Arrangements for identifying users in a multi-touch surface environment

• US 9,171,142 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Do, Lydia M., Nesbitt, Pamela A., DeLuca, Lisa Seacat
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Zachary A
• Application Number:
  US14/224,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Arrangements to identify, in some form, multiple participants by an interactive surface system utilizing multi-touch technology are disclosed. The interactive surface system could identify, authorize, and allocate space on a surface for a participant based on identifying at least one attribute of the participant such as an object associated with the participant. The method can include searching for a first distinctive attribute of the participant, assigning an identifier to the attribute, and storing the identifier for future use. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

detecting a presence of an entity proximate to a multi-touch interactive surface, wherein the entity is a participant in a multi-participant activity supported by the multi-touch interactive surface;

scanning for an attribute of the entity, wherein the attribute is a cell phone desktop background residing on a mobile device of the entity;

acquiring the attribute of the entity;

assigning an identifier to the attribute based on the attribute; and

storing the identifier for authenticating the entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is based on the attribute and a location of the entity relative to the multi-touch interactive surface.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

authenticating the entity based on the identifier.

4. A system comprising:

a multi-touch interactive surface;

an identifier module coupled to the multi-touch interactive surface to identify an attribute of an entity that is proximate to the interactive surface via an electromagnetic signal from the entity, wherein the entity is a participant in a multi-participant activity supported by the multi-touch interactive surface;

memory coupled to the multi-touch interactive surface to store data on the attribute of the entity;

a compare module coupled to the identifier module to compare the identified attribute to the stored data on attributes and to determine a presence of the identified attribute in the memory; and

an assignment module to assign an identifier to the identified attribute when the identifier is absent from the memory, wherein the identifier is based on the identified attribute, and wherein the identified attribute is a cell phone desktop background residing on a mobile device of the entity.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the identifier is based on the attribute and a location of the entity relative to the multi-touch interactive surface.

6. A non-transitory article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer-readable instructions which, when implemented cause a computer to carry out the steps of a method, comprising:

detecting a presence of an entity proximate to a multi-touch interactive surface, wherein the entity is a participant in a multi-participant activity supported by the multi-touch interactive surface;

scanning for an attribute of the entity, wherein the attribute is a cell phone desktop background residing on a mobile device of the entity;

acquiring the attribute of the entity;

assigning an identifier to the attribute based on the attribute; and

storing the identifier for authenticating the entity.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein the identifier is based on the attribute and a location of the entity relative to the multi-touch interactive surface.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, the method further comprising:

authenticating the entity based on the identifier.