Automatic tool dock

• US 8,279,191 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.), Promethean House
• Original Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Nigel, Unsworth, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo L
• Application Number:
  US12/862,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-175, 345/179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

There is disclosed an interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and for receiving inputs from remote devices, the system being adapted to detect the presence of at least two remote devices proximate the interactive surface.

Claims

1. An interactive system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image, the interactive surface adapted for receiving inputs from a plurality of pointing devices which, in use, are positioned at the interactive surface, a displayed image being associated with a specific one of the plurality of pointing devices, wherein the position of the displayed image on the interactive surface is dependent upon a current position of the associated specific pointing device on the interactive surface.

2. An interactive system according to claim 1 wherein the displayed image is a graphical user icon.

3. An interactive system according to claim 1 wherein the displayed image is a toolbox.

4. An interactive system according to claim 1 wherein the image is displayed at an edge of the display closest to the current position of the pointing device.

5. An interactive system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided two pointing devices each associated with a respective specific toolbox, wherein each respective toolbox is docked at the side of the interactive surface where the respective pointing device is in use.

6. The interactive system of claim 1 comprising a drive grid signal generator for driving a drive grid for a period of time at each of a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the plurality of pointing devices, wherein the system adapts the period of time for a given frequency to optimize said period of time for particular devices.

7. An interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image, the interactive surface adapted for detecting the position of a plurality of pointing devices, in use, at the interactive surface, wherein the position in which an icon is displayed in the image is dependent upon a current detected location of a specific one of the plurality of pointing devices for which the icon is an active icon.

8. The interactive system of claim 7 wherein the icon is displayed at an edge of the image nearest to the current detected location of the pointing device.

9. The interactive system according to claim 7 wherein a plurality of active regions are defined on the interactive surface, the icon being displayed on the image in an active region in which the pointing device is currently being used.

10. A method in an interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and of a plurality of pointing devices, in use, for positioning on the interactive surface, wherein the step of displaying the position of an icon in the image is dependent upon a current detected location of a specific one of the plurality of pointing devices for which the icon is an active icon.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising the step of displaying the icon at an edge of the image nearest to the current detected location of the pointing device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the icon is a toolbox.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein there is provided two pointing devices each associated with a respective specific toolbox, further comprising docking each respective toolbox at the side of the interactive surface where the respective pointing device is in use.

14. The method according to claim 10 comprising the step of defining a plurality of active regions on the interactive surface, the icon being displayed on the image in an active region in which the pointing device is currently being used.

15. The method of claim 10 comprising driving a drive grid for a period of time at each of a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the plurality of pointing devices, and adapting the period of time for a given frequency to optimize said period of time for particular devices.

16. A method in an interactive system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and for receiving inputs from a plurality of pointing devices for positioning, in use, at the interactive surface, a displayed image being associated with a specific one of the plurality of pointing devices, comprising the step of the position of the displayed image on the interactive surface being dependent upon a current position of the associated specific pointing device on the interactive surface.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the displayed image is a graphical user icon.

18. The method according to claim 16 comprising displaying the image at an edge of the display closest to the current position of the pointing device.