Integrated user interface system and method

摘要

An integrated user interface system being disposed at a chair and methods for manufacturing and using same. The user interface system comprises one or more interface elements that are disposed at an armrest or other suitable chair location and that are obscured from view or otherwise de-emphasized when a user is distal from the user interface system. At least one selected interface element becomes emphasized when a user hand becomes proximate to the user interface system. The selected interface element can become emphasized, for example, by becoming visible and/or by forming a raised projection. Upon becoming emphasized, the selected interface element is activated for use and can be manipulated to interact with available system resources. The chair advantageously can appear to be an ordinary chair when the user interface system is not in use and can present the user interface system when the user wishes to access the system resources.

主权项

1. An integrated user interface system suitable for interacting with a system resource, comprising:
a chair region of the user chair; and a plurality of interface elements being provided at said chair region, a selected interface element becoming apparent and activated for interacting with the system resource when a user hand is proximate to said selected interface element and becoming obscured and inhibited from interacting with the system resource in response to sensing that the user hand has withdrawn from the user interface system, wherein said selected interface element become apparent by at least one of projecting from said chair region, becoming illuminated, presenting control indicia, and presenting a function icon that represents a preselected control function associated with said selected interface elements, and wherein said integrated user interface system is utilized in conjunction with a video interface system for presenting a menu system with control indicia associated with system functions available via the system resource, said selected interface elements being mapped to the control indicia to enable navigation of the menu system via said integrated user interface system.