ACTION USING SWITCHED DEVICE THAT TRANSMITS DATA

• US 20090231109A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reichert, James T., Thrush, Glenn T., Baumert, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

A radio-frequency identification (RFID) device, or other type of device that transmits data in response to a broadcast of energy, may have a switch. The switch may allow an operator to signal whether the device will transmit data when energized. The switch could also allow an operator to select a particular item of data, or a combination of items of data, to be transmitted. Receiving data reflected from the device may signify an action to be performed, or may signify the fact that some physical action (e.g., pressing, by a human finger) has occurred with respect to the device. Thus, device that transmit data when energized may be used to direct the operation of other devices (e.g., by turning such other devices on or off), to implement tactilely-sensitive displays, or as part of other applications.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising executable instructions to perform a method, the method comprising:

broadcasting energy;

receiving, in response to said broadcasting, a reflection from a switched device, said reflection representing an item of data;

looking up said item of data in one or more lists;

first determining, based on said looking up, an action to be performed in response to having received said item of data;

second determining that said item of data is not in a set of items of data to be ignored; and

causing said action to be performed.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said one or more lists comprise a first list and a second list, said first list comprising published meanings of items of data, said second list comprising meanings of items of data that are assigned by an owner of said switched device, and wherein said looking up comprises:

first comparing said item of data with said first list; and

second comparing said item of data with said second list, wherein said action is based on said first comparing and said second comparing.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said first determining comprises:

identifying said action based on a range into which said item of data falls.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said item of data is n bits long, and wherein said first determining comprises:

identifying said action based on an m-bit sub-sequence in said item of data, where m<

n.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises changing a state of an appliance that can be in either an on-state or an off-state, and wherein said causing of said action to be performed comprises:

turning said appliance to an opposite of said appliance'"'"'s present state.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises directing an appliance to function in a particular manner.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an association between said action and said item of data; and

including said association in one of said one or more lists.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

prompting a user to enter an association between said action and said item of data.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said switched device is an RFID tag that is part of a keyboard and that corresponds to a character, and wherein said action comprises:

inserting a binary code corresponding to said character into an input buffer.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said switched device is an RFID tag that is located at a position on a display monitor, and wherein said action comprises:

communicating said position of said RFID tag to a program that generates information that is being displayed on said display monitor at a time that said item of data is received.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said switched device is attached to a container of a medicine and wherein said switched device is activated to transmit said item of data in response to opening of said container when said energy is being broadcast, and wherein said action comprises:

evaluating a drug interaction between said medicine and other medicines that are taken by a person who opens said container.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after receiving said reflection from said switched device, broadcasting said energy a second time; and

after broadcasting said energy said second time, not receiving said reflection from said switched device.

13. A method of directing that a first action be performed, the method comprising:

first receiving a first code associated with a switched device;

second receiving an indication of said first action to be associated with said first code;

storing a first association between said first code and said first action in a database;

after storing said first association in said database, broadcasting energy;

in response to said energy, third receiving said first code from said switched device;

performing, or causing to be performed, said first action;

prior to said first receiving, determining that said first code is not in said database; and

asking a person if said first code is to be placed in a set of codes to be ignored.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after said first receiving of said first code from said switched device, looking up said first action in said database.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to said first receiving, determining that said first code is not in said database;

prompting a person to enter said first code and to assign an action to said first code.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said switched device is associated with said first code and a second code, said switched device comprising a switch that has two or more settings, a first of said settings indicating that said first code is to be transmitted in response to said energy, a second of said settings indicating that said second code is to be transmitted in response to said energy, and wherein the method further comprises:

fourth receiving said second code and a second action associated with said second code; and

storing a second association between said second code and said second action in said database.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said first action comprises:

changing an operational state of an apparatus.

16. (canceled)

19. An apparatus for interacting with a person, the apparatus comprising:

a display surface on which visual information generated by a program is displayed;

a plurality of RFID tags arranged at locations on said display surface, each of said RFID tags comprising a switched circuit that reflects an item of data when the switched circuit is closed and energized, each of the RFID tags arranged on said display surface reflecting an item of data that differs from that reflected by each of the other RFID tags on said display surface, said switched circuit being biased to the open position and being closable by pressure applied to an RFID tag of which said switched circuit is a part;

a component that broadcasts energy to energize circuits of said plurality of RFID tags, that reads data reflected from said RFID tags, and that communicates, to said program, a location of an RFID tag that corresponds to a reflected item of data received by said component.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of layers, said RFID tags being formed integrally within any of said plurality of layers, or being adhered to any of said plurality of layers, the location of the RFID that that corresponds to said reflected item of data defining a spatial position of said RFID tag.