Scanning apparatus

• US 20040229195A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Flowers, Mark, Marggraff, James
• Application Number:
  US10/803,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments

Abstract

A system including a scanning apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system has (a) an article having (i) a surface having a plurality of positions and a plurality of print elements respectively at the plurality of positions, and (ii) a plurality of codes respectively at the plurality of positions and relating to absolute or relative locations of the positions. The system also has (b) a scanning apparatus comprising (i) a stylus having an optical detector and an optical emitter, (ii) a processor coupled to the optical detector and the optical emitter, (iii) a memory unit comprising code for audio corresponding to the print elements, the memory unit coupled to the processor, and (iv) an audio output device coupled to the processor.

Claims

1. An interactive system comprising:

(a) an article comprising (i) a surface having a plurality of positions and a plurality of different print elements respectively at the plurality of positions, and (ii) a plurality of substantially invisible codes respectively at the plurality of positions and associated with the plurality of positions on the surface; and

(b) a scanning apparatus comprising (i) a stylus having an optical detector and an optical emitter, (ii) a processor coupled to the optical detector and the optical emitter, (iii) a memory unit comprising code for different audio outputs corresponding to the different print elements and code for determining the locations of the plurality of positions, the memory unit coupled to the processor, and (iv) an audio output device coupled to the processor.

2. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the article is a sheet of paper or a molded plastic body.

3. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the stylus further comprises a writing element.

4. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the processor, the memory unit, and the audio output device are in the stylus.

5. The interactive system of claim 1 further comprising a platform and wherein the processor, the memory unit, and the audio output device are in the platform.

6. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the article is a globe.

7. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of print elements includes words and the different audio outputs comprise spelling or sounding words.

8. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of codes comprise a plurality of dots that represent binary codes.

9. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the different audio outputs comprise different music outputs associated with the print elements.

10. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the different audio outputs comprise instructions for learning math.

11. A scanning apparatus for use with an article comprising (i) a surface having a plurality of positions and a plurality of different print elements respectively at the plurality of positions, and (ii) a plurality of substantially invisible codes respectively at the plurality of positions and associated with the plurality of positions on the surface, the scanning apparatus comprising:

(a) a stylus comprising an optical detector and an optical emitter;

(b) a processor coupled to the optical detector and an optical emitter;

(c) a memory unit comprising code for different audio outputs corresponding to the different print elements and code for correlating the locations of the plurality of positions with the audio outputs, the memory unit coupled to the processor; and

(d) an audio output device coupled to the processor.

12. The scanning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the article comprises a sticker.

13. The scanning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processor, memory unit, and the audio output device are in the stylus.

14. The scanning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the different audio outputs comprise the sounds of words, the spelling of words, or music.

15. The scanning apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a transceiver coupled to the processor.

16. The scanning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the memory unit further comprises code for asking questions, code for playing games, code for recording audio provided by the user, code for user entered data, and/or code for recognizing handwriting or printed characters.

17. A scanning apparatus for use with an article comprising a surface having a plurality of positions and a plurality of print elements respectively at the plurality of positions and a plurality of substantially invisible codes at the plurality of positions, wherein the codes relate to locations for the positions, wherein the substantially invisible codes are free of audio data, and wherein the scanning apparatus in the form of a stylus, the scanning apparatus comprising:

(a) an optical detector and an optical emitter;

(b) a processor coupled to the optical detector;

(c) a memory unit storing code for different audio outputs corresponding to the print elements, the memory unit coupled to the processor; and

(d) an audio output device coupled to the processor.

18. A method for scanning, the method comprising:

(a) providing an article comprising (i) a surface having a plurality of positions and a plurality of print elements respectively at the plurality of positions, and (ii) a plurality of codes respectively at the plurality of positions and relating to locations of the plurality of positions on the surface;

(b) scanning a first code associated with a first print element with a scanning apparatus;

(c) receiving a first audio output corresponding to the scanned first print element;

(d) scanning a second code associated with a second print element with the scanning apparatus; and

(e) receiving a second audio output corresponding to the scanned second print element, wherein the second audio output is different than the first audio output.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second audio outputs comprise math instruction.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the scanning apparatus comprises a writing element.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the scanning apparatus comprises a speaker.

22. A method for scanning, the method comprising:

(a) providing an article comprising (i) a surface having a plurality of positions, and (ii) a plurality of codes respectively at the plurality of positions and relating to locations of the plurality of positions on the surface;

(b) writing a print element on the article with a writing element in a scanning apparatus;

(c) scanning a code associated the written print element with the scanning apparatus; and

(d) receiving an audio output corresponding to the scanned, written print element.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the article is a sheet of paper.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein a user performs a mathematical computation when performing (b)-(d).

25. An interactive system comprising:

(a) an article comprising (i) a surface having a plurality of positions, and (ii) a plurality of substantially invisible codes respectively at the plurality of positions and associated with the plurality of positions on the surface, wherein the substantially invisible codes are free of audio data; and

(b) a scanning apparatus comprising (i) a stylus having an optical detector and an optical emitter, (ii) a processor coupled to the optical detector and the optical emitter, (iii) a memory unit storing code for audio outputs and code for storing the locations of the plurality of positions, the memory unit coupled to the processor, and (iv) an audio output device coupled to the processor.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the article is a sheet of paper.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the processor, the memory unit, and the audio output device are in the stylus.

28. An interactive system comprising:

(a) an article comprising (i) an object, and (ii) at least one sticker comprising a first substantially invisible code and a first print element, and a second substantially invisible code and a second print element, wherein the at least one sticker is on the object; and

(b) a scanning apparatus comprising (i) a stylus having an optical detector and an optical emitter, (ii) a processor coupled to the optical detector and the optical emitter, (iii) a memory unit coupled to the processor, wherein the memory unit comprises code for an output dependent on the scanning of the first substantially invisible code and the second substantially invisible code, and (iv) an audio output device coupled to the processor.

29. The interactive system of claim 28 wherein the first print element is on a first sticker and the second print element is on a second sticker.

30. The interactive system of claim 28 wherein the output relates to numbers.

31. The interactive system of claim 28 wherein the first and second print elements are letters.

32. A method comprising:

(a) providing an article including at least one sticker comprising a first substantially invisible code and a first print element and a second substantially invisible code and a second print element;

(b) scanning the first substantially invisible first code;

(c) scanning the second substantially invisible code; and

(d) listening to audio relating to the first print element and the second print element.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second codes are in the form of dot patterns.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second print elements are letters.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second print elements are on first and second stickers.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second print elements are numbers.