Glyph address carpet methods and apparatus for providing location information in a multidimensional address space

• Main Authors: JARED DAVID A, FLORES L. NOAH, STEARNS RICHARD G, HECHT DAVID L, CHANG KENNETH H. P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.12.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; PHYSICS; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECOGNITION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS

A user interface is implemented using visual indicia and a background for the visual indicia that encodes address information. The background appears visually as a stipple pattern, but is implemented using glyphs which form an address carpet that encodes address information uniquely identifying each location of the user interface. An image capture device is used to capture an area of the address carpet that is at or near visual indicia of interest to the user while selecting a location in the visual indicia. The image capture device captures the area of interest, and transmits the image area to a computer for processing. The computer first determines the proper orientation of the image, and then decodes the information encoded by the glyphs. The decoding results in an X, Y address identifying the location of the captured area in the address carpet and, by reference, the address of the selected location. Based on the address, the computer may perform an operation associated with the area.