User interface systems
First Claim
1. A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events, the system comprising:
- a plurality of markers each having a marker identity;
a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, andat least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner,wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, an action which is at least partly determined by the reader identity of said reader;
wherein when actuated by a user the transmission from at least some readers also includes a sequence number, which is incremented or decremented for each transmission; and
wherein said sequence number is also included in a confirmation transmitted from the base station to the reader that the marker and reader identities have been received.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events comprises: a plurality of markers each having a marker identity; a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, and at least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner, wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, an action which is at least partly determined by the reader identity of said reader.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events, the system comprising:
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a plurality of markers each having a marker identity; a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, and at least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner, wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, an action which is at least partly determined by the reader identity of said reader; wherein when actuated by a user the transmission from at least some readers also includes a sequence number, which is incremented or decremented for each transmission; and wherein said sequence number is also included in a confirmation transmitted from the base station to the reader that the marker and reader identities have been received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events, the system comprising:
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a plurality of markers each having a marker identity; a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, and at least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner, wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, an action which is at least partly determined by the reader identity of said reader; further comprising a monitoring system to which the or each base station is connected, and which contains a database of actions corresponding to each pair of reader and marker identities; and wherein the monitoring system is a CORBA object running on a computer connected to the internet.
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25. A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events, the system comprising:
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a plurality of markers each having a marker identity; a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, and at least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner, wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, an action which is at least partly determined by the reader identity of said reader; wherein actuation of a first reader adjacent a given marker prevents the successful actuation of a further reader adjacent the same marker for a predetermined period of time, or until a particular event has occurred; and wherein said particular event is a subsequent actuation of said first reader adjacent said given marker.
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Specification