1. An interactive input system comprising:
an appliance;
imaging structure separately imaging an area in close proximity to a touch surface and a region remote from said touch surface;
memory storing a databank of gestures; and
processing structure communicating with said appliance, said memory and said imaging structure, said processing structure being operable in one of a touch input mode and a gesture input mode, in said touch input mode, said processing structure controlling operation of said appliance in response to user touch input entered via user interaction with a touch surface and in said gesture input mode, said processing structure controlling operation of said appliance in response to remote user gesture input occurring anywhere in said region remote from said touch surface that is within the field of view of said imaging structure, wherein said controller remains in said gesture input mode until a pointer appears in images of said area at which time said controller is automatically conditioned to said touch input mode and wherein in said gesture input mode and during detection of remote user gesture input, said processing structure compares received image data with said databank of gestures to recognize input gestures.
2. The interactive input system according to claim 1 wherein in said touch input mode, said processing structure only processing the images of said area in close proximity to said touch surface and in said gesture input mode, said processing structure only processing the images of said remote region.
3. The interactive input system according to claim 2 wherein said imaging structure comprises at least two first cameras looking generally across said touch surface from different viewpoints and having overlapping fields of view and at least one second camera looking into said remote region.
4. The interactive input system according to claim 3 wherein said first and second cameras are mounted on a housing adjacent said touch surface.
5. The interactive input system according to claim 4 wherein said touch surface forms part of a display panel.
6. The interactive input system according to claim 4 wherein the remote region extends from about two feet to twenty feet in front of said touch surface.
7. The interactive input system according to claim 5 wherein said display panel provides visual feedback concerning detected user touch input and remote user gesture input.
8. An interactive input system comprising:
a consumer electronic device; and
a controller for said consumer electronic device, said controller being operable in one of a touch input mode and a gesture input mode and controlling said consumer electronic device in response to one of detected user touch input entered via user interaction with a touch surface and remote user gesture input occurring anywhere in a region remote from said touch surface depending on the operating mode of said controller, wherein said controller separately images an area in close proximity to the touch surface and the region beyond said area, said controller remaining in said gesture input mode until a pointer appears in images of said area at which time said controller is automatically conditioned to said touch input mode and wherein in said gesture input mode, said controller compares image data with a databank of gestures stored in memory to recognize remote user gesture input.
9. The interactive input system according to claim 8 wherein said controller comprises at least two spaced, first imaging devices having overlapping fields of view looking generally across said touch surface and processing structure processing acquired image data to detect pointer contacts on said touch surface.
10. The interactive input system according to claim 9 wherein said controller further comprises at least one second imaging device looking into said region.
11. The interactive input system according to claim 8 wherein said controller comprises a display panel, said display panel providing visual feedback concerning detected user touch and remote user gesture input.
12. The interactive input system according to claim 11 wherein said display panel defines a touch surface on which user touch input is made.
13. An interactive input system comprising:
a household consumer appliance; and
a control unit separate from said household consumer appliance, said control unit comprising a housing configured for mounting on a wall surface, a display screen on said housing, imaging structure on said housing looking generally across said display screen and forwardly of said display screen into a region remote from said control unit, and processing structure within said housing communicating with said household consumer appliance and said imaging structure, said processing structure being operable in one of a touch input mode and a gesture input mode and controlling said consumer appliance in response to one of detected user touch input made via user interaction with said display screen and remote user gesture input made anywhere in said remote region depending on the operating mode of said processing structure, wherein said imaging structure separately images an area in close proximity to the touch surface and the remote region, said processing structure remaining in said gesture input mode until a pointer appears in images of said area at which time said processing structure is automatically conditioned to said touch input mode and wherein in said gesture input mode, said processing structure compares image data with a databank of gestures stored in memory to recognize remote user gesture input.
14. The interactive input system according to claim 13 wherein said imaging structure comprises at least two first cameras looking generally across said display screen from different viewpoints and having overlapping fields of view and at least one second camera looking into said remote region.
15. The interactive input system according to claim 14 wherein the remote region extends from about two feet to twenty feet in front of said control unit.
16. The interactive input system according to claim 14 wherein said display screen provides visual feedback concerning detected user touch and remote user gesture input.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A land mobile radio dispatch system comprising:
a radio communication system comprising a configuration for scanning radio frequency (RF) channels for an RF activity:
a scanning tone remote adapter; and
at least one remote dispatch device;
wherein the scanning tone remote adapter is configured to:
receive a first communication system status signal from the radio communication system, the first communication system status signal comprising a first signal indicative of a presence of the RF activity on at least one of the channels;
transmit a second communication system status signal to the at least one remote dispatch device, the second communication system status signal comprising a second signal indicative of the RF activity on the at least one of the channels;
receive a first communication system command signal from at least one remote dispatch device, the first communication system command signal comprising a third signal indicative of an external control parameter to control the scanning; and
transmit a second communication system command signal to the radio communication system, the second communication system command signal comprising a fourth signal indicative of the external control parameter.
2. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, further comprising a local control device configured to receive the second communication system status signal, and to transmit the first communication system command signal.
3. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 2, wherein the scanning tone remote adapter is configured to receive the first set of radio communication system command signals from the at least one remote dispatch device or from the local control device.
4. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 3, wherein the first communication command signal comprises digitally encoded analog signals.
5. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 3, wherein the second communication status signal comprises digitally encoded analog signals.
6. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1 wherein the radio communication system comprises:
a radio tower; and
a radio transceiver.
7. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, further comprising a network connecting the at least one remote dispatch device to at least one of: one or more other remote dispatch devices, one or more multiplexors, and the scanning tone remote adapter.
8. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 7, wherein the network comprises a single pair of wires.
9. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 7, wherein the network comprises a leased telephone line.
10. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 7, wherein the network comprises a LAN.
11. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 7, wherein the network comprises a WAN.
12. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communication system status signals comprises a channel-selected radio communication system status signal.
13. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communication system status signals comprises a broadcast-status radio communication system status signal.
14. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communication system status signals comprises a signal-received radio communication system status signal.
15. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communication system status signals comprises a self-test radio communication system status signal.
16. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communication system status signals comprises a scan-mode radio communication system status signal.
17. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 16, wherein the scan-mode radio communication system status signal comprises a scan-up scan-mode radio communication system status signal.
18. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 16, wherein the scan-mode radio communication system status signal comprises a scan-down scan-mode radio communication system status signal.
19. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 16, wherein the scan-mode radio communication system status signal comprises an end-scan scan-mode radio communication system status signal.
20. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second communication system command signals comprises a select-channel radio communication system command signal.
21. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second communication system command signals comprises a broadcast radio communication system command signal.
22. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second communication system command signals comprises a status-check radio communication system command signal.
23. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second communication system command signals comprises a scan-mode radio communication system command signal.
24. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 23, wherein the scan-mode radio communication system command signal comprises a scan-up scan-mode radio communication system command signal.
25. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 23, wherein the scan-mode radio communication system command signal comprises a scan-down scan-mode radio communication system command signal.
26. The land mobile radio dispatch system according to claim 23, wherein the scan-mode radio communication system command signal comprises an end-scan scan-mode radio communication system command signal.
27. A method of operation for a land mobile radio dispatch system comprising a radio communication system configured for scanning radio frequency (RF) channels for an RF activity, and to receive information from, and to transmit information to, at least one remote dispatch device, the method comprising:
scanning the radio frequency (RF) channels for the RF activity;
first determining a presence of an RF activity on at least one of the RF channels;
if the first determining indicates that an RF carrier-present signal is present on at least one of the RF channels, generating an RF carrier-present status signal and ceasing the scanning for at least a first predetermined amount of time; and
if the first determining indicates that an RF carrier-present signal is not present on the RF channel, second determining a presence of communication system command signal from the at least one remote dispatch device, the communication system command signal comprising a signal indicative of an external control parameter to control the scanning.
28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:
transmitting the RF carrier-present status signal at least one of: the at least one remote dispatch device and a local control device; and
resuming the scanning when the RF carrier-present signal is no longer present.
29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:
if the communication system command signal from the at least one remote dispatch device is not present after a second predetermined period of time repeating the first determining; and
if a communication system command signal from the at least one remote dispatch device is present, controlling the scanning based on the external control parameter.
30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising:
setting an elapsed time to the second predetermined time period; and
the communication system command signal from the at least one remote dispatch device is not present after the second predetermined time period, resetting the elapsed time to the predetermined time period.
31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the scanning comprises sequentially scanning the radio frequency (RF) channels for the RF activity, the method further comprising:
performing the first determining until the second predetermined time period;
after the second predetermined time period, performing the resetting of the elapsed time to the predetermined time period, selecting a sequentially next channel of the RF channels, and determining whether the sequentially next channel is a sequentially last channel.
32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising:
if the sequentially next channel is the last channel,
performing the resetting of the elapsed time to the second predetermined time period and selecting a sequentially first channel of the RF channels for the scanning.
33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising arranging the RF channels in a channel scan list.
34. The method according to claim 29, where the controlling of the scanning comprises at least one of:
resetting a time to perform the scanning to a value less than the second predetermined time period and resuming the scanning if the signal indicative of the external control parameter comprises a scan-resume tone sequence;
resetting a time to perform the scanning to a value less than the second predetermined time period and selecting a desired channel for the scanning if the signal indicative of the external control parameter comprises a channel-select tone sequence;
resetting a time to perform the scanning to a value less than the second predetermined time period and activating a radio push-to-talk sequence on a channel indicated in the communication system command signal after a loss-of-carrier signal has been detected from the at least one remote dispatch device, if the signal indicative of the external control parameter comprises a push-to-talk tone sequence; and
ceasing scanning if the signal indicative of the external control parameter comprises a scan-stop signal.
35. The method according to claim 29, wherein determining whether the second predetermined time period has elapsed comprises performing a determination by referencing an activity wait timer.