Viewer configured to display, and method of displaying, information on a display to at least partially take into account a position of the viewer relative to a surface

• US 7,019,319 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh X.
• Application Number:
  US10/943,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 250/566, 345/156, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 358/473
• US Class Current: 250/566
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 : Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 : First party call control architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 : with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• 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 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 : Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 : Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 : sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 : Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/187 : Continuous sectional layer

Abstract

A viewer configured to rest upon a surface that bears coded data, the viewer including:

• • sensing means configured to sense at least some of the coded data when the viewer is resting upon the surface;
  • processing means for decoding at least some of the sensed coded data;
  • a transmitter configured to transmit the decoded data to a remote computer system;
  • a receiver configured to receive display information in reply to the transmission of the decoded data; and
  • a display configured to output display data to a user;
  • wherein the processing means is configured to receive the display information and generate the display data based at least partially on the display information, wherein the display information represented by the display data is positioned on the display to at least partially take into account a position of the viewer relative to the surface.

Claims

1. A viewer configured to rest upon a surface that bears coded data, the viewer including:

sensing means configured to sense at least some of the coded data when the viewer is resting upon the surface;

processing means for decoding at least some of the sensed coded data;

a transmitter configured to transmit the decoded data to a remote computer system;

a receiver configured to receive display information in reply to the transmission of the decoded data; and

a display configured to output display data to a user;

wherein the processing means is configured to receive the display information and generate the display data based at least partially on the display information, wherein the display information represented by the display data is positioned on the display to at least partially take into account a position of the viewer relative to the surface, the processing means determining the position of the viewer relative to the surface based at least partially on at least part of the sensed coded data.

2. A viewer according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is configured to determine the position of the viewer relative to the surface by determining a location from at least some of the decoded data.

3. A viewer according to claim 2, wherein the position is determined to be the location.

4. A viewer according to claim 2, wherein the position is determined from the location at a higher resolution than is encoded directly in the coded data.

5. A viewer according to claim 4, wherein the sensing means is an optical image sensor that captures at least one image representing the coded data within a field of view, the processing means being configured to determine the position from the location by determining a relative position of one or more features within the image.

6. A viewer according to claim 5, wherein the position includes a rotational orientation and the processing means is configured to determine a rotational orientation by determining a relative rotational orientation of one or more features within the field.

7. A viewer according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to an average unaided human eye.

8. A viewer according to claim 1, wherein the surface includes visible information, the display data output by the display being positioned such that it appears to be in substantial registration with the visible information when viewed by a user.

9. A viewer according to claim 8, the display data on the display replicating at least some of the visible information.

10. A viewer according to claim 1, including a housing, the housing being configured to engage the surface, in use, and support the viewer a predetermined distance from the surface while the coded data is being sensed by the sensing means.

11. A viewer according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is configured to manipulate the display information during generation of the display data to at least partially take into account the position of the viewer relative to the surface.

12. A viewer according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is configured to determine the position of the viewer relative to the surface by determining a location from at least some of the decoded data.

13. A viewer according to claim 12, wherein the position is determined to be the location.

14. A viewer according to claim 12, wherein the position is determined from the location at a higher resolution than is encoded directly in the coded data.

15. A viewer according to claim 14, wherein the sensing means is an optical image sensor that captures at least one image representing the coded data within a field of view, the processing means being configured to determine the position from the location by determining a relative position of one or more features within the image.

16. A viewer according to claim 15, wherein the position includes a rotational orientation and the processing means is configured to determine a rotational orientation by determining a relative rotational orientation of one or more features within the field.

17. A viewer according to claim 11, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to an average unaided human eye.

18. A viewer according to claim 11, wherein the surface includes visible information, the display data output by the display being positioned such that it appears to be in substantial registration with the visible information when viewed by a user.

19. A viewer according to claim 18, the display data on the display replicating at least some of the visible information.

20. A viewer according to claim 11, including a housing, the housing configured to engage the surface, in use, and support the viewer a predetermined distance from the surface while the coded data is being sensed by the sensing means.

21. A viewer according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is indicative of at least an identity of either a document or a region of a document, and the decoded data includes at least data indicative of the identity.

22. A viewer according to claim 21, wherein the coded data is also indicative of at least one reference point of the surface, and the decoded data includes at least data indicative of at least one of the at least one reference point.

23. A method of operating a viewer that includes sensing means, processing means, a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a display configured to output display data to a user, the method comprising the steps of;

(a) sensing, with the sensing means, coded data disposed upon a surface when the viewer is resting upon the surface;

(b) decoding, with the processing means, at least some of the sensed coded data;

(c) sending, with the transmitter, the decoded data to a remote computer system;

(d) receiving, with the receiver, display information in reply to the transmission of the decoded data; and

(e) generating, with the processing means, the display data based at least partially on the display information, wherein the display information represented by the display data is positioned on the display to at least partially take into account a position of the viewer relative to the surface, the position of the viewer relative to the surface being determined by the processing means based at least partially on at least part of the sensed coded data.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein step (e) includes determining, with the processing means, the position of the viewer relative to the surface by determining a location from at least some of the decoded data.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the position is determined to be the location.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the position is determined from the location at a higher resolution than is encoded directly in the coded data.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the sensing means is an optical image sensor, and step (a) includes capturing, with the image sensor, an image representing the coded data within a field of view, the processing means being configured to determine the position from the location by determining a relative position of one or more features within the image.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the position includes a rotational orientation and the processing means is configured to determine a rotational orientation by determining a relative rotational orientation of one or more features within the field.

29. A method according to claim 23, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to an average unaided human eye.

30. A method according to claim 23, wherein the surface includes visible information, the display data output by the display being positioned such that it appears to be in substantial registration with the visible information when viewed by a user.

31. A method according to claim 30, the display data on the display replicating at least some of the visible information.

32. A method according to claim 23, wherein the processing means is configured to manipulate the display information during generation of the display data to at least partially take into account the position of the viewer relative to the surface.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein step (e) includes determining, with the processing means, the position of the viewer relative to the surface by determining a location from at least some of the decoded data.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the position is determined to be the location.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein the position is determined from the location at a higher resolution than is encoded directly in the coded data.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the sensing means is an optical image sensor, and step (a) includes capturing, with the image sensor, an image representing the coded data within a field of view, the processing means being configured to determine the position from the location by determining a relative position of one or more features within the image.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the position includes a rotational orientation and the processing means is configured to determine a rotational orientation by determining a relative rotational orientation of one or more features within the field.

38. A method according to claim 32, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to an average unaided human eye.

39. A method according to claim 32, wherein the surface includes visible information, the display data output by the display being positioned such that it appears to be in substantial registration with the visible information when viewed by a user.

40. A method according to claim 39, the display data on the display replicating at least some of the visible information.

41. A method according to claim 23, wherein the coded data is indicative of at least an identity of either a document or a region of a document, and the decoded data includes at least data indicative of the identity.

42. A method according to claim 41, wherein the coded data is also indicative of at least one reference point of the surface, and the decoded data includes at least data indicative of at least one of the at least one reference point.