Data input/output system, data input/output method, and program recording medium

• US 20020113778A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An interactive-type data system comprising an integration of instinctive operability of the real objects with multiple purpose functions is disclosed. Concretely, by utilizing a transparent tile incorporating a wireless tag as a unit of interface, a plurality of tiles are disposed on a flat display surface or a tablet. The computing system reads identification data contained in each wireless tag and then activates a corresponding processing operation. For example, the computing system accesses such data resources related to tiles or activates a corresponding function or application program. Further, based on physical positional relationship between plural tiles, it is possible to integrally combine basic capability provided for by individual tiles.

Claims

1. A data input and output system comprising;

a visual interface comprising a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of a physical interface and display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

an identifying means for identifying said physical interface disposed on said operating surface; and

a data processing means for executing a data processing operation in correspondence with a result of identification by said identifying means and for externally displaying a result of said execution on said visual interface.

2. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein

said physical interface comprises:

a substantially flat transparent structural body;

a transparent area which allows display data on the back-surface side of said transparent structural body to permeate itself to surface side thereof;

a property data display area which is disposed to part of back surface or front surface in order to display property data of said physical interface; and

an identification data storing means buried in said transparent structural body for storing proper identification data.

3. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein

said identifying means identifies said proper data of said physical interface via an electromagnetic transmission and reception method.

4. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface.

5. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

said data processing means executes a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data owned by said physical interface disposed on said operating surface and said pen input operation added to said physical interface.

6. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said physical interfaces may be disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface;

and

said data processing means executes such a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data own by two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface.

7. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

a plurality of said physical interfaces may be disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface; and

said data processing means executes such a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data owned by two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface and said pen input added to said physical interfaces.

8. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means executes such a process assigned to said identification data, and displays the processed result at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

9. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means executes an application program assigned to said identification data, and then, displays result of executing said application program at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

10. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication means for accessing external data resources;

wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means accesses said external data resources assigned to said identification data, and then, displays acquired data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

11. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means executes linkage with an real world physical object assigned to said identification data, and then, outputs data related to said physical object at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

12. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

13. The data input and output system according to claim 1, wherein,

in response result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing means assigns data held by another physical interface adjacent to said physical interface to a remotely disposed physical interface related to said another physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data to a position at which said remotely disposed said physical interface is present.

14. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

in response to the pen input added across two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed to positions adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing means assigns data stored in one of said physical interface to the other physical interface.

15. The data input and output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digitizer for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

in response to said pen input added across two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed to positions adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing means assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which the other physical interface is disposed.

17. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein

said physical interface comprises:

a transparent area comprising of a substantially transparent structural body and enables display data on the back-surface side of said transparent structural body to permeate itself on the front-surface side thereof;

a property data display area disposed at part of said back surface or front surface in order to display property data related to said physical interface; and

an identification data storing means which is buried in said transparent structural body in order to hold said identification data proper to said physical interface.

18. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein

said identifying step identifies data proper to said physical interface by applying electromagnetic transmission and reception method.

19. The data input and output method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface.

20. The data input and output method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

said data processing step executes a data processing operation corresponding to combination of identification data owned by said physical interface disposed on said operating surface and said pen input added to said physical interface.

21. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein

a plurality of physical interfaces can be disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface;

said data processing step executes a data processing operation in correspondence with combination of identification data owned by two or more than two of physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface.

22. The data input and output method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

a plurality of said physical interfaces can be disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface; and

said data processing step executes a data processing operation in correspondence with combination of identification data owned by two or more than two of said physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface and said pen input added to said physical interfaces.

23. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step executes a process assigned to said identification data, and then, displays processed result at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

24. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step executes an application program assigned to said identification data, and then, displays result of executing said application program at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

25. The data input and output method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a communicating step for accessing external data resources;

wherein, in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step accesses data resources assigned to said identification data, and then, displays acquired data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

26. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said surface of said visual interface, said data processing step executes connection to an real world physical object assigned to said identification data, and then, displays data related to said physical object at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

27. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing method assigns such data held by one of said physical interfaces adjacent to said physical interface to said physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

28. The data input and output method according to claim 16, wherein,

in response to result of detecting a predetermined identification data from said physical interface disposed on said operating surface of said visual interface, said data processing step assigns such data held by one of said physical interfaces adjacent to said physical interface to a remotely disposed said physical interface related to said physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said physical interface is disposed.

29. The data input and output method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

in response to addition of pen operation across two or more than two of said physical interfaces adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing step assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces to another physical interface.

30. The data input and output method according to claim 16, further comprising:

a digitizing step for reading a pen input via said operating surface of said visual interface and also via said physical interface disposed on said operating surface;

wherein

in response to addition of said pen input across two or more than two of said physical interfaces adjacent to said operating surface, said data processing method assigns data stored in one of said physical interfaces to another physical interface, and then, displays said assigned data at a position at which said another physical interface is disposed.

16. A method of inputting and outputting data which provides an interactive technique via a physical interface on a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating disposition of said physical interface and also on a visual interface incorporating display function for displaying data on said operating surface;

said data input and output method comprising the steps of;

a step of identifying said physical interface disposed on said operating surface; and

a data processing step for initially executing a data processing operation in correspondence with identified result generated via said identifying step followed by a step of displaying processed result on said visual interface.

31. A recording medium which physically stores such computer software via a computer readable format;

wherein said computer software contains such description for arranging execution of a data input and output process for providing such an interactive technique via operation of a physical interfaces disposed on a substantially flat operating surface for accommodating provision of said physical interfaces and on such a visual interface incorporating such display function for displaying data on said operating surface in order that said data input and output process can be executed on a computer;

wherein said computer-readable software comprises the following;

an identifying step for identifying individual physical interfaces disposed on said operating surface; and

a data processing step for initially executing a data processing operation in correspondence with identified result generated via execution of said identifying step followed by external display of processed result on said visual interface.