JP2002535770A - Method and apparatus for setting programmable features of a machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract An interactive interface facilitates the setting of instrument preferences and other programmable parameters. The owner of the machine initiates a connection to the server and is provided with a graphical user interface for setting machine preferences and features. Once the desired settings have been made, they are downloaded to the machine directly from the server or the computer of the owner of the machine or indirectly using a portable transfer device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of setting programmable features of machinery.
More particularly, the present invention provides a method for conveniently setting various programmable features of a machine using a graphical user interface accessible via a computer via a global computer network. And equipment.

2. Prior Art The advent of microprocessors and other small electronics has facilitated the implementation of increasingly complex functions in homes and offices. Normal,
A relatively complicated operator interface is required to call various prepared functions. For example, home electronics devices such as televisions, VCRs, and stereo receivers typically come with sophisticated remote control devices. Such remote control devices are provided with a number of buttons used for direct control of machine functions and / or for navigating on-screen menus. Due to the high performance and the complexity of the controls, instruction manuals for machine tools have become increasingly thick and difficult to understand.

[0003] Due to the ever-increasing complexity in modern machinery, competition in the marketplace is a proliferation of such features, even though many of the features provided are not used by consumers. Is driving. Easy control of machinery and equipment,
Many solutions have been proposed in the past to make them "user friendly" in general. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,123 to Chan et al. Discloses a method for downloading setup data to a machine controller via a telephone. There, the user first initiates a telephone call to a remote site having a computer. Once the user has communicated certain background information to the remote site, the setup data is then downloaded over the telephone connection. Upon receiving the download data, the earpiece of the telephone is held close to the built-in microphone of the machine controller. When the data is received, the configuration of the controller is completed, and the equipment can be operated.

[0004] US Patent No. 5,600,711 to Yuen discloses an apparatus and method for initializing the settings of a machine. When the user wishes to initialize the settings of the machine, he first initiates a telephone connection to the remote site. The remote site downloads a sequence of commands to initialize settings in the appliance via a telephone connection. This sequence of commands is received by the remote control device for the machine and stored in internal memory. The user then points the remote control device at the machine and enters a command that transfers the stored sequence of commands to the machine, thereby initializing the settings.

[0005] US Pat. No. 5,141,756 to Levine discloses a method for initializing a programmable control device, such as a remote control for a video cassette recorder. To program the device, connect it to a telephone system, dial a remote initialization center, preferably using a computer, and use the dial buttons for spoken questions sent from the computer. By providing a response, information about the environment of the control device is provided to the computer. Thereafter, the computer sends an initialization program for loading the memory of the control device.

US Pat. No. 5,774,063 to Barry et al. Discloses a method and apparatus for remotely controlling an electronic device from a computer. A transducer such as an infrared transmitter is coupled to the computer,
It is directed to the electronic device to be controlled. An application program running on the computer generates appropriate signals for controlling the electronic device.

[0007] US Patent No. 5,815,086 to Ivie et al.
A method and apparatus for communicating commands to an electromechanical appliance from a remote location is disclosed. In that case, various types of machinery and equipment in a building such as a house are coupled to a signal transmission bus such as an AC power distribution bus provided in the building. Machine commands are issued from the central transmitter via the bus. The mechanical instrument receives commands via an infrared signal from an infrared transmitting device coupled directly to the bus or from the bus. It is also possible to provide a handheld control device for controlling various machinery, in which case the handheld control device is coupled to a bus in various parts of the building.

[0008] US Patent No. 5,819,29 to Chambers.
No. 4 discloses a programmable universal remote controller. Programmable
A device is coupled to the computer and receives signals from a conventional remote control. A programming device correlates the received signal with a database of stored signals used by various machine manufacturers. The programming device then sends the complete set of machine control signals to the programmable general purpose controller.

[0009] US Patent No. 5,228,077 to Darbee,
A universal remote controller that can be programmed from a remote location is disclosed.
The remote control receives programming data via a video or telephone data transmission system.

No. 5,488,571, issued to Jacobs et al., Transfers data from a video display monitor of a personal computer to a portable information device such as an appointment scheduling device. A system for doing so is disclosed. The video display is modulated to transmit data to an opto-electronic receiver provided on the portable information device.

[0011] Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft Corporation) introduced a cordless telephone with programmable features controlled by a personal computer. In that, a base station of the telephone is coupled to a serial port of the computer, and application software for controlling the operation of the telephone is installed on the computer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method and apparatus for setting machine instrument preferences and other parameters. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user initiates a connection to an interactive site on a global computer network. The site supports a graphical user interface that allows the user to set instrument preferences and other parameters. In some embodiments, setup data for the machine is downloaded to the machine directly from the user's computer or interactive site. In another embodiment, the setup data for the machine is downloaded from the user's computer or interactive site to a transfer device, where it is temporarily stored. The transfer device is easy to carry, is carried by the user to the instrument, and the setup data is downloaded from the transfer device to the instrument. Since the instrument itself does not require a user interface for setup procedures and programming, it can be made smaller, less costly and lighter without sacrificing any functionality of the instrument. In addition, the need for such printed instructions is greatly reduced because all information normally included in the instructions can be obtained from the interactive site.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the following description, for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and devices have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary details.

