored thereon sequences of instructions for prioritizing and managing data from each of the plurality of digitizers.

2. The input system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electromagnetic digitizers are provided separate from each other and each digitizer is un-tethered.

3. The input system of claim 2, wherein the communication link includes a radio frequency transceiver at each digitizer and the single transceiver is a single radio frequency transceiver associated with the host computer, and wherein the computer readable medium for prioritizing and managing ensures that the single transceiver communicates with a digitizer when no other digitizer is communicating with the single transceiver.

4. The input system of claim 1, further comprising a digital whiteboard upon which the display is projected.

5. The input system of claim 4, wherein the digital whiteboard communicates wirelessly with the host computer.

6. The input system of claim 1, wherein the pen structure is constructed and arranged to communicate with the input surface in a cordless manner.

7. The input system of claim 1, wherein the pen structure is constructed and arranged to control mouse functions of the host computer via computer readable medium residing at the host computer.

8. The input system of claim 1, wherein the input surface is an opaque writing surface.

9. A collaborative input system comprising:

a host computer,

means for displaying an image, associated with the host computer, the host computer being constructed and arranged to execute an application to provide an image on the displaying means,

a plurality of un-tethered electromagnetic digitizing means for inputting data, each digitizing means being separate from the host computer, each digitizing means having an input surface defining a space that is mapped to coincide with the displaying means via computer readable medium, at the host computer, having stored thereon sequences of instructions for mapping the space to the displaying means, each digitizing means being constructed and arranged to have no display features, each digitizing means having a pen structure operatively associated with the input surface such that proximity of the pen structure with respect to the input surface, as a result of a user'"'"'s input, is detected by the digitizing means, and

means for communicating between the host computer and each of the digitizing means, the means for communicating including a single transceiver associated with the host computer such that a user'"'"'s input can be transmitted from one of the digitizing means, be received by the transceiver associated with the host computer, and be represented graphically on the displaying means together with the image in real time, thereby permitting a users associated with the one a digitizing means to personally provide input to the host computer displaying the image, each digitizing means being constructed and arranged to communicate with the single transceiver when data is requested by the single transceiver and the single transceiver requests data from a digitizing means when no other digitizing means is communicating with the single transceiver.

10. The input system of claim 9, wherein the means for communicating includes a radio frequency transceiver at each digitizing means and the single transceiver is a single radio frequency transceiver associated with the host computer.

11. The input system of claim 9, further comprising a digital whiteboard upon which the display is projected.

12. The input system of claim 11, wherein the digital whiteboard communicates wirelessly with the host computer.

13. The input system of claim 9, wherein the pen structure is constructed and arranged to communicate with the input surface in a cordless manner.

14. The input system of claim 9, wherein the pen structure is constructed and arranged to control mouse functions of the host computer.

15. The input system of claim 9, wherein the input surface is an opaque writing surface.

16. A collaborative input system comprising:

host computer,

a display associated with the host computer,

a plurality of un-tethered electromagnetic digitizers provided separate from the host computer, each digitizer having an input surface defining a space that is mapped to coincide with the display via computer readable medium, at the host computer, having stored thereon sequences of instructions for mapping the space to the display, each digitizer being constructed and arranged to have no display features, each digitizer having a pen structure operatively associated with the input surface such that proximity of the pen structure with respect to the input surface, as a result of a user'"'"'s input, is detected by the digitizer, and

a wireless communication link between a single transceiver associated with the host computer and the plurality of digitizers such that a user'"'"'s input can be transmitted from one of the digitizers, be received by the host computer, and be represented graphically on the display in real time, wherein a digitizer communicates with the single transceiver when requested to do so by the single transceiver, and the single transceiver communicates with a digitizer when no other digitizer is communicating with the single transceiver.

17. The input system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of electromagnetic digitizers are provided separate from each other.

18. The input system of claim 17, wherein the communication link includes a radio frequency transceiver at each digitizer and the single transceiver is a single radio frequency transceiver associated with the host computer.

19. The input system of claim 16, further comprising a digital whiteboard upon which the display is projected.

20. The input system of claim 19, wherein the digital whiteboard communicates wirelessly with the host computer.

21. The input system of claim 16, wherein the pen structure is constructed and arranged to communicate with the input surface in a cordless manner.

22. The input system of claim 16, wherein the pen structure is constructed and arranged to control mouse functions of the host computer.

23. The input system of claim 16, wherein the input surface is an opaque writing surface.

24. A method of providing input to a host computer having a display associated therewith, the host computer being configured to execute an application to provide an image on the display, the method including:

providing a plurality of un-tethered electromagnetic digitizer separate from the host computer, each digitizer having an input surface defining a space, each digitizer being constructed and arranged to have no display features, each digitizer having a pen structure operatively associated with the input surface such that proximity of the pen structure with respect to the input surface, as a result of a user'"'"'s input, is detected by the digitizer,

mapping the space to coincide with the display via computer readable medium, at the host computer, having stored thereon sequences of instructions for mapping the space to the display,

providing a wireless communication link between a single transceiver associated with the host computer and the plurality of digitizers such that a user'"'"'s input can be transmitted from one of the digitizers, be received by the host computer, and be represented graphically on the display together with the image in real time, thereby permitting the users associated with the digitizer to personally provide input to the host computer displaying the image, and

prioritizing and managing data from each of the plurality of digitizers at the host computer.