Abstract: The present invention provides a system and accompanying method for recognizing orientation of an object placed on an interactive surface. The system includes an interactive surface, a processor operatively linked to the interactive surface, an array of sensors operatively linked to the processor, and an object that has multiple external sides. Each of the external sides is visually marked with an indicator. Once the object is placed on the interactive surface, the array of sensors detects an identification value of the external side that is in touch with the interactive surface and transmits the identification value to the processor, and the processor derives the orientation of the object based on the identification value.

Abstract: The inductive/capacitive coupling technology and the radio frequency identification devices (RFID) technology are applied to analyze the relative position of multiple RFID tagged objects located within a finite three-dimensional space. The RFID tags of the objects are read by an antenna at a series of resonance frequencies, with an effective reading range of the antenna changing as the resonance frequency changes. The spatial sequence of the objects is derived based on the information of multiple sets of RFID tags in multiple readings. The technology can be applied to a variety of toys and teaching tools, such as the Tower of Hanoi game.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic glove device for making three-dimensional structure. The device includes a heating unit, multiple pressure sensors and a microcomputer unit. The heating unit includes a first thermally conductive layer and a thermally insulated layer, and multiple electric heaters and temperature sensors are located between the first thermally conductive layer and the thermally insulated layer. The microcomputer unit is connected to the temperature sensors and the pressure sensors. Once pressure is exerted on thermoplastic plastic through the heating unit by hands, the microcomputer unit is configured to receive the increase of the pressure from the pressure sensors, and to direct the heating unit to increase the temperature of the first thermally conductive layer in accordance with the magnitude of the increase of the pressure. Use of the electronic glove, in combination with thermoplastic plastic, enables users to manually make three-dimensional structures easily and quickly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and accompanying method for recognizing orientation of an object placed on an interactive surface. The system includes an interactive surface, a processor operatively linked to the interactive surface, an array of sensors operatively linked to the processor, and an object that has multiple external sides. Each of the external sides is visually marked with an indicator. Once the object is placed on the interactive surface, the array of sensors detects an identification value of the external side that is in touch with the interactive surface and transmits the identification value to the processor, and the processor derives the orientation of the object based on the identification value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and accompanying method determining the spatial relationships of physical objects, including multiple physical objects, a reader antenna and a processor. Each physical object has a first surface, a second surface parallel to the first surface, one or more RFID tags, and one or more relay antennas. A first RFID tag is placed on the interior surface of the first surface, a second RFID tag is placed on the interior surface of the second surface, and a first relay antenna is located between the first surface and the second surface. The processor is configured to direct the reader antenna to detect the RFID tags. Once the first physical object is placed above the reader antenna, with the first surface of the first physical object facing the reader antenna, the reader antenna is configured to detect the first RFID tag of the first physical object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and accompanying method for deriving spatial sequence of multiple objects on an interactive surface. The system includes an interactive surface and multiple physical objects. Each object is placed within a finite three-dimensional space on the interactive surface, and embedded with an RFID tag. The interactive surface further includes an RF module, an antenna, a host, an adjustable matching network, a channel switch, and an output module. The host instructs the channel switch to change the parameters of the components of the adjustable matching network to generate a series of resonance frequencies. And the host instructs the antenna to read the RFID tags at the series of resonance frequencies, with an effective reading range of the antenna changing as the resonance frequency changes.