The present invention is applicable to a wide variety of office and home appliances. The categories of machinery and equipment in which the present invention is believed to be used include table clocks,
Telephones, televisions, television set-top decoders, video recorders, audio-video entertainment system components,
Refrigerators, regular ovens, microwave ovens, dishwashers, irrigation systems, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, vehicle heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVA)
C) system, car audio system, home security system, home HVAC system, home master control system, facsimile
Machines, copiers, cameras, postage meters, and the like. Here, the “programmable function” refers to a function of an arbitrary machine tool that can be changed. It includes, for example, initialization, setup or initialization of parameters, stored data (eg, a telephone speed dial number, or GPS receiver database) and internal software. A specific example will be shown below to exemplify the operation of the present invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention has comprehensive applicability to all types of machinery and to all types of programmable functions of such machinery.

[0015] The present invention also has application possibilities far from the setting of the programmable function of the machine tool. For example, the present invention can be used to purchase pay-per-view (PPV) programming on an interactive web site. There, the authentication code is downloaded into the transfer device of the present invention and transferred to the TV set-top box, resulting in the "descramble" of the purchased program. This approach eliminates the telephone connection required for most TV set-top boxes with pay-per-view capability.

Another application contemplated by the present invention is as a programmable “token” that can be used to facilitate a wide variety of transactions. For example, a consumer product manufacturer may offer a discount on a portion of the product on its web site. The certificate for receiving the discount can be downloaded to the transfer device of the present invention, and then the transfer device can be brought to the retailer. There, the transfer device is used to send a discount authorization to the retailer's receiving terminal. Ideally, the terminal has the ability to modify the content stored on the forwarding device, which can be offset after the discount has been exercised. The same "token" approach can be applied to prepaid purchase transactions; booking restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, etc .; permitting entry to entertainment venues or restricted access areas, and similar situations. A possible and correctly transmitted authentication token serves as an extended communication link from the computer system.

[0017] 1. Specific Embodiment of the Present Invention A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The machine 10 receives setup data from the local computer 12. The local computer 12 in a typical application is a general purpose personal computer of the type currently found in homes and offices. The details of the computer 12 are not particularly relevant to the present invention and are not shown here. Usually, the computer 12 includes at least a processing unit, a keyboard and a display. Additional input devices, such as a mouse or other pointing device, and output devices, such as a printer, may be included as part of computer 12.

Local computer 12 is coupled to a remote interactive site server 14 by a communication link. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, interactive site server 14 is accessible via the World Wide Web. However, the computer 12 and the server 14 may be connected using any other suitable means. The server 14 programs to interactively set the programmable features of the machine 10. Preferably, the server 14 provides the owner of the machine 10 via the computer 12 with a graphical user interface tailored for the machine 10 and its programmable functions. This type of interface can be considered a “virtual machine tool”. This is described in FIG.
Will give a better understanding.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the machine 10 is connected to the local computer 1.
2 and directly connected to This embodiment is best suited for portable machinery that can be easily brought to a computer for setup. The coupling between the machine 10 and the computer 12 can be unidirectional or bidirectional from the computer. For one-way communication, the optical sensor is
It can be achieved optically by modulating the display of computer 12 using one or more techniques described below, in preparation for zero. Alternatively, communication techniques using audio, magnetic, inductive, infrared, or radio frequency coupling may be used. The two-way communication is performed by the computer 12
It can be most conveniently established by connecting to the serial port of Of course, some machinery does not conveniently provide this type of connection, but is particularly suitable for portable machinery that requires large amounts of data. For example,
Loading data into a pocket organizer or similar type of PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) can be most conveniently achieved by using a serial port connection in the configuration shown in FIG.

In some types of machinery, adaptation using existing components is easily obtained with respect to establishing communication with the computer 12. For example, an electronic camera essentially has an optical sensor that can be used to detect modulation of a computer display screen or other light source. For video cameras and digital still cameras, the primary imaging path can be used. All that is required is simply a circuit to decode the modulation and store the appropriate setup parameters and / or
Or just add software. Alternatively, the range finder for adjusting the focus of the camera can be used as the optical sensor.

In order to provide a suitable interface for programming the functions of the machine 10, the server 14 preferably receives data from the machine manufacturer. Such data may be received periodically when new models of machinery are released from the manufacturer, or may be obtained by the server 14 in real time using a dial-up connection to the manufacturer. The latter approach offers the advantage that the server 14 is guaranteed to be able to use the latest product information. One way to ensure that the information appropriate for the machine 10 is obtained by the server 14 is to prompt the computer owner to enter the machine serial number at the computer 12. This only needs to be performed once, and the computer 12 and / or server 14 can store the serial number and use it for subsequent programs performed on the same machine. . During this same procedure, a warranty registration for the machine may be performed.

