Patent ID: 7131058
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: B41J,G06F,G06Q,H04M,H04N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of enabling a device to be controlled via a printed control interface, the control interface comprising user control instructions relating to the device and the control interface including invisible coded data and visible graphic data printed substantially simultaneously thereon by a single printer wherein the invisible coded data is indicative of an identity of the control interface and of coordinates of a plurality of reference points of the control interface, the coded data identifying a unique location of each of the reference points relative to the control interface, and wherein when the single printer prints the invisible coded data and the visible graphic data on the control interface substanitally simulataneously, a computer system automatically associates a type and spatial extent of each reference point of the invisible coded data with a spatial extent of at least some of the visible graphic data in which the device is operative to perform at least one function in response to control instructions from the computer system, the method including the steps of: receiving, in the computer system, indicating data from an optical sensing device regarding the identity of the control interface and a position of the sensing device relative to the control interface, the sensing device, when placed in an operative position relative to the control interface, reading at least some of the coded data on the control interface, and generating the indicating data using at least some of the read coded data; and effecting, in the computer system and from the indicating data, an operation relating to at least one parameter of the control instructions.