Coordinate designation interface

• US 6,955,297 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Isaac W. Grant
• Inventors: Grant, Isaac W.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/778,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20050178838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46245, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/375, 235/382.5, 235/454, 235/455, 235/456, 235/385, 235/469, 382/128, 382/133, 283/117, 283/101
• US Class Current: 235/462.08
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

The present invention contemplates a novel method and device that combines one of more coordinate scanners which can digitize and communicate to a computer the exact location of the placement of a pointer on any designated surface and perform a variety of preprogrammed responses. More specifically, the invention relates to the methods and apparatuses used to identify specific points of indicia on a surface in front of the scanner. This surface is identified to a computer by identifying indicia such as a bar code or other manner of specifically identifying the surface. The computer will perform preprogrammed designated audio or visual or other electronic responses to identified points on the surface by matching the identified point on the surface with an electronic version of the surface in memory and a preprogrammed task for such a match. The designated surface may be flat or it may consist of a contoured surface in a wide variety of sizes and materials.

Claims

1. A surface scanning system for performing designated:

actions from points identified on a surface comprising;

a surface;

means to identify said surface to a computer having an electronic copy of said surface stored in memory;

means to scan said surface in electronic communication with said computer;

means to identify a specific point on said surface in view of said means to scan said surface;

means to trigger said means to scan said surface, to communicate said specific point identified by said means to identify a specific point, to said computer;

software resident in said computer to compare said specific point identified to specific points on said electronic copy of said surface and thereby identify designated indicia located at said specific point; and

said software upon determining said designated indica, thereafter communicating to said user additional information relating to said designated indica using electronic means for output of said additional information to said user.

2. The surface scanning system of claim 1 wherein said electronic means for output of said additional information comprises a video display of additional information.

3. The surface scanning system of claim 1 wherein said electronic means for output of said additional information comprises audio information communicated over at least one loudspeaker.

4. The surface scanning system of claim 2 wherein said electronic means for output of said additional information additionally comprises audio information communicated over at least one loudspeaker.

5. The surface scanning system of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said software looking memory resident definition information of a specific word or picture identified as said specific indicia; and

said software causing said video display to display said definition information on said video display.

6. The surface scanning system of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said software performing an internet search using a specific word or picture identified as said specific indicia; and

said software causing said video display to display results of said search as hypertext for further action by a user.

7. The surface scanning system of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said surface being a template from a kit of interchangeable surface templates; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on said surface which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of a plurality of memory resident electronic renditions of said surface templates.

8. The surface scanning system of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said surface being a template from a kit of interchangeable surface templates; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on said surface which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of a plurality of memory resident electronic renditions of said surface templates.

9. The surface scanning system of claim 5 additionally comprising:

said surface being a template from a kit of interchangeable surface templates; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on said surface which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of a plurality of memory resident electronic renditions of said surface templates.

10. The surface scanning system of claim 6 additionally comprising:

said surface being a template from a kit of interchangeable surface templates; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on said surface which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of a plurality of memory resident electronic renditions of said surface templates.

11. The surface scanning system of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a book, a newspaper, and a magazine; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on pages of said book, said indicia which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of memory resident electronic renditions of said pages.

12. The surface scanning system of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a book, a newspaper, and a magazine; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on pages of said book, said indicia which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of memory resident electronic renditions of said pages.

13. The surface scanning system of claim 3 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a book, a newspaper, and a magazine; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on pages of said book, said indicia which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of memory resident electronic renditions of said pages.

14. The surface scanning system of claim 5 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a book, a newspaper, and a magazine; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on pages of said book, said indicia which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of memory resident electronic renditions of said pages.

15. The surface scanning system of claim 6 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a book, a newspaper, and a magazine; and

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on pages of said book, said indicia which when transmitted by said scanner to said computer is matched to one of memory resident electronic renditions of said pages.

17. The surface scanning system of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a template, a book, a newspaper, and a magazine said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on said surface, said indicia being words located in the corners of the words printed on the surface, wherein when transmitted by said scanner to said computer, a plurality of said words located in said corners, are matched to one of a plurality of memory resident electronic renditions of said surfaces for matching words in matching positions, thereby identifying said surface.

18. The surface scanning system of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said surface being one of a group of indica bearing surfaces including a template, a book, a newspaper, and a magazine

said means to identify said surface to a computer comprising indicia placed on said surface, said indicia being words located in the corners of the words printed on the surface, wherein when transmitted by said scanner to said computer, a plurality of said words located in said corners, are matched to one of a plurality of memory resident electronic renditions of said surfaces for matching words in matching positions, thereby identifying said surface.

16. A method of surface scanning and providing feedback to a user based on specific points on a surface identified by the user through a scanner viewing said surface comprising:

placing an electronic copy of said surface in computer memory;

placing a means to identify said surface to said computer having said electronic copy of said surface stored in memory, on said surface;

having the user employ a means to identify a specific point on said surface wherein said specific point is communicated through said scanner to said computer;

employing software resident in said computer to compare said specific point identified to specific points on said electronic copy of said surface and thereby identify designated indicia located at said specific point; and

employing said software thereafter to communicate communicating to said user, additional information relating to said designated indica, using an electronic means for output of said additional information to said user.