System and method for selecting an external user interface using spatial information

• US 7,225,262 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Coffy, Jean-Hiram, Macdonald, George M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US10/064,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/229, 709/240, 709/250, 370/228, 370/238, 370/357.01, 370/357.08, 370/357.13, 370/357.17, 342/357.01, 342/357.08, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 713/170, 713/186, 713/200
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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 a first external processor as a user interface to a first machine comprising:

accessing control grid position information for the first machine;

obtaining position information for the first external processor using a positioning system having an effective positioning area;

using the control grid position information and the first external processor position information in determining whether a first external processor is in the control grid of a first machine, and only if the first external processor is located in the control grid of the first machine, transferring user interface control of the first machine to the first external processor,

wherein the first machine is located in a space that includes a floor that can be referenced in dimensional coordinates and the control grid corresponds to a defined area of the floor in proximity to the first machine that is a subset of the space and the effective positioning area of the positioning system and wherein the space includes a second machine having an associated second defined control grid in proximity to the second machine that does not overlap with the first defined control grid;

accessing control grid position information for the machine;

obtaining position information for a second external processor; and

using the control grid position information and the external processor or the second external processor based upon the position of each of the external processor and the second external processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the determination of whether a first external processor is in the control grid is used to make a control transfer decision, wherein the user interface control of the first machine is transferred to the first external processor, to the exclusion of the internal user interface of the first machine.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining cryptographic authentication information for a first external processor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the determination of whether a first external processor is in the control grid and the authentication information is used to make a control transfer decision.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

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

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

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

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

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

using the hierarchal priority information in determining whether to give priority of control to the first external processor or the second external processor.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

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

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining updated position information for the first external processor; and

using the updated position Information in determining whether to maintain external processor control of the first machine.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

obtaining a second grid information for a group of machines including the first machine; and

downloading user interface logic data to the first external processor when the first external processor enters the second grid.

10. A system for selecting a first external processor as a user interface to a first machine comprising:

means for determining control grid position information for the first machine;

means for obtaining position information for the first external processor using a positioning system having an effective positioning area;

processing means for using the control grid position information and the first external processor position information in determining whether a first external processor is in the control grid of a first machine,

and processing means for transferring user interface control of the first machine to the first external processor if the first external processor is located in the control grid of the first machine,

wherein the first machine is located in a space that includes a floor that can be referenced in dimensional coordinates and the control grid corresponds to a defined area of the floor in proximity to the machine that is a subset of the space and the effective positioning area of the positioning system and wherein the space includes a second machine having an associated second defined control and in proximity to the second machine that does not overlap with the first defined control grid;

means for accessing control grid position information for the first machine;

means for obtaining position information for a second external processor; and

means for using the control grid position information and the first external processor or the second external processor based upon the position of each of the first external processor and the second external processor.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for obtaining position information comprises an indoor electromagnetic wave positioning system.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for obtaining position Information comprises an ultrasonic positioning system.

11. A system for selecting a first external processor as a user interface to a first machine comprising:

a processor;

a control grid position map data base information for at least one machine connected to the processor;

a position information receiver having an effective positioning area for obtaining position information data for a first external processor;

a processor having processing instructions for using the control grid position map database and the first external processor position information in determining whether a first external processor is in the control grid of a machine, wherein the first machine is located in a space that includes a floor that can be referenced in dimensional coordinates and the control grid corresponds to a defined area of the floor in proximity to the first machine that is a subset of the space and the effective positioning area of the positioning system and wherein the space includes a second machine having an associated second defined control grid in proximity to the second machine that does not overlap with the first defined control grid;

accessing control grid position information for the machine;

obtaining position information for a second external processor; and

using the control grid position information and the external processor or the second external processor based upon the position of each of the external processor and the second external processor.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the receiver for obtaining position information Is an indoor positioning system receiver.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the indoor positioning system provides relative position data relative to a reference point.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the indoor positioning system provides absolute latitude and longitude data.