Sensor-based Distributed Tangible User Interface

摘要

A distributed tangible user interface comprises compact, self-powered, tangible user interface manipulative devices having sensing, display, and wireless communication capabilities, along with one or more associated digital content or other interactive software management applications. The manipulative devices display visual representations of digital content or program controls and can be physically manipulated as a group by a user for interaction with the digital information or software application. A controller on each manipulative device receives and processes data from a movement sensor, initiating behavior on the manipulative and/or forwarding the results to a management application that uses the information to manage the digital content, software application, and/or the manipulative devices. The manipulative devices may also detect the proximity and identity of other manipulative devices, responding to and/or forwarding that information to the management application, and may have feedback devices for presenting responsive information to the user.

主权项

1. A sensor network user interface, comprising:
a sensor-based distributed tangible user interface, comprising:
a set of special-purpose tangible user interface manipulative devices, wherein:
the set of manipulative devices form and are members of the distributed user interface,each manipulative device has no significant functionality independent of membership in the distributed user interface, being useable only as part of the set of manipulative devices under the control of the sensor network user interface,each manipulative device is configured to directly detect the presence and location of the other manipulative devices in the set solely by being placed proximate to any of the other manipulative devices in the set,each manipulative device is independently physically manipulable relative to the other manipulative devices in the set, andeach manipulative device comprises:
at least one wireless communications device;a visual display for digital content;a power source;at least one movement sensor;at least one neighborhood wireless communications device for detecting the presence of nearby manipulative devices; andat least one manipulative device controller adapted for: receiving data from the movement sensor; processing the received data to derive movement parameters; at least one of forwarding the derived movement parameters or initiating behavior of the manipulative device in response to the derived movement parameters; sensing, using the neighborhood wireless communication device, the position of at least one nearby manipulative device; processing the position of, and any communication received from, the sensed nearby manipulative device in order to derive neighborhood information; and at least one of forwarding the derived neighborhood information or initiating behavior of the manipulative device in response to the derived neighborhood information; and at least one user interface controller, the user interface controller being adapted for controlling the behavior of the sensor-based distributed tangible user interface by coordinating and controlling the behavior of the set of manipulative devices as a group by:
sending digital content or behavior instructions to individual manipulative devices;receiving at least one of derived neighborhood information or derived movement parameters from at least one of the manipulative devices;processing any received derived neighborhood information and derived movement parameters to derive instructions about management of the digital content or program behavior for the set of manipulative devices; andchanging program behavior or managing the digital content for the set of manipulative devices according to the derived instructions.