Methods and systems for providing human/computer interfaces

Abstract

The present invention teaches a variety of methods and systems for providing computer/human interfaces. According to one method, the user interfaces with an electronic device such as a computer system by engaging a sensor with desired regions of an encoded physical medium. The encoded physical medium is preferably chosen to provide intuitive meaning to the user, and is thus an improved metaphor for interfacing with the computer system. Suitable examples of the encoded physical medium include a data-linked book, magazine, globe, or article of clothing. Some or all of the selected regions have had certain information encoded therein, information suitable for interfacing and controlling the computer system. When the user engages the sensor with a region having certain encoded information, the certain encoded information is interpreted and an appropriate action taken. For example, the sensor or the computer system may provide suitable feedback to the user. The encoded physical medium may have text and/or graphic illustrations that draw the user in or provide meaningful clues or instructions perhaps related to the encoded information. One scheme for storing the certain encoded data is a spectral encoding scheme. In a preferred embodiment, the spectral encoding scheme uses red, green, blue (RGB). The content is encoded according to the intensities of the RGB colors within the hot spot. In another embodiment, a marker color is inserted into the hot spot to indicate that content is encoded therein.