Methods and systems for providing human/computer interfaces
First Claim
1. An electronic data linked physical medium suitable for linking a physical medium with video and audio data stored on multimedia networked computers, the electronic data linked medium comprising:
- a physical medium having at least one hot spot encoded with linking data enabling the electronic data linked physical medium to access remote data, wherein the linking data is encoded according to a spectral encoding scheme, wherein at least part of the linking data is visible and is blended with and appears to comprise at least part of an un-encoded graphic or text visible on the physical medium such that it is not apparent to a viewer of the physical medium that said linking data is encoded in said at least one hot spot;
a sensor operable to measure and decode the linking data, the sensor being capable of measuring the intensity of electromagnetic radiation; and
a transmitter operable to transmit the linking data to a remote computer system, the remote computer system responsive to the linking data to retrieve the remote data and present it to a user of the electronic linked physical medium, whereby the user of the electronic data linked physical medium is provided a mechanism for linking to and accessing remote data;
wherein said at least one hot spot is surrounded by a marker and the sensor is responsive to the marker, whereby the marker indicates to the sensor the region within which the linking data is encoded and the sensor measures and decodes the linking data surrounded by the marker.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention teaches a variety of methods and systems for providing computer/human interfaces. According to one method, the user interfaces with an electronic device such as a computer system by engaging a sensor with desired regions of an encoded physical medium. The encoded physical medium is preferably chosen to provide intuitive meaning to the user, and is thus an improved metaphor for interfacing with the computer system. Suitable examples of the encoded physical medium include a data-linked book, magazine, globe, or article of clothing. Some or all of the selected regions have had certain information encoded therein, information suitable for interfacing and controlling the computer system. When the user engages the sensor with a region having certain encoded information, the certain encoded information is interpreted and an appropriate action taken. For example, the sensor or the computer system may provide suitable feedback to the user. The encoded physical medium may have text and/or graphic illustrations that draw the user in or provide meaningful clues or instructions perhaps related to the encoded information. One scheme for storing the certain encoded data is a spectral encoding scheme. In a preferred embodiment, the spectral encoding scheme uses red, green, blue (RGB). The content is encoded according to the intensities of the RGB colors within the hot spot. In another embodiment, a marker color is inserted into the hot spot to indicate that content is encoded therein.
218 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An electronic data linked physical medium suitable for linking a physical medium with video and audio data stored on multimedia networked computers, the electronic data linked medium comprising:
-
a physical medium having at least one hot spot encoded with linking data enabling the electronic data linked physical medium to access remote data, wherein the linking data is encoded according to a spectral encoding scheme, wherein at least part of the linking data is visible and is blended with and appears to comprise at least part of an un-encoded graphic or text visible on the physical medium such that it is not apparent to a viewer of the physical medium that said linking data is encoded in said at least one hot spot;
a sensor operable to measure and decode the linking data, the sensor being capable of measuring the intensity of electromagnetic radiation; and
a transmitter operable to transmit the linking data to a remote computer system, the remote computer system responsive to the linking data to retrieve the remote data and present it to a user of the electronic linked physical medium, whereby the user of the electronic data linked physical medium is provided a mechanism for linking to and accessing remote data;
wherein said at least one hot spot is surrounded by a marker and the sensor is responsive to the marker, whereby the marker indicates to the sensor the region within which the linking data is encoded and the sensor measures and decodes the linking data surrounded by the marker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification