Pointing systems for addressing objects

Pointing systems apparatus comprising:

• a) a direction reference;
• b) attitude determining means;
• c) computer;
• and
• d) display,
• said direction reference being movable via influence from a user,
• said attitude determining means so coupled to said movable direction reference whereby a measure of pointing direction may be made,
• said computer being in communication with said attitude determining means whereby attitude information relating to said direction reference may be conveyed to said computer, said computer further comprising a selection control, said selection control being represented as a graphic, said graphic being a group of icons, said group of icons being a toolbar type arrangement of icons arranged in a linear fashion, whereby each of said plurality of selection items is represented in the group by a single icon, the graphic being displayed at said display comprising:
• a plurality of selection items;
• and
• ii) a selection cursor,
• said selection cursor is associated with either of said plurality of selection items to form at least one selected item, and
• said selection cursor being operable for switching from a first item to a second item in response to a change in pointing direction as determined by said attitude determining means, said switching occurs from a first icon to a second icon in response to rotational displacements about a vertical axis, said displacements are about between 3 degrees and 20 degrees and said display being conventionally coupled to said computer.

Pointing systems apparatus comprising:

• a) a direction reference;
• b) attitude determining means;
• c) computer;
• and
• d) display,
• said direction reference being movable via influence from a user,
• said attitude determining means so coupled to said movable direction reference whereby a measure of pointing direction may be made,
• said computer being in communication with said attitude determining means whereby attitude information relating to said direction reference may be conveyed to said computer,
• said computer further comprising a selection control being represented as a graphic played at said display, said graphic being a list of items whereby each of said plurality of selection items appears in the list as a text label,
• said selection control comprising:
• i) a plurality of selection items;
• and
• ii) a selection cursor,
• said selection cursor is associated with either of said plurality of selection items to form at least one selected item, and
• said selection cursor being operable for switching from a first item to a second item in response to a change in pointing direction as determined by said attitude determining means, said switching occurs from a first text label to a second text label upon rotational displacements about a horizontal axis about between 3 degrees and 20 degrees, and
• said display being conventionally coupled to said computer.

Pointing systems apparatus comprising:

• a) a direction reference;
• b) attitude determining means;
• c) computer;
• and
• d) display,
• said direction reference being movable via influence from a user,
• said attitude determining means so coupled to said movable direction reference whereby a measure of pointing direction may be made,
• said computer being in communication with said attitude determining means whereby attitude information relating to said direction reference may be conveyed to said computer, said computer further comprising a selection control, said selection control comprising:
• i) a plurality of selection items;
• and
• ii) a selection cursor,
• said selection cursor is associated with either of said plurality of selection items to form at least one selected item, and
• said selection cursor being operable for switching from a first item to a second item in response to a change in pointing direction as determined by said attitude determining means, where the effect on the control is applied proportionally with respect to the magnitude of the displacement, and
• said display being conventionally coupled to said computer.

Methods for triggering computer action relating to an object being addressed comprising the steps:

• determining an address state of a mobile unit;
• forming a request including parameters of the address state;
• transmitting said request to a server computer;
• and
• processing said request at said server computer to trigger an action in accordance with a program running on said server computer, said computer action is an action taken in a mobile unit and includes a step comprising providing an alert perceptible to a user, said action includes steps relating to a gaming scheme.

Methods for triggering computer action relating to an object being addressed comprising the steps:

• determining an address state of a mobile unit;
• forming a request including parameters of the address state;
• transmitting said request to a server computer;
• and
• processing said request at said server computer to trigger an action in accordance with a program running on said server computer,
• said transmitting said request to a server computer includes systems where the request is transmitted via electromagnetic communication over a wireless network in communication with the Internet,
• said computer action is an action taken in a wireless network,
• said action includes a step comprised of generating a report at said object being addressed the report is a reservation for space at a dining facility.

Methods for triggering computer action relating to an object being addressed comprising the steps:

• determining an address state of a mobile unit;
• forming a request including parameters of the address state;
• transmitting said request to a server computer;
• and
• processing said request at said server computer to trigger an action in accordance with a program running on said server computer,
• said determining an address state includes a step of forming an address indicator which specifies the address state, said address indicator is comprised of parameters from the group including:
• position, attitude, time, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, velocity, acceleration, audio level and wind velocity.

Methods for triggering computer action relating to an object being addressed comprising the steps:

• determining an address state of a mobile unit;
• forming a request including parameters of the address state;
• transmitting said request to a server computer;
• and
• processing said request at said server computer to trigger an action in accordance with a program running on said server computer,
• said determining an address state includes a step of forming an address indicator which specifies the address state, said forming an address indicator is comprised the step measuring attitude with a dipole compass.

Methods for triggering computer action relating to an object being addressed comprising the steps:

• manipulating point and direction references of a mobile unit to cause a spatial alignment with an object of interest;
• causing a trigger event while simultaneously holding said spatial alignment;
• in response to said trigger event, measuring the address state of said mobile unit;
• generating a request in accordance with a program running on a mobile nit computer processor including at least a specification of the address state including position and attitude measurement;
• transmitting said request from said mobile unit to a server computer running application programming;
• executing a database search including a step performing an intersection test in view of said request against at least one database record including at least one geometric descriptor to produce a result set;
• taking an action in agreement with said application programming whereby said action relates to said result set;
• returning data produced in said database search and conveying said data to said mobile unit,
• said manipulating a point and direction reference step is further defined as pointing a mobile telephone handset toward an object of interest whereby said direction reference substantially intersects the space occupied by the object to form a spatial alignment and association between the mobile telephone and the object.