An aspect provided as an option of the present invention is the provision of various types of feedback from the server 14 to the machine manufacturer. During a machine setup operation, the server 14 collects information regarding the use of product features by consumers that may be useful for product marketing and new product design. The link between the server 14 and the machinery manufacturer will also promote new marketing opportunities. The manufacturer can easily target the advertisement to the identified purchaser of the product. It is also possible to present accessories and related products relating to the machine 10 from the manufacturer. This type of presentation may be integrated into the setup information or, alternatively, may be sent by email or conventional mail to the machine owner. Here, it is necessary to recognize that the present invention facilitates warranty registration. Since the equipment owner has already communicated with the server 14 to set the programmable features of the equipment, we will collect additional information needed to complete the warranty registration and, if desired, Providing additional demographic data to manufacturers is a simple matter.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but with programming data provided to the machine 10 via the transfer device 16. This transfer device is the local computer 1
2 receives programming data from local computer 12 by a wired connection to, or preferably by an opto-electronic or other wireless data link, as described in more detail below.

FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of a suitable transfer device 16. Device 1
At the heart of 6 is the control electronics module 102. The modulated data on the display screen of computer 12 is received by receive switch 106.
Is detected by the optical detector 104 at the time of activation. This data is demodulated by electronics 102 and stored in memory 108. When it is confirmed that there is no error in data transfer and storage, for example, a light emitting diode (L
An indicator 110 such as ED) provides the user with an appropriate display. The transfer device 16 with the data loaded in the memory 108 is transported to the machine 10 which preferably includes a “docking” port for the transfer device 16. The transfer device 16 can be an integrated component of the machine 10 provided to the consumer by the machine manufacturer. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the machine 10 comprises an infrared receiver coupled to its integrated control electronics. If an IR link is provided, the transfer device 16 is held close to the infrared receiver of the machine 10. In response to the operation of the transmission switch 112, the memory 1
Data stored at 08 is suitably modulated by electronics 102 and applied to infrared transmitter 114. The user may be notified by the indicator 110 that the data has been transmitted. Alternatively or additionally, the instrument 10 may be provided with an indicator to indicate receipt of data. Power supply 116 is preferably a common alkaline battery type power supply that supplies power to components of device 16.

The device 16 can be configured to return data from the machine to the computer. Data from the machinery can be loaded into the transfer device by an opto-electronic link in the same manner as loading data from a computer. However, for applications involving two-way communication, preferably the transfer device has a direct electrical connection with the machine. The transfer of data to the computer can be achieved according to various methods. For example, transfer device 1
6 may be directly coupled to a serial or parallel input port of a computer. Alternatively, the transfer device 16 may be provided with a sound transducer so that data can be transferred via a microphone coupled to the computer.

The transfer device 16 can be configured according to various formats. Preferably, device 16 is easily portable. Device 16 can be in the form of a pen or stick with optical detector 104 and infrared transmitter 114 at one end. The transfer device 16 may also be integrated with conventional remote controls used in this type of widely remotely controlled machinery. In another variation, the transfer device 16 may be a removable module that docks with the machine 10 as described above. In such cases, a direct electrical connection via an arrangement of suitable electrical contacts can ensure communication between the transfer device and the machine. The transfer device 16 actually constitutes the “brain” of the machine 10 in the form of a microprocessor or equivalent. This type of configuration offers the added benefit of facilitating the service or replacement of the electronic components of the machine in the event of an abnormality, in addition to the ease of programming the functions and features of the machine.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are particularly suitable for machines that are relatively fixed in position and require only a limited amount of data. One such example is a thermostat for a home HVAC system. FIG. 4 shows the computer 1
Graphical user of the thermostat shown on the display
Shows the interface. It should be understood that this interface is provided for illustrative purposes only, and that the individual features of the interface are largely a matter of design choice. The graphical user interface may also be referred to as a "virtual machine" (in this particular embodiment, a virtual thermostat). This does not mean that the interface is physically similar to the actual machine, but rather that access to the programmable functions of the actual machine is obtained via the user's computer. .

A day of the week bar 122 is displayed along the top of the display shown in FIG. The user selects any day of the week using the cursor and programs the thermostat settings for that day of the week. A temperature selector 124 is provided below the day of the week bar. The user uses a mouse or other cursor pointing device to point to an up or down arrow to select a desired temperature. On the right side of the temperature selector 124 are a pair of time windows 126 and 128.
The user uses the appropriate up or down arrow to select a start time and an end time for applying the temperature selection. When the desired settings are completed, the user selects the execute button 130 to store the selection and proceed to the next set of selections. For the convenience of the user, the last input end time is automatically inserted into the start time window. Also, a graphic display 132 showing the selected temperature profile may be provided for the convenience of the user.

Upon completion of the setup, the data is loaded into the transfer device 16 and subsequently carried to a physical location with a thermostat for transfer of the data.
Since all settings have been entered into the computer 12, its local storage and / or server can be used for subsequent changes to these settings or for reloading of settings in the event of a power outage. 14 can be stored. A record of the settings can be printed from the computer 12. For some instruments, the print-out following the setup procedure can be used as a template to indicate the selected options and programmed features of the instrument. For example, it is possible to provide an unlabeled function button for a particular machine and assign a selected function to that button during the setup procedure once a template has been created for it.

It will be appreciated that thermostats that physically incorporate the interface shown in FIG. 4 may be significantly larger and more costly than conventional thermostats. This is mainly due to the relatively complex interface, and the actual components that provide the flexibility of such a thermostat are actually very small and low cost. Through the use of the present invention, virtually unlimited flexibility in thermostat programming will be achieved with thermostats that do not exceed any conventional thermostat in size and cost. Certainly, the thermostat described above can be easily made in a size comparable to a postage stamp.

