Human interface device (HID)

• US 8,358,269 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Biswas, Ashim, Keshavachar, Bhaktha
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/176,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-170, 345/177, 345/1.1
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A user may wear the radio frequency human interface device on a body portion and move the body portion over any even and un-even surface that is not touch sensitive to provide inputs. The radio frequency human interface device may sense, encode, and provide the radio frequency signals to a computing system. The computing system may be provisioned with a radio frequency reader that may receive the radio frequency signal and decode the radio frequency signal before responding to the input. Also, a plurality of users may use radio frequency human interface devices to provide inputs to the computing system concurrently.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency human interface devices, each comprising;

having a first end and a second end, the first end being open and the second end being closed;

the first end having a rim, the rim including a radio frequency chip to provide a radio frequency signal;

at least a portion of the second end including a tip fitted with one or more sensors that generate input signals; and

wherein the radio frequency chip is communicatively coupled to and receives the generated input signals from the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices further comprises:

a data encoder located approximate the first end and coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein the data encoder is configured to generate encoded data based at least in part on the generated input signals; and

wherein the radio frequency chip is communicatively coupled to the data encoder, and is configured to generate the radio frequency signal using the encoded data and transmit the radio frequency signal to a computing system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices comprises a foldable housing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the generated input signals further represent a movement of a body portion associated with the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices is associated with a tag identifier.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a computing system coupled to the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices, wherein the computing system is to receive the radio frequency signal and decode the radio frequency signal and identify a response correlated with the generated input signals.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices is tumbler-like in shape.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are further configured to generate the input signals when at least a portion of the second end interacts with a non-touch-sensitive surface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices are used to provide a plurality of inputs, wherein the plurality of inputs define a plurality of actions in a video game.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a first group of devices and a second group of devices of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices, wherein the first group of devices and second group of devices are used by a first group of users and a second group of users to provide the inputs concurrently.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from a computing system, an energizing signal to power a plurality of radio frequency human interface devices comprising, each of the plurality of devices comprising a first end and a second end, the first end being open and the second end being closed, wherein the first end comprises a rim that includes a radio frequency chip;

generating input signals by one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are located on at least a portion of the second end of each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices;

receiving, by the radio frequency chip, the generated input signals from more than one of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices; and

transmitting a radio frequency signal from the radio frequency chip, to the computing system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices is foldable for storage.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising assigning a tag identifier to each of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the generated input signals further comprise:

sensing, by the one or more sensors, one or more inputs from a movement of a body portion of a user associated with at least one of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices, wherein the user is to wear the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices on a body portion; and

generating a plurality of signals from the one or more inputs representing the movement of the body portion of the user associated with at least one of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more inputs further comprise a movement of the finger.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encoding, by a data encoder, the input signals generated by radio frequency human interface device;

generating the radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency signals are based at least in part on the encoding of the generated input signals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein encoding the generated input signals further comprises converting the generated input signals to define a plurality of actions in a video game.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving by the radio frequency chip the generated input signals from a plurality of radio frequency human interface devices comprises providing a first group of inputs, by a first group of devices of the plurality of radio frequency devices representing usage by a first group of users concurrently with a second group of inputs, by a second group of the plurality of radio frequency human interface devices by a second group of users.

19. A radio frequency human interface apparatus comprising:

a flexible housing having a first end and a second end, the first end being open and the second end being closed;

one or more sensors located on at least a portion of the second end, wherein the one or more sensors generate input signals;

the first end having a rim, the rim defining first open end, and the rim including a radio frequency chip and a data encoder;

the data encoder coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein the data encoder is to encode data using the generated input signals; and

wherein the radio frequency chip is coupled to the data encoder and generates a radio frequency signal using the encoded data and transmits the radio frequency signal to a computing system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the radio frequency chip is identified by a tag identifier.