METHODS AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE A HANDHELD POINTER-BASED USER INTERFACE

• US 20100097317A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: NI, Bin, LI, Zhiming, LI, Dan, WANG, Fly
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to provide a handheld pointer-based user interface are described herein. An example apparatus includes a wireless pointer component and one or more base components. The wireless pointer component is configured to transmit one or more human-computer interaction (HCI) signals associated with an HCI event via a first communication link. One or more base components are operatively coupled to a screen of a display to receive the one or more HCI signals from the wireless pointer component via the first communication link. Further, the one or more base components are configured to generate at least one of operating information and position information of the wireless pointer component based on the one or more HCI signals, and to transmit the at least one of operating information and position information to a processor configured to generate screen information on the screen of the display via a second communication link.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless input device coupled to an interactive application, the wireless input device enabling a user to perform motions on objects displayed on a display device by the interactive application by performing the motions using the wireless input device, the wireless input device transmitting the motions as human-computer interaction (HCI) signals to the interactive application; and

a processing unit operatively coupled to the wireless input device and the display device, the processing unit executing the interactive application, the processing unit receiving the HCI signals from the wireless input device and utilizing the HCI signals to duplicate the motions on the objects displayed on the display device by the interactive application.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HCI signals represent at least one of writing, drawing, selecting, and scrolling directly on the display device with the wireless input device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HCI signals are transmitted in response to at least one of pressing a tip of the wireless input device on the display device and pressing a button of the wireless input device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless input device comprises at least one of a stylus and an electronic pen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing unit comprises at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a handheld computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises at least one of a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, and a plasma display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HCI signals are transmitted to the interactive application in accordance with at least one of a an 802.11-based communication protocol, a Bluetooth-based communication protocol, and an infrared-based communication protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HCI signals comprises at least one of an ultrasonic signal and a radio frequency signal.

9. A method comprising:

enabling a user to perform motions on objects displayed on a display device by an interactive application by performing the motions using a wireless input device coupled to the interactive application;

transmitting the motions as human-computer interaction (HCI) signals from the wireless input device to the interactive application; and

receiving the HCI signals from the wireless input device and utilizing the HCI signals to duplicate the motions on the objects displayed on the display device by the interactive application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the motions as HCI signals comprises transmitting the motions as HCI signals in response to at least one of writing, drawing, selecting, and scrolling directly on the display device with the wireless input device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the motions as HCI signals comprises transmitting the motions as HCI signals in response to at least one of pressing a tip of the wireless input device on the display device and pressing a button of the wireless input device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the motions as HCI signals comprises transmitting the motions as HCI signals in accordance with at least one of a an 802.11-based communication protocol, a Bluetooth-based communication protocol, and an infrared-based communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the motions as HCI signals comprises transmitting the motions as at least one of an ultrasonic signal and a radio frequency signal.

14. A machine readable medium storing instructions, which when executed, cause a machine to:

enable a user to perform motions on objects displayed on a display device by an interactive application by performing the motions using a wireless input device coupled to the interactive application;

transmit the motions as human-computer interaction (HCI) signals from the wireless input device to the interactive application; and

receive the HCI signals from the wireless input device and utilize the HCI signals to duplicate the motions on the objects displayed on the display device by the interactive application.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the machine to transmit the motions as HCI signals in response to at least one of writing, drawing, selecting, and scrolling directly on the display device with the wireless input device.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the machine to transmit the motions as HCI signals in response to at least one of pressing a tip of the wireless input device on the display device and pressing a button of the wireless input device.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the machine to transmit the motions as HCI signals in accordance with at least one of a an 802.11-based communication protocol, a Bluetooth-based communication protocol, and an infrared-based communication protocol.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the machine to transmit the motions as at least one of an ultrasonic signal and a radio frequency signal.