Printed Embedded Data Graphical User Interfaces

G raphical user interfaces (GUIs) have become the dominant computer user interface paradigm during the past three decades. A typical system includes a computer with a bitmap display and a mouse or stylus for pointing and acting. Interaction is based upon selection and action at positions in the graphical display, guided by graphical content and the user’s intent. For example, the user can select a document icon on a PC screen desktop and drag it to a printer icon or choose a highlighted text element and open a hyperlink. Printed embedded data graphical user interfaces (PEDGUIs) generalize the interaction domain to images and objects throughout user environments such as printed documents (forms, memos, books, catalogs, and so on), projections on a wall, and active computer displays. The interface can be almost any object. The selection and control tool is an image capture device such as a camera with control buttons. The embedded data helps establish the selection location and gesture, as well as the identity or context of the chosen substrate and links to other resources. Even in the case of multiple active and passive display substrates, the GUI system captures and interprets user interactions throughout the workspace.