User interface systems

Abstract

A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events comprises: a plurality of markers each having a marker identity; a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, and at least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner, wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, an action which is at least partly determined by the reader identity of said reader.

1 . A user interface system for allowing users to initiate events, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of markers each having a marker identity;    a plurality of portable readers each having a reader identity and arranged to read said marker identities from adjacent markers, and    at least one base station arranged to communicate with said readers in a wireless manner,    a database accessible to the base station, containing entries associating actions to at least one of a marker identity and a reader identity;    wherein at least one reader is provided with actuation means which when actuated by a user causes the reader identity of the reader and the marker identity of an adjacent marker to be transmitted by the reader to said base station, so as to cause, for at least one of said markers, said base station to initiate, directly or indirectly, one of said actions which is at least partly determined by an entry in the database;    wherein, if no database entry exists for a fresh marker identity transmitted to the base station; then a database entry is created associating the fresh marker identity to an action assigned to a known marker identity identified to the base station.    
   
   
       2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said known marker identity identified to the base station is a marker identity transmitted to the base station subsequent to the fresh marker identity.  
   
   
       3 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said readers are associated with different users, in order to allow said action to be customized for different users.  
   
   
       4 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one reader provided with said actuation means is also provided with reading means for reading the identity of an adjacent marker, and said reading means is arranged to operate in a low power mode until actuation of said actuation means, and to switch to an operational mode following actuation of said actuation means.  
   
   
       5 . The system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said reading means returns to said low power state after reading the identity of an adjacent marker.  
   
   
       6 . The system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said reading means returns to said low power state before transmission of said identity of an adjacent marker and the reader identity to a base station.  
   
   
       7 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein some or all of said portable readers are provided without any screen for displaying information to the user.  
   
   
       8 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein some or all of said portable readers have a maximum dimension which is not greater than 4, 6 or 8 cm.  
   
   
       9 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said action takes place in the vicinity of said adjacent marker.  
   
   
       10 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said action is carried out by a device which is not part of, and not physically connected to, said reader.  
   
   
       11 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said base station is arranged to transmit to at least one reader a confirmation that the marker and reader identities have been received.  
   
   
       12 . The system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said confirmation includes information relating to said action.  
   
   
       13 . The system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein at least one reader is arranged to provide a perceivable indication of said confirmation to the user.  
   
   
       14 . The system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said at least one reader remains connected to said base station, in a networking sense, only until said confirmation has been received, or shortly thereafter.  
   
   
       15 . A method for allowing users to initiate events, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving at a base station through a wireless connection a reader identity and a marker identity from a reader positioned sufficiently proximate one of a plurality of markers to enable the reader to read the one marker;    accessing a database to retrieve an entry associating an action with the received marker identity and reader identity;    if a database entry exists associating an action with the received marker identity and reader identity, directly or indirectly initiating the action; and    if no database entry exists for a fresh marker identity transmitted to the base station, then creating a database entry associating the fresh marker identity to an action assigned to a known marker identity identified to the base station.    
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising the step of: 
 identifying a known marker identity to the base station by transmitting the known marker identity to the base station subsequent to transmitting the fresh marker identity.    
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising the step of: 
 transmitting to at least one reader a confirmation that the marker and reader identities have been received.    
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said confirmation includes information relating to said action.  
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said reader is arranged to provide a perceivable indication of said confirmation to the user.  
   
   
       20 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising the step of: 
 disconnecting the reader from base station, in a networking sense, when said confirmation has been transmitted, or shortly thereafter.