System and methods for providing a portable object management terminal

• US 6,988,010 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fukui, Yoshiki, Taniguchi, Shinya, Kitada, Naruhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US10/245,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 700/65, 700/66, 700/83, 700/17, 700/52, 700/53, 701/2, 701/200, 701/300, 709/231, 709/232, 709/217
• US Class Current: 700/65
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

The invention provides an operation control system which is capable of allowing users to easily operate a controlled device over different control ranges, respectively. More particularly, when cards are brought close to a projector, a virtual object management device detects an area-in state of each virtual object of the cards with respect to a virtual object of the projector, and notifies the projector of the area-in state of the card service. The projector, upon receiving the card service area-in notification, transmits a service linkage initiation request to a card management device. Upon receiving an operation command transmitted in response to the initiation request transmission, the projector controls a projection process in response to the received operation command. The card management device transmits the operation command to the projector upon receiving the service linkage initiation request.

Claims

1. An operation control system including a first virtual object corresponding to a controlled device that is operated in response to a given control command, and a second virtual object corresponding to a mobile object, respectively, said first virtual object being disposed in a virtual space corresponding to a real space and said second virtual object being disposed at a position of said mobile object in said virtual space or a vicinity thereof, respectively, and said controlled device being operated corresponding to said first virtual object on the basis of a positional relation between said first virtual object and said second virtual object, the operation control system comprising:

a first storage device that stores first object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said first virtual object in a manner corresponding to said controlled device;

a second storage device that stores second object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said second virtual object in a manner corresponding to said mobile object;

a control command storage device that stores control commands for the operation of said controlled device in a manner corresponding to said mobile object; and

a positional information acquisition device that acquires positional information specifying the position of said mobile object;

said second object information in said second storage device being updated on the basis of said positional information acquired by said positional information acquisition device, and giving a control command corresponding to said mobile object as said second virtual object, among said control commands in said control command storage device, to said controlled device as said first virtual object upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage device and said second object information in said second storage device, that an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

said controlled device being operated in response to said given control command.

2. The operation control system as set forth in claim 1, the output device being a projection-type display device.

3. An output service provision system for interconnecting a virtual object management terminal managing virtual objects, an output device, and a portable object management terminal managing a portable object for communication, including a first virtual object corresponding to said output device and a second virtual object corresponding to said portable object, respectively, said first virtual object being disposed in a virtual space corresponding to a real space and said second virtual object being disposed at a position of said portable object in said virtual space or the vicinity thereof, respectively, and an output service associated with an output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object being provided on the basis of a positional relation between said first virtual object and said second virtual object, the output service provision system comprising:

a positional information acquisition device that acquires positional information specifying a position of said portable object;

said virtual object management terminal including a first storage device that stores first object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said first virtual object in a manner corresponding to said output device, and a second storage device that stores second object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said second virtual object in a manner corresponding to said portable object, and is adapted to update said second object information in said second storage device on the basis of said positional information acquired by said positional information acquisition device, and transmit a provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage device and said second object information in said second storage device, that an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

said portable object management terminal including a control command storage device that stores control commands for the operation of said output device in a manner corresponding to said portable object, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage, to said output device associated with the received provision request; and

said output device, upon receiving the transmitted control command, is operated in response to the received control command.

4. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 3, said transmitted control command being a page turning command for a page turning operation;

and

said output device including a display device, and is adapted to, upon being given display data, conduct a page-unit display on said display device on the basis of the given display data, and to, upon receiving said page turning command, turn pages displayed on said display device in response to the received page turning command.

5. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 4, said transmitted control command being a forward page turning command prescribing turning pages forward;

and

said output device being adapted to, upon receiving said forward page turning command, turn said pages displayed on said display device forward in response to the received forward page turning command.

6. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 4,

said transmitted control command being a backward page turning command prescribing turning pages backward;

and

said output device being adapted to, upon receiving said backward page turning command, turn said pages displayed on said display device backward in response to the received backward page turning command.

7. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 4,

said system being further communicatably connected with a portable terminal;

said virtual object management terminal including a third storage device that stores third object information regarding a shape and disposed position of a third virtual object in a manner corresponding to said portable terminal, and is adapted to transmit said provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage device and said third object information in said third storage device, that said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said third virtual object; and

said portable terminal including a display data storage device that stores said display data, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit said display data in said display data storage device to said output device associated with the received provision request.

8. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 4, said virtual object management terminal further including a third storage device that stores third object information regarding a shape and disposed position of a third virtual object in a manner corresponding to a second portable object, and is adapted to transmit a provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage device and said third object information in said third storage device, that said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said third virtual object;

and

said portable object management terminal further including a display data storage device that stores said display data in a manner corresponding to said second portable object, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit display data corresponding to said second portable object associated with the received provision request, among said display data in said display data storage device, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

9. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 3, said portable object management terminal being connected with a communication service provision terminal in a communicatable manner, said communication service provision terminal providing a service for communication with said portable object management terminal;

said communication service provision terminal including a constituent information storage device that stores communication establishment means constituent information, said constituent information storage device constituting a communication establishment device that establishes communication with said portable object management terminal;

said virtual object management terminal being adapted to transmit said provision request to said output device corresponding to said first virtual object upon determining that said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with said area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

said output device being adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, acquire said communication establishment means constituent information from said communication service provision terminal, constitute said communication establishment device on the basis of the acquired communication establishment means constituent information and transmit the received provision request to said portable object management terminal associated with said provision request on the basis of the constituted communication establishment means constituent information; and

said portable object management terminal being adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage device, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

10. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a portable object management terminal communicatably connected with the virtual object management terminal and the output device, the portable object management terminal comprising:

a control command storage device that stores control commands for the operation of said output device in a manner corresponding to said portable object;

upon receiving said provision request, the control command storage device transmits a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage device, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

11. A portable object management terminal program run in the portable object management terminal, as a computer, as set forth in claim 10, the portable object management terminal program comprising:

a process of, upon receiving said provision request, transmitting a control command corresponding to said portable object associated with the received provision request, among said control commands in said control command storage device, to said output device associated with the received provision request.

12. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 3, the output device being a projection-type display device.

13. An output service provision system for interconnecting a virtual object management terminal managing virtual objects, an output device, and a portable terminal in a communicatable manner, including a first virtual object corresponding to said output device and a second virtual object corresponding to said portable terminal, respectively, said first virtual object being disposed in a virtual space corresponding to a real space and said second virtual object being disposed at a position of said portable terminal in said virtual space or the vicinity thereof, respectively, and providing an output service associated with an output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object on the basis of a positional relation between said first virtual object and said second virtual object, the output service provision system comprising:

a positional information acquisition device that acquires positional information specifying the position of said portable terminal;

said virtual object management terminal including a first storage device that stores first object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said first virtual object in a manner corresponding to said output device, and a second storage device that stores second object information regarding a shape and disposed position of said second virtual object in a manner corresponding to said portable terminal, and being adapted to update said second object information in said second storage device on the basis of said positional information acquired by said positional information acquisition device, and transmit a provision request to provide said output service associated with the output of said output device corresponding to said first virtual object, upon determining, on the basis of said first object information in said first storage device and said second object information in said second storage device, that an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said first virtual object is overlapped with an area specified by said shape and disposed position of said second virtual object;

said portable terminal including a control command storage device that stores a control command for the operation of said output device, and is adapted to, upon receiving said provision request, transmit said control command in said control command storage device to said output device associated with the received provision request; and

said output device, upon receiving the transmitted control command, being operated in response to the received control command.

14. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 13, said output device being a projection-type display device.

15. The output service provision system as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a portable terminal communicatably connected with the virtual object management terminal and the output device, the portable terminal comprising:

a control command storage device that stores a control command for the operation of said output device;

upon receiving said provision request, the control command storage device transmits said control command in said control command storage device to said output device associated with the received provision request.

16. A portable terminal program run in the portable terminal, as a computer, as set forth in claim 15, the portable terminal program comprising:

a process of, upon receiving said provision request, transmitting said control command in said control command storage device to said output device associated with the received provision request.