Card for facilitating user interaction

• US 20040238627A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,270,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/59 by controlling the amount of charge storable in the pixel, e.g. modification of the charge conversion ratio of the floating node capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 : Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 : Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 : comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1568 : for disturbance correction or prevention within the image-sensor, e.g. biasing, blooming, smearing correction circuits H04N25/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A card for identifying a user to a computer system using a sensing device, the card having an interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data, the coded data including a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the user, the sensing device being adapted to:

(a) sense at least one coded data portion;

(b) generate, using the at least one sensed coded data portion, indicating data indicative of the identity of the user; and,

(c) transfer the indicating data to the computer system, the computer system being responsive to determine, using the indicating data, the identity of the user.

Claims

1. ) A card for identifying a user to a computer system using a sensing device, the card having an interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data, the coded data including a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the user, the sensing device being adapted to:

(a) sense at least one coded data portion;

(b) generate, using the at least one sensed coded data portion, indicating data indicative of the identity of the user; and

,

(c) transfer the indicating data to the computer system, the computer system being responsive to determine, using the indicating data, the identity of the user.

2. ) The card of claim 1, wherein each coded data portion is provided at a respective position on the interface surface, and wherein the sensing device generates indicating data indicative of at least one of:

(a) a position of the sensed coded data;

(b) a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface;

(c) an orientation of the sensed coded data; and

,

(d) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the interface surface.

3. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the computer system is adapted to:

(a) receive the indicating data;

(b) determine, using the indicating data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item; and

,

(c) perform, using the product identity data, an action

4. ) The card of claim 3, wherein the action includes at least one of:

(a) associating the sensing device with the user; and

,

(b) dissociating the sensing device and the user.

5. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data distinguishes the identity of the user from the identity of every other user known to the computer system.

6. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded.

7. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

8. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided eye.

9. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data is printed using infrared ink.

10. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data is provided on the interface surface coincident with visible markings.

11. ) The card of claim 1, wherein the coded data is disposed over a substantial portion of the interface surface.

12. ) A method of using a card for facilitating interaction between a user and a computer system, the card having an interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data, the coded data including a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the user, wherein the method includes in a sensing device:

(a) sensing at least one coded data portion when the sensing device is placed in an operative position relative to the interface surface;

(b) generating, using the at least one sensed coded data portion, indicating data indicative of the identity of the user; and

,

(c) transferring the indicating data to the computer system, the computer system being responsive to the indicating data to perform an action.

13. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes, in the computer system:

(a) receiving the indicating data from the sensing device; and

,

(b) using the indicating data, at least one of;

(i) associating the scanner with the user; and

,

(ii) dissociating the scanner and the user.

14. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes, in the computer system:

(a) receiving the indicating data from the sensing device; and

,

(b) determining, using the received indicating data, user identity data indicative of the identity of the user; and

,

(c) performing the action using the user identity data.

15. ) The method of claim 12, wherein each coded data portion is provided at a respective position on the interface surface, and wherein the sensing device generates indicating data indicative of at least one of:

(a) a position of the sensed coded data;

(b) a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface;

(c) an orientation of the sensed coded data; and

,

(d) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the interface surface.

16. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the interaction includes at least one of:

(a) associating the sensing device with the user; and

,

(b) dissociating the sensing device and the user.

17. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded data distinguishes the identity of the user from the identity of every other user known to the computer system.

18. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded.

19. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

20. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided eye.

21. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded is printed using infrared ink.

22. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded data is provided on the interface surface coincident with visible markings.

23. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the coded data is disposed over a substantial portion of the interface surface.

24. ) A method of creating a card for facilitating interaction between a user and a computer system, the method including, in a computer system:

(a) receiving information indicative of an identity of the user;

(b) generating at least one coded data portion indicative of the identity of the user; and

,

(c) disposing coded data on an interface surface of the card, the coded data including a plurality of the coded data portions disposed to thereby allow the identity of the user to be determined by sensing any one of the data portions with a sensing device.

25. ) The method of claim 24, the method including printing the coded data portions.

26. ) The method of claim 24, wherein the method includes disposing the coded data portions over a substantial portion of the interface surface.

27. ) The method of claim 24, wherein the method further includes disposing visible information on the interface surface.

28. ) The method of claim 27, the visible information including at least one of:

(a) user information;

(b) the user'"'"'s name;

(c) a logo of a retailer;

(d) security information; and

,

(e) a name of a retailer.