Plug and play tangible user interface system

• US 9,849,377 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qatar University
• Original Assignee: Qatar University
• Inventors: Hafidh, Basim, Al Osman, Hussein, Karime, Ali, El Saddik, Abdulmotaleb, Alja'am, Jihad M., Jaoua, Ali M., Dandashi, Amal, Saleh, Moutaz S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Hong
• Application Number:
  US14/257,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36, 345173-174
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a dynamic user interface for interacting with computer applications by a user physically manipulating interactive floor tiles. The interactive floor tiles may be networked, and may use a communication bus 204 within the network for communicating the connection status of tiles in the network and/or any user input received by one or more tiles in the network. The tile network module may communicate data to a computer via a data collection module. The data collection module may be internal or external to the computer, and may be used to translate data from one communication format to another, for example, from RS485 framework to RS232 framework. The interactive floor tiles may be configured into various shapes at any time by a user, and the changes to the tiles may be mapped to the computer application screen in real-time.

Claims

1. A dynamic user interface system for interacting with computer applications through a physical environment, the system comprising:

a network with at least one data communication bus, a plurality of nodes connected to the at least one data communication bus capable of being configured into a plurality of shapes and receiving sensory input data from a user, and a platform upon which the plurality of nodes are disposed;

wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a plurality of interactive tiles, wherein each of the plurality of interactive tiles comprises electronic circuitry being operable for;

identifying a connection status for at least one tile adjacent to each of the plurality of interactive tiles;

identifying a source for data received by each of the plurality of interactive tiles;

converting the data received by each of the plurality of interactive tiles from a first format into a second format; and

transmitting the converted data to a data collection module via a communication network,

wherein the plurality of interactive tiles are configured to be removable or addable during operation of the system,

wherein each tile comprises a plurality of dynamic unique identifiers,

wherein the plurality of dynamic unique identifiers comprises a dynamic tile identification number and a dynamic side identification number, and

wherein the plurality of dynamic unique identifiers are assigned to the plurality of interactive tiles each time the platform is activated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collection module comprises at least one computer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one computer comprises one or more computer applications capable of receiving sensory input data from the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises a module for updating a display of the network in real time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication bus is selected from a group consisting of:

an RS485 bus, I2C bus, USART, RS232, SPI, One-wire, CAN, other conventional communication bus, and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is selected from a group consisting of one or more microcontrollers, one or more sensors, one or more actuators, one or more light sources, one or more display modules, and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic circuitry is at least partially embedded within each of said plurality of interactive tiles.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said one or more light sources are configured to illuminate when each of said plurality of interactive tiles receives power from the at least one adjacent tile.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more light sources is a light-emitting diode.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said one or more light sources are configured to receive auditory or visual cues from the one or more computer applications.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensory input data is selected from a group consisting of:

touching the least one of said plurality of interactive tiles, standing on the least one of said plurality of interactive tiles, jumping on the at least of said plurality of interactive tiles, and combinations thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of interactive tiles comprises one or more colored foam tiles.

13. A method for interacting with a computer application through manipulation of a physical environment, the method comprising:

activating one or more computer applications, wherein said one or more computer applications are capable for receiving input from a network;

identifying the network with one or more nodes capable of being configured into a plurality of shapes for receiving sensory input data from a user;

receiving data from the network;

comparing the received data against a pre-determined threshold;

converting the compared data from a first format into a second format;

transmitting the converted data over a communication network to a data collection module;

analyzing the transmitted data at the data collection module to identify a source of the data;

generating event, wherein said event is based on the identified source of the data;

updating a connection status tree, wherein said connection status tree depicts a current configuration of the network, and wherein said connection status tree is stored in local memory at a computer;

transmitting the updated connection status tree and the event to the one or more computer applications, wherein said event updates the one or more computer applications, and wherein said connection status tree updates a display of the network on the one or more computer applications in real time;

activating a platform upon which the one or more nodes are disposed,

wherein the one or more nodes comprises a plurality of interactive tiles,

wherein the plurality of interactive tiles are configured to be removable or addable during manipulation of the physical environment,

wherein the received data comprises a plurality of dynamic unique identifiers of the plurality of interactive tiles from the network,

wherein the plurality of dynamic unique identifiers comprises a dynamic tile identification number and a dynamic side identification number, and

wherein the plurality of dynamic unique identifiers are assigned the plurality of interactive tiles each time the platform is activated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the event comprises a shape update event or a user event, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the source comprises a tile detection module or a sensory detection module, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising translating the received data from an analog format to a digital format.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more nodes comprises at least one interactive tile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the at least one interactive tile comprises electronic circuitry.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said electronic circuitry is selected from a group consisting of one or more microcontrollers, one or more sensors, one or more actuators, one or more display modules, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more sensors comprises a pressure sensor.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the pre-determined threshold comprises a voltage output for the pressure sensor reduced by approximately 5% to approximately 25%.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein pre-determined threshold comprises a voltage output for the pressure sensor reduced by approximately 10%.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more display modules comprises of flashing light emitting diode.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the flashing light emitting diode is responsive to one or more auditory or visual cues from the one or more computer applications.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein said received data consists of selecting an element from a group consisting of:

stepping on the at least one interactive tile, standing on the at least one interactive tile, touching the at least one interactive tile, connection status of each of the at least one interactive tile and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein stepping on the at least one interactive tile comprises the user jumping from the at least one interactive tile to an adjacent tile in response to one or more display modules.

27. The method of claim 13, wherein the received data results in an increase in a user'"'"'s heart rate.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the increased user'"'"'s heart rate corresponds to light or moderate exercise.