RFID-based input device

• US 9,417,714 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cohen, Guy M
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/607,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11, 178 1901- 1907
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/153 ATM switching fabrics having parallel switch planes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3072 Packet splitting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/45 Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion

Abstract

A method includes steps of: receiving a first energy and a second energy emitted from within close proximity to a computer; powering a portable unit using the first energy; determining a position and status of the portable unit using the second energy; and transmitting a user identifier from the portable unit to the computer for verification.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising steps of:

receiving a first energy and a second energy emitted from within close proximity to a computer;

powering a portable unit, using the first energy, wherein said portable unit comprises;

buttons that indicate a status of said portable unit when selected; and

storage for storing a user identifier;

determining a position and status of the portable unit, using the second energy;

transmitting the user identifier from the portable unit to the computer for verification; and

simultaneously transmitting the position and status of the portable unit to the computer.

2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the position of the portable unit comprises interpreting radio frequency signals transmitted from the portable unit to an antenna array as coordinates in three-dimensional space.

3. The machine-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising using the coordinates to update a corresponding position and movement of a cursor displayed on a screen of the computer.

4. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first energy comprises radio frequency signals.

5. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the position of the portable unit comprises determining spatial (x, y, z) coordinates.

6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising positioning an antenna at a nose of the portable unit.

7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising positioning an antenna at a tail of the portable unit.

8. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising positioning an antenna at both a nose and tail of the portable unit.

9. The machine-implemented method of claim 8, wherein a mouse pad transmits a first radio frequency signal and the at least one antenna transmits a reflected radio frequency signal at a frequency different from the radio frequency signal of the mouse pad.

10. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a key on the portable unit;

wherein the key, when activated, changes a transmission frequency used by the portable unit.