Data input/output system, data input/output method, and program recording medium

• US 7,027,040 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US10/882,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345/156, 178/18.1, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An interactive-type data system comprising an integration of instinctive operability of the real objects with multiple purpose functions is disclosed. Concretely, by utilizing a transparent tile incorporating a wireless tag as a unit of interface, a plurality of tiles are disposed on a flat display surface or a tablet. The computing system reads identification data contained in each wireless tag and then activates a corresponding processing operation. For example, the computing system accesses such data resources related to tiles or activates a corresponding function or application program. Further, based on physical positional relationship between plural tiles, it is possible to integrally combine basic capability provided for by individual tiles.

Claims

1. A data input and output system comprising:

a visual interface having a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating a plurality of physical interfaces and display functions for displaying data on said operating surface;

an identifying means for identifying said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface; and

a data processing means for executing a data processing operation in accordance with a result of identification of a combination of said physical interfaces and a function of each of said physical interfaces by said identifying means and for externally displaying a result of said execution on said visual interface,

wherein said function of said physical interfaces is dependent on said combination of said physical interfaces.

2. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein each said physical interface comprises:

a substantially flat transparent structural body;

a transparent area which allows display data on a rear surface side of said transparent structural body to permeate itself to a front surface side;

a property data display area which is disposed such that property data of said physical interface is displayed; and

an identification data storing means buried in said transparent structural body for storing proper identification data.

3. The data input and output system according to claim 1,

wherein said data processing means executes a process assigned to one or more identified physical interfaces, and displays a result of the execution at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

4. The data input and output system according to claim 1,

wherein said data processing means executes an application program assigned to one or more identified physical interfaces and displays a result of executing said application program at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

5. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication means for accessing external data resources;

wherein, in response to detecting predetermined identification data from said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means accesses said external data resources assigned to said identification data, and displays acquired data at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

6. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response to a result of detecting predetermined identification data from said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means executes linkage with a physical object assigned to said identification data, and outputs data related to said physical object at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

7. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response to a result of detecting predetermined identification data from said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, displaying said assigned data at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

8. The data input and out system according to claim 1,

wherein the physical interface provides an indication of the function of the physical interface.

9. The data input and output system according to claim 8,

wherein the physical interface includes pictorial data.

10. A method of inputting and outputting data which provides an interactive technique via a plurality of physical interfaces on a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of said physical interface and also on a visual interface incorporating display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

said data input and output method comprising the steps of;

a step of identifying said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface;

a data processing step for initially executing a data processing operation in accordance with the identifying step, a combination of said physical interfaces and a function of each of said physical interfaces,

wherein said function of said physical interfaces is dependent on said combination of said physical interfaces.

11. The data input and output method according to claim 10, wherein

each said physical interface comprises:

a transparent area comprising of a substantially transparent structural body that enables display data on a rear surface side of said transparent structural body to permeate itself to a front-surface side;

a property data display area disposed such that property data related to said physical interface is displayed; and

an identification data storing means in said transparent structural body for storing said identification data associated with said physical interface.

12. The data input and output method according to claim 10, wherein

said identifying step utilizes electro-magnetic characteristics to identify data associated with said physical interfaces.

13. The data input and output method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and via said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface.

14. The data input and output method according to claim 10, wherein,

said data processing step executes a process assigned to said identification data, and displays processed result data at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed as a function of detecting identification data from said physical interface.

15. The data input and output method according to claim 10, wherein,

said data processing step executes an application program assigned to one or more identified physical interfaces, and displays a result of executing said application program at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

16. The data input and output method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a communicating step for accessing external data resources;

wherein, in response to detecting predetermined identification data from said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step accesses data resources assigned to said identification data, and displays acquired data at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

17. The data input and output method according to claim 10, wherein,

in response to a result of detecting predetermined identification data from said physical interfaces disposed on said surface of said visual interface, said data processing step executes connection to a physical object assigned to said identification data, and displays data related to said physical object at a position at which said physical interfaces are disposed.

18. The method of inputting and outputting data according to claim 10,

wherein the physical interface provides an indication of the function of the physical interface.

19. The method of inputting and outputting data according to claim 10,

wherein the physical interface includes pictorial data.