FIG. 5 shows another modified embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the machine 10
Data is received directly from the server 14 rather than from the local computer 12. Otherwise, from a machine tool owner's point of view, otherwise, the machine tool programming interface is exactly the same as that of the previous embodiment. A telephone can be used for communication between the server 14 and the machine 10. The machine 10 can incorporate a conventional modem, in which case communication can be bidirectional, but it may include only a data demodulator for one-way communication. The coupling of the machine 10 to the communication network
Obtained by conventional RJ-11 connection. Alternatively, the machine 10 may incorporate a cordless telephone module for communicating with a separate base station. The communication between the server 14 and the machine 10 can also be embodied using wireless signals. For example, it is conceivable to incorporate a conventional paging receiver into the machine 10.

The particular embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is a programmable telephone. Speed dial numbers and other programmable features provided on the telephone are conveniently set using a graphical user interface supported by server 14. When these functions are programmed by the user, a call is made from the server 14 to the telephone. An appropriate data demodulation circuit for downloading data from the server 14 is incorporated in the telephone.

FIG. 6 shows yet another embodiment, which is similar in general to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, but incorporates a transfer device similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. I have. However, the transfer device 16 'in this case receives the data directly from the server 14. As in the previous embodiments, the communication between the server 14 and the transfer device 16 'can be telephone or wireless. Transfer device 16 '
One example is embodied as a removable module or "card" for a telephone. Data for the machine 10 is downloaded from the server 14 to the telephone,
There it is demodulated and stored on this card. After that, this card is
0 and the data is transferred to the machine via infrared or other data link.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 6, uses a communication network with an RJ-11 jack or equivalent, in accordance with the method disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,228,077 to Darbee. Is a "universal" remote controller that can be coupled to That is, this remote controller has a function as a data transfer device in addition to a more conventional remote control function.

As mentioned above, the transfer device or machine of the present invention is preferably an optical-
Receive data via an electronic data link. Any suitable light modulation source can be used to transmit data to the transfer device or instrument.
Examples include LEDs, incandescent lamps, LCDs and CRTs. A convenient light modulation source is the display screen of the local computer. Modulating at least a portion of the display of the local computer allows data to be transmitted to the transfer device.

The most modern approach in video modulated data transfer uses a continuous pulsing of a video image to create a series of binary “1” and “
"0" is provided. These binary bits are the framing bits (start and stop bits) to form a complete data byte
Used with. Some current approaches are based on scanning a CRT image to serialize the data bits by providing a luminance pulse for each data bit. Applying this approach to flat panel LCD screens will fail because they do not have the scanning brightness response as found on CRTs.

In another method, a binary bit stream is provided wherein each bit is generated at a video field rate. For a typical CRT, this provides one binary data every 16 milliseconds (60 fields per second). While this method works for CRTs, it does not work very well for flat panel displays. The slow response time of the LCD panel means that the number of data bits that can be transferred per second is small.
In the case of a passive display, this is at most 3 bits (assuming a response time of 300 ms). For an active panel, 20 bits can be transferred. Therefore, when the conventional start bit and stop bit are used, the passive panel can transmit 0.3 bytes per second, and the active panel can transmit 2 bytes per second. However, this rate is too low for many applications.

Next, we propose various variant schemes suitable for use in both CRT and LCD displays. Transmission of data from the remote site via the user's computer may be embodied using a suitable applet written, for example, in the Java programming language.

[0039] 2. Luminance Modulation The first approach for data modulation of a display screen uses luminance modulation. The method drives the display using various intensity levels. Each intensity level can represent an entire data digit. For example, FIG. 7 shows a method of using 10 gray levels representing decimal digits. The luminance level corresponding to each successive decimal digit, or luminance "dwell", is generated at a rate that the display can handle. For example, an active matrix LCD can send 20 dwells per second. That is, 1
It is possible to send 20 digits of information per second, which is substantially faster than sending binary data. Higher data rates are also possible with CRT displays that can transmit decimal digits within each video field.

The brightness level is detected by an optical detector in the receiving device. Discrete brightness levels can be generated using several different methods.

A. Gray Scale This method involves displacing a spot on the display with several discrete gray shades of gray.
Drive to one. An optical detector in the receiving device detects discrete levels,
Each level can be converted to a single digit value. Black and white (
To establish a (highest / lowest) brightness level, a reference level can be periodically transmitted in the data stream. This allows the output of the optical detector to be measured to more accurately detect each discrete gray level. The only limitation that this method has is that the gray scale response of the display may not be linear. In fact, gray scale levels are heavily influenced by monitor contrast and brightness controls. These controls can be changed by the user and cannot be predictable or known constants.

B. Color Luminance It is possible to convey various luminance levels by selecting different color combinations. Each color has a luminance component that is combined with a chroma component. Choosing different colors also selects different brightness levels. For example, dark brown has low brightness, and cyan has high brightness. It should be noted that what is detected using this method is luminance, not color. Accurate luminance detection depends on the color response of the display, the contrast, brightness and color settings of the monitor, and the color response characteristics of the optical detector.
Proper detection using this method usually requires some form of calibration to match the response of the optical detector to the color response of the display.

