Dual-pen: master-slave

• US 8,325,162 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.)
• Original Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Nigel, Unsworth, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US12/845,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-175, 345/179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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 display system comprising:

an interactive surface for displaying an image, the interactive surface further adapted to interact with a plurality of pointing devices positioned, in use, on the interactive surface,

wherein, in use, each of the pointing devices is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users,

wherein the system is further adapted to detect the positions of the plurality of pointing devices relative to the interactive surface, and

wherein one of the pointing devices controls the interaction of at least one other one of the pointing devices with the interactive surface.

2. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the one pointing device enables and disables interaction of the at least one other pointing device with the interactive surface.

3. The interactive system according to claim 1 wherein interaction of the at least one other remote pointing device with the interactive surface is enabled or disabled by the system responsive to a command from the one pointing device.

4. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein the interaction of the at least one other pointing device with the interactive surface is dependent upon an action performed by the one pointing device.

5. The interactive display system according to claim 4 wherein the at least one other pointing device cannot interact with the interactive surface until a user interface icon is selected by the first pointing device.

6. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein the system is adapted to allocate a functionality to each of the pointing devices.

7. The interactive system of claim 6 wherein each pointing device is allocated at least one different functionality.

8. The interactive system of claim 6 wherein each pointing device is allocated at least one common functionality.

9. The interactive system of claim 6 wherein a functionality is dynamically allocated to a pointing device.

10. 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.

11. A method in an interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image, the interactive surface further being adapted to interact with a plurality of pointing devices positioned, in use, on the interactive surface, wherein in use each pointing device is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, the system being further adapted to detect the positions of the plurality of pointing devices relative to the interactive surface, the method comprising the step of one pointing device controlling the interaction of at least one other pointing device with the interactive surface.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of the one pointing device enabling and disabling the interaction of the at least one other pointing device with the interactive surface.

13. The method according to claim 12 comprising the step of the interaction of the at least one other pointing device with the interactive surface being enabled or disabled responsive to a command from the one pointing device.

14. The method according to claim 11 further comprising the step of the interaction of the at least one other pointing device with the interactive surface being dependent upon an action performed by the one pointing device.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the at least one other pointing device cannot interact with the interactive surface until a user interface icon is selected by the first pointing device.

16. The method according to claim 11 comprising the step of allocating a functionality to each of the pointing devices.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising the step of allocating each pointing device at least one different functionality.

18. The method of claim 16 comprising the step of allocating each pointing device at least one common functionality.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising dynamically allocating a functionality to a pointing device.

20. The method according to claim 11 further 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.