Patents Assigned to SMART Technologies ULC
  • Patent number: 9262016
    Abstract: A gesture recognition method comprises capturing images, processing the images to identify at least two clusters of touch points associated with at least two pointers, recognizing a gesture based on motion of the clusters, and updating a display in accordance with the recognized gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Grant McGibney, Qizhi Joanna Xu, Erik Benner, Edward Tse
  • Patent number: 9262011
    Abstract: An interactive input system comprises an optical waveguide, a radiation source directing radiation into the optical waveguide, the radiation undergoing total internal reflection within the optical waveguide in response to at least one touch input on a surface of the optical waveguide. At least one imaging device is positioned adjacent to the waveguide, the at least one imaging device having a field of view looking inside the optical waveguide and capturing image frames thereof. Processing structure processes the image frames captured by the at least one imaging device to determine a location of the at least one touch input based on a frequency of reflections of the radiation appearing in the image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: David Gregory Popovich, Yunqiu Rachel Wang, Vaughn E. Keenan, Grant McGibney, Robbie Rattray, Patrick James Gurtler, Chris Willson, Nicholas Svensson
  • Patent number: 9207858
    Abstract: A method of generating a calligraphic ink object, comprising sampling contact coordinates generated by a coordinate input device during writing thereon using a pointer to generate an ink trajectory generally representing the writing; generating an ink envelope, the ink envelope comprising line segments joining pointer instances at the sampled contact coordinates; generating a smoothed ink envelope at least by fitting curves to points on the ink envelope; and drawing the smoothed ink envelope on a display thereby to generate the calligraphic ink object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Viktor Antonyuk, Joseph Michael Goethals, Shymmon Banerjee
  • Patent number: 9207812
    Abstract: A method for adjusting the position of a light curtain emitted by an illumination assembly over a surface, comprises determining a position of the light curtain; calculating a difference between the determined position of the light curtain and a desired position of the light curtain; and adjusting the position of the illumination assembly based on the calculated difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Robbie Rattray, Grant McGibney, Rob Barton, Cameron Taylor, David Holmgren, Peter Shivkumar, Nicole Martin, Dmitry Elman, Alexis Guillemin, Patrick Marcil, Yun Zhang
  • Patent number: 9194533
    Abstract: A fixture mounting assembly comprises a track; and a fixture mount on the track and configured to engage a fixture, the track being pivotable between a generally upright orientation and a generally horizontal orientation where engagement of the fixture mount and fixture is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Peter McCarthy, Geoff Brennan
  • Patent number: 9189086
    Abstract: An interactive input system comprises at least one imaging assembly having a field of view looking into a region of interest and capturing image frames and processing structure in communication with the at least one imaging assembly. When a pointer exists in captured image frames, the processing structure demodulates the captured image frames to determine frequency components thereof and examines the frequency components to determine at least one attribute of the pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Grant McGibney, Tim Radke
  • Patent number: 9176627
    Abstract: A camera-based touch system (50) includes a passive touch surface (60) and at least two cameras (63) associated with the touch surface. The at least two cameras (63) have overlapping fields of view (FOV) encompassing the touch surface. The at least two cameras (63) acquire images of the touch surface from different locations and generate image data. A processor (54) receives and processes image data generated by the at least two cameras to determine the location of the pointer relative to the touch surface when the pointer is captured in images acquired by the at least two cameras. Actual pointer contact with the touch surface and pointer hover above the touch surface can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Gerald Morrison, David Holmgren
  • Patent number: 9117375
    Abstract: A computerized assessment grading method comprises creating a syntax tree for a received equation-based response to at least one assessment question and a syntax tree for at least one solution to the at least one question, comparing the syntax trees, and grading the response based on the results of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: David Labine, Lothar Wenzel, Albert Chu
  • Patent number: 9110512
    Abstract: An interactive input system comprises computing structure; and an input device detecting at least one electronic device displaying a recognizable pattern within a three-dimensional (3D) input space and providing output to the computing structure. The computing structure processes the output of the input device to recognize the pattern displayed by the at least one electronic device in the 3D input space; detect the state of the at least one electronic device; and modify image data by applying a transition to digital content associated with the displayed pattern based on the detected state of the at least one electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Andrew Michael Exner
  • Patent number: 9098179
    Abstract: A method of enhancing features in a computing environment wherein a software application comprising compiled source code is executed, the method comprising inserting at least one content object into a canvas page of the software application. Each content object comprises code defining functionality attributed to the content object. The content object code is executed in response to interaction with the content object thereby to supplement host software application functionality with the attributed functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Cory Sanoy
  • Publication number: 20150205452