C. Dithering Referring to FIG. 8, the presently preferred method displays a regular pattern of black and white pixels in a predetermined area of the display, producing an average brightness level. The average level of this "dithering" is 1
Or by dividing it into a matrix of smaller discrete cells of pixels. Each cell is driven to either pure white or pure black. The ratio of black cells to white cells determines the overall average brightness of the detection area. This method solves the problem of unpredictable gray scale response due to contrast or brightness settings in the display.

In the dithering approach illustrated in FIG. 8, a rectangular matrix is used to obtain an average luminance for a predetermined area. Alternatively, it is also possible to use graphic patterns or characters that have a distinctly different appearance but can represent an average global brightness. FIG. 9 shows some examples. These are the averages of the black area and white background, respectively.
It has a unique luminance level. This allows the optical detector to discriminate and convert each unique pattern or character to a corresponding data value.

D. Multicolor Modulation Another method is to use two or more color channels to provide a means for modulating data. This method uses two or more optical detectors, each responding to a different part of the color spectrum. For example, red and green optical detectors are used individually to detect the various shades of each color. The use of two channels allows for data encoding using the luminance level of each color channel, or the phase between the two color signals. Phase modulation is obtained by modulating the color channels with equal rates but changing the phase relationship between the two channels, as shown in FIG.

To further increase the data density, it is possible to combine color luminance modulation and color phase modulation. This allows three parameters to be used during a given sampling period. That is, the intensity of red, the intensity of green, and the phase relationship. If eight discrete values to each parameter may be used, each sampling point may represent one of the 8 ³ values, namely one of the discrete value of 512 per sample . The disadvantage of this method is that
Two color-selectable detectors are required. Also, the color response may vary from display to display, which may necessitate some form of color calibration.

[0047] 3. Video Barcode FIG. 11 illustrates yet another data encoding method using video barcode modulation. This approach is similar to printed barcodes, but uses more dense data coding. According to this method, the video barcode is displayed over the entire screen. The user moves the receiving device over the barcode and reads data from the screen. Conventional printed barcodes work by using different spaces between vertical lines. Spacing relationships are translated into binary data bits. Multiple bits are combined to form a byte of data.

[0048] Video images can be used to represent data in terms of luminance level or color. This allows for higher data densities because each "bar" in a video barcode can represent a full decimal digit instead of a single binary bit. As a result, compared to conventional barcodes,
Data density is increased 8 to 10 times.

FIG. 11 shows a video barcode using luminance levels. here,
Note that the brightness levels are generated according to the same method as described for spot modulation. Each bar represents one of a number of brightness levels, eg, 1
If a brightness level of 0 is available, each bar can represent a digit value from 0 to 9.

[0050] 4. Color Modulation Color luminance modulation has already been described in the form of intensity modulation. Alternatively, it is possible to use true color modulation, which uses the hue of a particular color to represent the corresponding numerical value. Depending on the range of hues used, an array of two or three independent detectors responsive to different spectral components is required. A beam splitter can be used to direct light to the individual detectors of the array provided in the receiving device.

[0051] 5. Automatic Clocking Regardless of the modulation scheme used, it is desirable that data transmission be automatic clocking. This means that individual data characters can be detected by the receiving device without precise time intervals between the characters. This automatic clocking approach allows for the occurrence of pauses during transmission of data characters without introducing transmission errors. Pause is a function of the operating system while transmission is active.
Occurs when the system performs another task. For example, multitasking operating systems typically write data between memory cache storage and disk drives. This activity preempts the operation of another software and creates a short pause in the operation of lower-level applications. In the case of Internet-based data transfer, variations in delay as data is moved between the server and the client computer are not uncommon.

It is also important to adapt to different data rates depending on the type of display monitor used. Before starting the data transfer, the user can make a selection to indicate the type of display being used. Display is CRT
, A higher transfer rate (up to 75 digits per second) can be used. When using an active matrix display, the transfer rate will be slower (20 digits per second). On the PC side, the selection of the transfer rate can be easily achieved, but it is preferable that the receiving device also has compatibility with all available transfer rates. The use of automatic clocking data allows a receiving device to receive data at its transmission rate without having to select a data rate for the receiving device itself.

An efficient automatic clocking method using non-binary data encoding is illustrated in FIG. If intensity modulation is used, the receiving device can detect each discrete intensity level change as a new digit. The length of time between successive digits is irrelevant. If the same digit value is transmitted twice consecutively, a special "repeat" character is used to indicate that the immediately preceding digit value is to be repeated. As shown in FIG. 12, ">" indicates repetition of digit values. If the data stream is the number "1223", then "
12> 3 ". Repeating a digit more than two times is achieved by sending the digit again after the repeated character. For example, “122223” is transmitted in the form of “12>2> 3”. With this approach, a single digit value is not repeated twice in succession. The detector simply needs to wait for a change in the brightness level indicating that a new digit value has been transmitted. The timing relationship between characters is
No longer important.

