Method and system for device control

• US 7,131,058 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• 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, Lapstun, Jacqueline Anne, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pillai, Namitha
• Application Number:
  US09/693,647
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 345/716, 345/717, 345/718, 345/719, 345/738, 345/740, 345/746, 345/747, 345/764, 345/765, 345/771, 345/773, 348/734, 348/552, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/500.1, 715/776
• US Class Current: 715/210
• 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

The invention concerns device control for enabling electrical or electronic devices to be controlled through computer systems. Employing the invention involves the use of one or more control interfaces which are capable of being used to interacting with a computer system or network, each interface typically comprising sheet material such as paper which has coded data disposed on it and which allows it to be used to interact with the computer system by use of a sensing device operated by a user. Through this interaction, data can be forwarded to the computer system from the control interface to effect in that system an operation relating to the functioning of the device.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a device to be controlled via a printed control interface, the control interface comprising user control instructions relating to the device and the control interface including invisible coded data and visible graphic data printed substantially simultaneously thereon by a single printer wherein the invisible coded data is indicative of an identity of the control interface and of coordinates of a plurality of reference points of the control interface, the coded data identifying a unique location of each of the reference points relative to the control interface, and wherein when the single printer prints the invisible coded data and the visible graphic data on the control interface substanitally simulataneously, a computer system automatically associates a type and spatial extent of each reference point of the invisible coded data with a spatial extent of at least some of the visible graphic data in which the device is operative to perform at least one function in response to control instructions from the computer system, the method including the steps of:

receiving, in the computer system, indicating data from an optical sensing device regarding the identity of the control interface and a position of the sensing device relative to the control interface, the sensing device, when placed in an operative position relative to the control interface, reading at least some of the coded data on the control interface, and generating the indicating data using at least some of the read coded data; and

effecting, in the computer system and from the indicating data, an operation relating to at least one parameter of the control instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said at least one parameter relating to the control instructions is associated with at least one zone of the control interface and in which the method includes effecting, in the computer system and from the zone relative to which the sensing device is located, an operation relating to said at least one parameter.

3. The method of claim 2 which includes

receiving, in the computer system, data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the control interface, the sensing device sensing its movement relative to the control interface using at least some of the coded data;

and

effecting, in the computer system and from said movement being at least partially within said at least one zone, an operation relating to said at least one parameter of the control instructions.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the parameter of the control instructions is selected from the group comprising:

selecting said device;

selecting said function to be performed;

establishing default setting for said function;

establishing default setting for said device;

registering user access to control the device function;

authorizing user access to control the device function; and

issuing a command code to said device to perform said function.

5. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of issuing a command code to said device to perform said function in response to operation of the computer system.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the command code is issued to said device through said sensing device.

7. The method of claim 5 in which the command code is issued to said device independently of said sensing device.

8. The method according to claim 5 in which the command code is issued to said device using wireless technology.

9. The method of claim 1 which includes printing the control interface on demand.

10. The method of claim 9 which includes printing the control interface on a surface of a surface-defining means and, at the same time that the control interface is printed, printing the coded data on the surface.

11. The method of claim 1 which includes retaining a retrievable record of each control interface generated, the control interface being retrievable using its identity as contained in its coded data.

12. The method of claim 1 which includes distributing a plurality of the control interfaces using a mixture of multicast and pointcast communications protocols.

13. The method of claim 1 in which the sensing device contains an identification means which imparts a unique identity to the sensing device and identifies it as belonging to a particular user and in which the method includes monitoring, in the computer system, said identity.

14. The method of claim 1 which includes providing all required information relating to the device function in the control interface to eliminate the need for a separate display device.

15. The method of any one of claim 1 in which the control interface is printed on multiple pages and in which the method includes binding the pages.

16. A system for enabling at least one function of a device to be controlled, the system including:

a printed control interface comprising user control instructions relating to the device and coded data indicative of an identity of the control interface and of coordinates of a plurality of locations on the control interface and including invisible coded data and visible graphic data printed substantially simultaneously thereon by a single printer, wherein the invisible coded data is indicative of an identity of the control interface and of a plurality of coordinates of reference points of the control interface, the coded data identifying a unique location of each of the reference points relative to the control interface, and wherein when the single printer prints the invisible coded data and the visible graphic data on the control interface substanitally simulataneously, a computer system automatically associates a type and spatial extent of each reference point of the invisible coded data with a spatial extent of at least some of the visible graphic data; and

a computer system incorporating control instructions operative to cause said device to perform said function and operative to receive indicating data from an optical sensing device for effecting an operation relating to at least one parameter of the control instructions, the indicating data being indicative of the identity of the control interface and a position of the sensing device relative to the control interface, the sensing device reading the coded data on the control interface and generating the indicating data using at least some of the read coded data.

17. The system of claim 16 in which said at least one parameter relating to the control instructions is associated with at least one zone of the control interface.

18. The system of claim 16 which includes the sensing device sensing its movement relative to the control interface using at least some of the coded data.

19. The system of claim 16 in which the parameter of the control instructions is selected from the group comprising:

selecting said device;

selecting said function to be performed;

establishing default setting for said function;

establishing default setting for said device;

registering user access to control the device function;

authorizing user access to control the device function; and

issuing a command code to said device to perform said function.

20. A system according to claim 16 in which the computer is operative to issue a command code to said device to perform said function through said sensing device.

21. A system according to claim 16 in which the computer is operative to issue a command code to said device to perform said function independently of said sensing device.

22. The system of claim 16 in which the sensing device contains an identification means which imparts a unique identity to the sensing device and identifies it as belonging to a particular user.

23. The system of claim 16 in which the control interface is printed on a surface of a surface-defining means and in which the system includes a printer for printing the control interface on demand.

24. The system of claim 23 in which the printer prints the coded data at the same time as printing the control interface on the surface-defining means.

25. The system of claim 16 which includes a database for keeping a retrievable record of each control interface generated, each control interface being retrievable by using its identity as included in its coded data.

26. The system of claim 23 in which, to cater for a control interface printed on multiple pages, the printer includes a binding means for binding the pages.