System and Method for Selecting an External User Interface Using Spatial Information

• US 20070208433A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Coffy, Jean-Hiram, Macdonald, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A method and system for selecting an external user interface using spatial information is described. In one configuration the floor space of a mailroom is mapped using a two dimensional grid. At least one machine is located on the mapped grid and an associated control zone is defined for that particular machine. The machine includes a wireless transceiver for providing user interface access. An external portable processor with a wireless transceiver is provided with user interface logic for the machine. A user then moves the external portable processor into the control zone of the machine. An indoor positioning system is utilized to provide relative or absolute position information relating to the machine and the external processor. The system determines that the external processor is in the machine control zone and allows the external processor to function as a user interface for the machine.

Claims

1. A method for selecting an external processor as a user interface to a machine comprising:

accessing control grid position information for the machine, wherein the control grid position information provides a control grid of the machine comprising a subset of an effective positioning space covered by a positioning system;

obtaining position information for the external processor using the positioning system; and

using the control grid position information and the external processor position information to determine if the external processor is in the control grid of the machine, and

only if the external processor is located in the control grid of the machine, transferring user interface control of the machine to the external processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user interface control of the machine is transferred to the external processor to the exclusion of the internal user interface of the machine.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating the external processor before transferring user interface control.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the machine is located in a space that includes a floor having a plurality of additional machines and the control grid corresponds to a defined portion of the floor space in proximity to the machine that does not overlap with space occupied by the plurality of additional machines.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein:

authentication information is obtained from a user of the external processor.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the authentication information obtained from a user of the external processor includes biometric information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining position information for a second external processor; and

determining whether to give priority of control to the external processor or the second external processor based upon the position of each of the external processor and the second external processor.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining position information for a second external processor; and

obtaining hierarchal priority information for the external processor and the second external processor; and

using the hierarchal priority information to determine whether to give priority of control to the external processor or the second external processor.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

downloading user interface logic data to the external processor in response to the obtained position information of the external processor.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining updated position information for the external processor; and

using the updated position information in determining whether to transfer user interface control of the machine from the external processor back to the machine.

11. A method for manipulating a file using a portable processor and a machine comprising:

selecting a file with the portable processor using a wireless communications channel; and

selecting the machine to process the file using position information relating to the portable processor using a positioning system having an effective positioning area,

wherein the machine is located in the effective positioning area and is associated with a machine control space.

12. A system for selecting a user interface to a machine comprising:

a positioning system operative for providing positioning information in an effective positioning space;

a control grid database comprising control grid position information associated with the machine, wherein the control grid position information comprises a control grid defined as a subset of the effective positioning space and in proximity to the machine;

an external processor configured to selectively operate as a user interface of the machine, wherein the positioning system is operative for providing external processor position data associated with the external processor;

a processor configured to obtain the control grid position information and the external processor position data and for effecting transfer of at least a portion of user interface control of the machine to the external processor only if the external processor is located in the control grid of the machine.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

The processor configured to authenticate the external processor before transferring user interface control.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the machine is located in a space that includes a floor having a plurality of additional machines and the control grid corresponds to a defined portion of the floor space in proximity to the machine that does not overlap with space occupied by the plurality of additional machines.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a second external processor configured to selectively operate as a user interface of the machine, wherein the positioning system is operative for providing second external processor position data associated with the second external processor; and

the processor configured to selectively transfer control to the external processor or the second external processor based upon priority using the position of each of the external processor and the second external processor.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

obtaining hierarchal priority information for the external processor and the second external processor; and

the processor configured to selectively transfer control to the external processor or the second external processor based upon priority using the position of each of the external processor and the second external processor and the hierarchal priority information.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

the processor configured for downloading user interface logic data to the external processor in response to the obtained position information of the external processor.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

the processor configured obtaining updated position information for the external processor and for using the updated position information in determining whether to transfer user interface control of the machine from the external processor back to the machine.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the positioning system comprises an indoor electromagnetic wave positioning system.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the positioning system comprises an ultrasonic positioning system.