The automatic clocking data interface according to the present invention preferably comprises a radix-12 encoding system, ie, the decimal value 0-9, the repetition character “>”, and the character “end” of the data record. * ”Is used. By using this system, you can convert a decimal value of any length into
For example, it is possible to transfer using 12 intensity levels. Alphanumeric characters
Each digit pair can be transferred using a two digit value representing the code for ASCII (or ASCII) or its equivalent.

6 Time interval modulation In contrast to the automatic clocking method, another modulation approach
It is based on the change in intensity level or color and the time interval between the changes. This approach reduces the number of intensity levels or colors required. In the least case, there are two discrete intensity levels or colors. The time interval between intensity levels or color changes can have a number of discrete values, each corresponding to a numerical value.
A significant advantage of this approach is that it is not affected by variations in display brightness or color fidelity. However, this approach is more suitable for CRT displays than LCD displays due to the characteristic response time.

[0056] 7. Receiving Device FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a receiving device 200 suitable for use in connection with the present invention. Light emitted (or reflected) by the display screen is incident on the optical detector 202. The output of the optical detector is amplified by an amplifier 204 and converted to an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter 206.
Is applied to the input. The digital output, in this case the output comprising the 8-bit word, is passed as input to microcontroller 208. The operation of the microcontroller 208 is controlled by program instructions stored in a read only memory (ROM) 210. These instructions manage the conversion that produces data digits from the raw digital input from A / D converter 206. The data digits are further processed according to certain functions provided by the receiving device 200. When configured as a transfer device such as the transfer device 16 described above, data digits or information derived therefrom are transmitted from the receiving device 200 to the host device via a wired or wireless interface. The microcontroller 208 has a random memory for use as a scratch pad memory.
An access memory (RAM) 212 is coupled, and its use also includes temporary storage of data digits from or information derived from the A / D converter 206. In many applications, particularly those related to transaction processing, the receiving device 200 includes a display and / or a user interface 214 comprising various controls, such as function selection buttons and the like.
Further, the receiving device 200 includes means for enabling automatic calibration of the analog-to-digital converter. The peak detector 216 detects a white level of a peak included in the received signal. This level sets the upper limit of the range of the A / D converter 206. This allows the full range of the A / D converter to be used over the entire data detection range of the receiving device.

[0057] The receiving device 200 can be configured in any convenient manner. As described above in connection with the transfer device 16, the receiving device 200 can also be an elongated cylindrical shape similar to a pen or stick. In that case, it is advantageous if the optical detector 202 is arranged at one end of the device. However, pen or stick shaped devices have proven inconvenient for use with LCD flat screen displays. Pressing the device against the display, even at light pressure, will distort the display, thereby affecting the accuracy of the data transfer. In the case of a flat panel display, a flat card shaped receiving device is preferred. Such a device can be held against the display screen without introducing distortion to the display.

To ensure the correct positioning of the receiving device with respect to the display screen, a visual representation of the area of the display screen including data modulation is provided. As shown in FIG. 14, a rectangular area of the display screen corresponding to the size and shape of the roughly card-shaped receiving device is configured as a window, and a description such as "Please hit the card here" may be given there. .
If a progress bar is displayed adjacent to the transmission area, the status of data transmission can be indicated.

In the above example, a single optical detector (or a pair of detectors in the case of two-color modulation) is used in combination with a single modulation area on the display screen. It will be noted that the data transfer rate can be multiplied by properly combining the array of optical detectors with the corresponding array of data transmission areas. Of course, the array of detectors must be properly positioned with the array of modulation areas on the display. This can be difficult in the case of a handheld receiving device. One solution to this difficulty is shown in FIG. Here, the display is divided into four quadrants, each of which is independently modulated. The receiving device includes an array of four independent optical detectors. By holding simple alignment marks on both the display screen and the receiving device, holding the receiving device with respect to the display screen so that each optical detector is properly positioned in the corresponding quadrant Becomes possible.

[0060] 8. Experimental results A prototype system was constructed. The prototype receiving device was configured as a card having the same length and width as a standard credit card. At the front of one side of the card was placed a 9 mm round optical detector element at its center.
The output signal of this optical detector is amplified by electronics in the card and then applied as an analog input to a conventional personal computer system where the A / A
D conversion was performed. The optical detector element is located at 9 on the display screen.
It is designed to detect the average brightness of the whole circular area of mm. The detector consists of a transparent glass window and a photo-Darlington transistor optical detector mounted in a plastic housing.

This prototype system employs luminance modulation using the dithering approach described above. A total of twelve luminance levels are used to represent ten decimal values and two additional values indicating formatting characters and repeating characters. By using a CRT display, the prototype system achieved a data transfer rate of 20 characters per second.

An optical detector in the receiving device detects a change in brightness as the electron beam in the CRT passes over the detector. The screen fluorescence emits light with a brightness related to the average screen brightness. In the case of a CRT display, the beam continuously scans the screen. This will generate a pulse as the beam passes over the detector. Thus, the signal detected is a pulse that is repeated at the display frame rate (typically 13-17 milliseconds per field). FIG. 15 shows the use of a CRT-based display to actually capture the signal received by the detector.

Since the received signal is a pulse, the software algorithm uses A /
The output of the D-conversion is processed to determine the luminance level represented by the peak of the detected pulse. The software algorithm can then decode these levels into a packet of data.

