Identification of devices on touch-sensitive surface

Abstract

The identification of a data storage device detected on a touch-sensitive display surface of a display device is described. In one embodiment, the presence and location of the data storage device is detected on the display surface and the data storage device is detected on a wireless communications channel. It is then confirmed that the data storage device detected on the wireless communications channel is the data storage device detected on the surface of the display device by communicating with the data storage device over a second communications channel.

1 . In a mobile device, a method of communicating with an interactive display device, the method comprising:
 connecting to the interactive display device via a first wireless communications channel;   conducting an identification confirmation communication with the interactive display device over a second wireless communications channel via a radiofrequency field received from the interactive display device; and   after conducting the identification confirmation communication, sending data stored on the mobile device to the interactive display device via the first wireless communication channel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein connecting to the interactive display device via the first wireless communications channel comprises connecting to the interactive display device via an 802.11 communications channel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving power for conducting the identification confirmation communication over the second wireless communications channel from the radiofrequency field. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving power for conducting the identification confirmation communication from an on-board power supply of the mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating over a second wireless communications channel comprises communicating over an RFID channel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises image data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile computing device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises an object having an RFID tag. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile device, comprising:
 a first wireless communications device comprising a first wireless transmitter/receiver operable to communicate via an 802.11 protocol;   a second wireless communications device comprising a second wireless transmitter/receiver operable to communicate via a radiofrequency field emitted by another device;   a processor; and   a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to
 conduct an identification confirmation communication with an interactive display device via the second wireless communications device; and 
 after conducting the identification confirmation communication with the interactive display device, send data stored on the mobile device to the interactive display device via the first wireless communications device. 
   
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the second radiofrequency transmitter/receiver is configured to receive operating power from the radiofrequency field. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the second radiofrequency transmitter/receiver is configured to receive power from an on-board power supply. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions are executable not to send the data to the interactive display device if the mobile device connects to the interactive display device via the first radiofrequency transmitter/receiver but does not conduct the identification confirmation communication with the interactive display device via the second radiofrequency transmitter/receiver. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the second radiofrequency transmitter/receiver comprises an RFID tag. 
     
     
         14 . In an interactive display device comprising a touch-sensitive surface, a method of identifying from a plurality of detected data storage devices a selected data storage device, the method comprising:
 detecting the plurality of data storage devices on a wireless communications channel;   detecting the selected data storage device on a radiofrequency communications channel comprising a radiofrequency field emitted by the interactive display device, the radiofrequency communications channel being different than the wireless communications channel;   distinguishing the selected data storage device from other data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices by communicating with the selected data storage device over the radiofrequency communications channel;   after distinguishing the selected data storage device, receiving data from the selected data storage device; and   displaying on the display device the data received from the data storage device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the radiofrequency communications channel comprises an RFID channel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein distinguishing the selected data storage device comprises sending a request to the selected data storage device to emit or receive an identifying signal over the identification communications channel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the data comprises image data. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein displaying the data comprises displaying the data at a location adjacent to a location of the data storage device.