    Abstract: A method comprises mapping elements of an image on a digitizer surface to functions of a widget executed on a computing device that communicates with the digitizer; and responsive to user interaction with the elements, executing the widget functions mapped to the elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: SMART TECHNOLOGIES ULC
    Inventor: DAVID POPOVICH
  • Patent number: 9052745
    Abstract: A multi-monitor computer system includes a plurality of display devices communicating with at least one computing device executing an application management procedure. The application management procedure enables an application window available on one display device to be moved entirely to another display device by selecting the other display device from a dialog box displayed in response to a pointer-dragging input gesture on the application window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Douglas B. Hill, Michael Rounding, Daniel Mitchell, David Martin, Luqing Wang, Gregory Forrest
  • Patent number: 8982100
    Abstract: An interactive panel comprises an optical waveguide within which totally internally reflected (TIR) illumination propagates, a display device beneath the optical waveguide and a partially transparent layer beneath the display device. The partially transparent layer reflects backlight illumination towards the display device and at least allows TIR illumination escaping from the optical waveguide and passing through the optical waveguide and the display panel, as a result of one or more contacts made on the optical waveguide, to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Robbie Rattray, David Popovich
  • Patent number: 8972891
    Abstract: An interactive input system, method and computer readable medium for handling objects representing annotations on an interactive input system are disclosed. The method includes creating an annotation on the interactive input system, associating the annotation with a temporary grouping region, and in the event that a threshold amount of time passes before a further annotation is created within a threshold distance of the temporary grouping region, disabling the temporary grouping region to thereafter prevent automatic grouping with the annotation of any further annotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Alexander Garin, Ann Dang Pham, Kathryn Rounding, Kenny Tsang, Tom Willekes
  • Patent number: 8963796
    Abstract: A method of launching a selected application in a multi-monitor computer system (20) comprising a plurality of displays (22 to 26) operatively associated with at least one computing device (28) comprises in response to an application launch event, determining if the launch event was initiated from a registered display of the multi-monitor computer system; and if so, launching the application associated with the launch event on the registered display and if not, launching the application associated with the launch event on a default display of the multi-monitor computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Samia Siddiqui, Julie Iannelli
  • Patent number: 8938487
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product, for displaying video data from at least one source computer in a multi-monitor computer system, are provided. The apparatus includes a source computer interface for receiving at least video data from at least one source computer, and a multi-monitor interface for providing video data to multiple monitors. A processing structure coordinates routing of video data received via the multi-monitor interface to the monitors based on display requests received from the at least one source computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Andrew Leung, Mark McElhinney, Viktor Antonyuk
  • Patent number: 8937588
    Abstract: A method of operating an interactive input system comprises capturing images of a region of interest at a first frame rate; processing a first pixel subset of images captured at the first frame rate to detect the presence of an object; and if an object is detected, capturing images of the region of interest at a second frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Stephen Wheatley, Jeremy Hansen, Gregory Forrest
  • Patent number: 8902195
    Abstract: An input panel for an interactive input system comprises an optical waveguide; a first radiation source directing radiation into said optical waveguide, said radiation undergoing total internal reflection within said optical waveguide; a diffusion layer adjacent to and on one side of the optical waveguide, totally internally reflected light being frustrated and escaping the optical waveguide in response to pointer contacts on the diffusion layer; a second radiation source directing radiation towards another side of the optical waveguide that is opposite the one side; and at least one imaging device having a field of view looking at the optical waveguide and capturing image frames, wherein said first and second radiation sources are turned on and off in succession and wherein said first radiation source is turned off when said second radiation source is on and wherein said first radiation source is turned on when said second radiation source is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Grant McGibney, Gerald Morrison, Charles Ung, Trevor Akitt, Ed Tse, Erik Benner, Jamie Duncalf
  • Patent number: 8902193
    Abstract: An interactive input system comprises a bezel at least partially surrounding a region of interest. The bezel has a plurality of bands thereon with at least some adjacent bands having different optical properties. At least one imaging device looks into the region of interest and sees the at least one bezel so that acquired images comprise regions corresponding to the bands. Processing structure processes pixels of a plurality of the regions to detect the existence of a pointer in the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Jeremy Hansen, Trevor R. Wellington, Mark Slevinsky
  • Patent number: 8887063
    Abstract: In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of enabling remote control of a host computer having a display region that is to be shared with at least one client computer. The method includes tracking time lapsed since a local user input event has occurred while the host computer is under local control and in the event that the time lapsed exceeds a threshold, enabling remote control of the host computer by a client computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventors: David LaBine, Mark Altosaar, Daniel Mitchell, Wojtek Quibell