Card for facilitating user interaction

• US 7,270,266 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Tae W.
• Application Number:
  US10/815,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20040238627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/59 by controlling the amount of charge storable in the pixel, e.g. modification of the charge conversion ratio of the floating node capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 : Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 : Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 : comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1568 : for disturbance correction or prevention within the image-sensor, e.g. biasing, blooming, smearing correction circuits H04N25/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A card for identifying a user to a computer system using a sensing device, the card having an interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data, the coded data including a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the user, the sensing device being adapted to:

• • (a) sense at least one coded data portion;
  • (b) generate, using the at least one sensed coded data portion, indicating data indicative of the identity of the user; and,
  • (c) transfer the indicating data to the computer system, the computer system being responsive to determine, using the indicating data, the identity of the user.

Claims

1. A shopping system comprising:

a card for identifying a user to a computer system using a sensing device, the card having a first interface surface having disposed thereon or therein first coded data, the first coded data including a plurality of first coded data portions, each first coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the user; and

a shopping receptacle having a shopping receptacle identity, the shopping receptacle comprising an optical sensing device adapted to;

(a) sense at least one first coded data portion on the card;

(b) sense second coded data on a second interface surface of a product item, said second coded data being indicative of a product identity and of a plurality of locations on the second interface surface;

(c) generate first indicating data identifying the user identity using the sensed first coded data;

(d) generate second indicating data using the sensed second coded data; and

,

(e) transfer the shopping receptacle identity data, the first indicating data and the second indicating data to the computer system, the computer system being responsive to the received data to perform an action,

wherein the second indicating data is indicative of the product indentity and of at least one of;

(i) a position of the sensed second coded data;

(ii) a position of the sensing device relative to the second interface surface;

(iii) an orientation of the sensed second coded data; and

,

(iv) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the second interface surface.

2. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is responsive to:

(a) associate the shopping receptacle with the user; and

,

(b) dissociate the shopping receptacle and the user.

3. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data distinguishes the identity of the user from the identity of every other user known to the computer system.

4. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data is redundantly encoded.

5. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

6. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided eye.

7. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data is printed using infrared ink.

8. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data is provided on the first interface surface coincident with visible markings.

9. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the first coded data is disposed over a substantial portion of the first interface surface.

10. A method of shopping using a card and a shopping receptacle, the card having a first interface surface having disposed thereon or therein first coded data, the first coded data including a plurality of first coded data portions, each first coded data portion being indicative of an identity of a user,

the shopping receptacle having a shopping receptacle identity and comprising an optical sensing device,

wherein the method includes in the sensing device:

(a) sensing at least one first coded data portion of the first interface surface;

(b) sensing second coded data on a second interface surface of a product item, said second code data being indicative of a product identity and of a plurality of locations on the second interface surface;

(c) generating first indicating data identifying the user identity using the sensed first coded data;

(d) generating second indicating using the sensed second coded data; and

,

(e) transferring the shopping receptacle identity data, the first indicating data and the second indicating data to the computer system, the computer system being responsive to the received data to perform an action,

wherin the second indicating data is indicative of the product identity and of at least one of;

(i) a position of the sensed second coded data;

(ii) a position of the sensing device relative to the second interface surface;

(iii) an orientation of the sensed second coded data; and

,

(iv) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the second interface surface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the action is at least one of:

(i) associating the shopping receptacle with the user; and

,

(ii) dissociating the shopping receptacle and the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method includes, in the computer system:

(a) receiving the first indicating data from the sensing device; and

,

(b) determining, using the received first indicating data, user identity data indicative of the identity of the user; and

,

(c) performing the action using the user identity data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded data distinguishes the identity of the user from the identity of every other user known to the computer system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded data is redundantly encoded.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided eye.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded is printed using infrared ink.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded data is provided on the first interface surface coincident with visible markings.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the first coded data is disposed over a substantial portion of the first interface surface.