Method for interacting with a system that includes physical devices interfaced with computer software
US8850345B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 13, 2004 |
| Grant date | Sep 30, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 12, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/451
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a method for interacting with a system that includes physical devices that are interfaced with computer software, a graphical representation of a physical device that can be graphically interconnected with a graphical representation of a software module is generated. The graphical representation of the physical device is capable of being represented as either a graphical copy mode representation or a graphical ghost mode representation. On-screen interaction with functionality of the physical device is enabled when the graphical representation of the physical device is in the graphical copy mode representation. A true physical state of the physical device is tracked when the graphical representation of the physical device is in the graphical ghost mode representation. The tracking of the true physical state of the physical device disables on-screen interaction with functionality of the physical device. A dual-mode graphical user interface element for interfacing with a physical device also is described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.