It is desirable that the system automatically adapt to changes in intensity levels on the display. Variations in the brightness response of the display and sensitivity characteristics of the optical detector, as well as adjustments in monitor brightness and contrast settings result in different brightness levels.

To automatically adjust for these differences, the system provides a calibration sequence at the beginning of each data transmission. As shown in FIG. 16, the calibration pattern constitutes a staircase consisting of each of the twelve brightness levels used. At the start of the sequence, a complete white pulse (level 12) is transmitted, followed by a value from 0 to 12. This signal is detected by the receiving device and used to determine the actual 12 discrete levels obtained from the monitor. In FIG. 16, the actual pulse waveform received by the optical detector is shown as the lower signal. Above is the signal obtained after being processed by the software algorithm.

9. Another Embodiment of the Present Invention FIG. 17 shows another specific use example of the present invention. The transfer device 300
It is basically similar to the device 200 described above. Data is transferred from the local computer 302 to the transfer device 300 as before. In this case, information describing the content recorded on a storage medium such as the video cassette 304 is loaded into the device 300. The information loaded into device 300 can be entered directly by the user on the local computer. Preferably, however, an interactive television program guide is used, simply allowing "point-and-click" over a particular recorded program.

The transfer device 300 is then docked to the video cassette 304.
In doing so, a display 306 is used to provide a visual index of the contents of the cassette 304. Alternatively, display 308 may be incorporated into cassette 304, in which case transfer device 300 need not include display 306. In this case, if information describing the contents of the cassette 304 is stored in the cassette itself, a transfer device can be used as a device for loading information into a plurality of cassettes.

Still another use example of the present invention is shown in FIGS. FIG. 18 shows the virtual companion 410 appearing on the display screen 412 of the personal computer system. The virtual companion 410 can be created by a software program running on the computer system. This kind of software is usually a magnetic disk or CD-
It can be purchased and installed using ROM. It is also possible to download the software from a remote site. Alternatively, virtual companion 410 may be generated by a remote server accessed by a personal computer system via the World Wide Web. The virtual companion can resemble a pet animal, a commercially available doll or stuffed animal, a character from a book or comic, a historical figure, a sports personality, and the like. In a preferred form, the user can specify certain attributes of the virtual companion, such as the companion's name, some aspects of the appearance, dress, voice, tone, etc., using appropriate control panels on a personal computer system. Can be customized.

The handheld device 420 is an integrated part of the present invention. The user purchases the device with software for a personal computer system or with a corresponding web site password. After configuring the virtual companion as desired by the user, it can be “moved” from the display screen 412 to the device 420. To do this, the user initiates the transfer by clicking on the transfer icon 414 on the display screen 412 or by other suitable input means. The user then follows instructions to overlay device 420 on location 416 on display screen 412.

Referring now to FIG. 19, when the transfer is complete, the virtual companion 410 appears on the display screen 422 of the device 420. Appropriate sound effects can also be generated by the computer system during the transfer process. When completed, the virtual companion 410 is no longer disappearing from the display screen 412 of the computer system. At this point, as shown in FIG. 20, the device 420 can be separated from the display screen 412, and the virtual companion 410 can carry the "living" device.

Software installed on the device 420 can control the virtual companion 410 while it “lives”. This type of software includes at least limited functionality that can operate the virtual companion 410 and produce speech and / or sound. The method of controlling the virtual companion 410 can also be downloaded to the device 420 as part of the transfer process.

If desired, the virtual companion 410 may be returned to the display screen 412. This transfer is also initiated by clicking on an icon on the display screen or by other suitable input means. It is possible to accomplish this transfer even if there is only one-way communication from the display screen 412 to the device 420. Once the transfer is initiated, data is transmitted from display screen 412 to device 420 and virtual companion 410 is removed from display screen 422. At the same time, a virtual companion 410 appears on the display screen 412. However, if the device 420 is not properly aligned with the location 416 on the display screen 412, the virtual companion 410
Although it is not removed from 22, it appears on display screen 412. Therefore, it is preferable to implement at least limited two-way communication between the device 420 and the personal computer system.
One method of providing communication from device 420 to a computer system is as follows:
Via an audible signal from the device 420, which is received by a microphone provided in the computer system. Alternatively, a wired interface connected to the microphone input jack or other input port of the computer system could be used.

Various interactive activities can be built around the virtual companion. For example, a virtual companion may participate in a game played on a personal computer system. In that case, it is conceivable to transfer the virtual companion to the device 420 as an escape from certain dangers, to move to another time or place in the game storyline, or to "resurrection" or other . A virtual companion transfer may be performed with another user. That is, one user "sends" the virtual companion to a friend, who can, after interaction with the virtual companion, transfer it to his friend's own device 420.

In addition to providing a portable “residence” for the virtual companion, the device 420 can also have additional entertainment value. For example, device 420 can function as a device for reading text messages transmitted from display screen 412 using the data transfer protocol of the present invention. The device 420 then functions as a "decoder" for messages that would otherwise be incomprehensible.

