Dual pen system

• US 8,054,301 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Promethean House
• Original Assignee: Promethean Limited (Best Assistant Education Group Co.)
• Inventors: Unsworth, Peter, Pearce, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US12/862,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-175, 345/179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

There is disclosed an interactive display system comprising an interactive surface for displaying an image and for receiving inputs from remote devices, the system being adapted to detect the presence of at least two remote devices proximate the interactive surface.

Claims

1. An interactive display system including an interactive surface comprising a drive grid and a sense grid, wherein the drive grid induces a current in a pointing device, and the pointing device in turn induces a current in the sense grid, the system comprising:

a plurality of pointing devices, each pointing device having a unique nominal frequency; and

a drive grid signal generator for driving the drive grid for a period of time at each of the nominal frequencies of the pointing devices, wherein the system adapts the period of time for a given frequency to optimize said period of time for particular devices.

2. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein if no pointing device of a particular frequency is detected in a particular cycle or a particular number of cycles, the period of time for that frequency is reduced until a device operating at that frequency is found.

3. The interactive display system according to claim 2 wherein when a device operating at that frequency is found, the period of time for that frequency is increased to return to the previous rate.

4. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein a default period of time for each nominal frequency is the total period of time for providing a drive signal divided by the number of devices in use.

5. The interactive display system according to claim 4 wherein a period of time higher than the default period of time is provided for certain devices.

6. The interactive display system according to claim 4 wherein a period of time lower than the default period of time is provided for certain devices.

7. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein each unique nominal frequency is within a pre-allocated unique frequency band.

8. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein the drive frequency alternates between the nominal frequencies for an equal amount of time.

9. The interactive display system according to claim 1 wherein a drive period is divided up according to the number of pointers in use.

10. The interactive display system according to claim 9 wherein the drive period is a default period which is set in dependence upon the number of pointers used.

11. The interactive display system according to claims 1 wherein a nominal time period is set and subdivided in accordance with the number of pointers.

12. The interactive display system according to claim 1 including a processor for detecting when a signal is provided indicating the presence of a pointing device, wherein if such signal is detected, this indicates that a pointing device having the current drive frequency is present on the interactive display surface.

13. The interactive display system according to claim 12 wherein the device grid signal generator provides an indication to the processor of the current selected frequency, and therefore when the processor processes the signal from the synchronous demodulator in order to determine the position and status of the pointing device, this information can be determined as being associated with the specific pointing device.

14. The interactive display system according to claim 12 wherein in response to a pointer being detected, the processor processes the received information to determine the location of the pointer.

15. A method, in an interactive display system including an interactive surface comprising a drive grid and a sense grid, in which the drive grid induces a current in a pointing device, and the pointing device in turn induces a current in the sense grid, the system comprising a plurality of pointing devices, each pointing device having a unique nominal frequency, of generating a drive grid signal, comprising:

driving the drive grid for a period of time at each of the nominal frequencies of the pointing devices, and adapting the period of time for a given frequency to optimize the period of time of particular devices.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising the step, in dependence on no pointing device of a particular frequency being detected in a particular cycle or a particular number of cycles, of reducing the period of time for that frequency until a device operating at that frequency is found.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step, in dependence on a device operating at that frequency being found, increasing the period of time for that frequency to return to the previous rate.

18. The method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of determining a default period of time for each nominal frequency as the total period of time for providing a drive signal divided by the number of devices in use.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of providing a period of time higher than the default period of time for certain devices.

20. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of providing a period of time lower than the default period of time for certain devices.