It will be appreciated that the invention described above may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the above illustrative details, but is to be defined by the appended claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention, that is, an embodiment in which a machine receives data directly from a local computer.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a machine receives data from a local computer via a transfer device.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the transfer device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a graphical user interface suitable for the thermostat's set of programmable functions.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention, that is, an embodiment in which a machine receives data directly from an interactive site server.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of the present invention, that is, an embodiment in which a machine receives data from an interactive site server via a transfer device.

FIG. 7 shows luminance modulation for transferring decimal data digits.

FIG. 8 illustrates luminance modulation using dithering encoding.

FIG. 9 illustrates luminance modulation using an irregular graphic pattern.

FIG. 10 shows two-color phase modulation.

FIG. 11 illustrates video barcode modulation.

FIG. 12 illustrates an automatic clocking data encoding scheme used with the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a receiving device suitable for use with the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows a display screen having a part for data transfer.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the CRT light response of a prototype system constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing a calibration sequence used in a prototype system.

FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention used to provide a visual index to the contents of a storage medium.

FIGS. 18-20 illustrate the transfer of a virtual companion from a personal computer to a handheld device as performed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (31) Priority claim number 09 / 351,990 (32) Priority date July 12, 1999 (July 12, 1999) (33) Priority claim country United States (US) ( 81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, R, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (72) Inventor Husa, Christopher Burbank, CA 91505 United States of America Olive Avenue, 3500, Suite 980 F-term (reference) 5B076 BB02 BB04 BB06 BB17 5B089 GA23 GB02 JB07 KA03

Claims (24)

[Claims] Providing an interactive site on a global computer network; establishing a connection with the interactive site; interactively setting a programmable feature of a virtual machine at the interactive site; Providing a transfer device having an input port and an output port separate from a user's computer; downloading setup data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device; Downloading said setup data from an output port to the actual machine corresponding to said virtual machine. How to set the mable function. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input port of the transfer device includes an optical sensor. 3. Downloading setup data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device, modulating a portion of a display screen, and detecting the modulation using the optical sensor. 3. The method according to claim 2, comprising the step of: 4. The method of claim 3, wherein modulating the display screen comprises displaying different shades of gray. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein modulating the display screen includes displaying various colors. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein modulating the display screen includes displaying various patterns of black and white pixels. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said pattern comprises a regular pattern of cells. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said pattern comprises an irregular graphic pattern. 9. The pattern of black and white pixels has a plurality of average intensity levels greater than two, such that each pattern represents a corresponding data digit having a radix greater than two. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein
The described method. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said output port of said transfer device comprises an infrared transmitter. 11. Downloading setup data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device includes downloading the setup data to a computer coupled to the input port of the transfer device. The method of claim 1, wherein: 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of extracting information from the setup data and sending the information to a manufacturer of the actual machine. 13. Providing an interactive site on a global computer network; establishing a connection between a user's computer and said interactive site; interactively interrogating programmable features of a virtual machine at said interactive site. Establishing a direct communication link between the interactive site and the actual machine corresponding to the virtual machine, wherein the communication link is independent of the user's computer. Downloading setup data from the interactive site to the actual machine. Setting up programmable features of the machine. Way to do. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said communication link is a telephone. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein said communication link comprises a radio frequency link. 16. Providing an interactive site on a global computer network; establishing a connection between a user's computer and the interactive site; interactively configuring a programmable feature of a virtual telephone at the interactive site. Setting; providing an actual telephone corresponding to the virtual telephone having a data decoder for decoding data transmitted by the telephone; at the interactive site independent of the user's computer; Establishing a direct telephone connection with the real telephone; and downing setup data by telephone from the interactive site to the real telephone. How to set the programmable functions of the phone, which comprises a; step of over-de. 17. A means for coupling the interface device to a global computer network for receiving modulated data; a data demodulator; a data memory coupled to the data demodulator; a coupling to the data memory. An interface for communicating data to the machine instrument, comprising: a data output port provided by the user; and control means for initiating transfer of data from the data memory to the machine instrument via the output port.
device. 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for coupling said interface device to a global computer network includes means for modulating a display screen of a local computer. 19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for coupling said interface device to a global computer network comprises a telephone connection. 20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the interface device is a removable module of the machine. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said interface device includes electronics for controlling said machine during its operation. 22. A computer having a means for executing a first stored program and a display screen; means for making a wireless transmission of data from the computer; and means for receiving a wireless transmission of the data; Means for executing the stored program of the present invention, and a hand-held device having a display screen. The first stored program controls the display of an icon on a display screen of the computer; Removing the icon from the computer display screen in connection with the wireless transmission of the data of
And the apparatus wherein the second stored program causes the icon to appear on a display screen of the handheld device in connection with receiving the first data. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for performing a wireless transmission includes modulating at least a portion of a display screen of the computer. 24. Providing a computer program; said computer comprising: a computer having a display screen;
Executing the program, wherein the computer program controls the display of icons on a display screen of the computer; providing means for wirelessly transmitting data from the computer; Providing a means for receiving a wireless transmission of data, means for executing a stored program, and a handheld device having a display screen; transmitting first data from the computer; controlling control of the computer program. Removing the icon from a display screen of the computer in connection with the transmission of the first data; receiving the first data at the handheld device
And displaying the icon on a display screen of the handheld device in connection with receiving the first data under the control of the stored program. How to provide the activity.