Interactive computer graphics using video telephone

Claim 1

An interactive computer graphics problem-solving process comprising the steps of directing a beam of light in the area of view of the camera of a video telephone set whose camera is effectively aimed at a blank horizontal surface immediately in front of the video set, transmitting the camera image via a telephone transmission and switching network to a remote time shared data storage and computing machine, determining at the remote computer location the picture coordinates or the light beam image, transmitting a marker having corresponding picture coordinates from the remote location back via said telephone network to the video telephone set along with a preselected graphics display, displaying the marker and said graphics display on the viewing screen of said video telephone set, the movement of said light beam in the area of view of the camera thus serving to cause a corresponding movement of the marker on said viewing screen, signaling the remote computing machine by means of a multifrequency tone signal to note the location of the marker when the same is positioned to a desired location with respect to the visual graphics display and to take a predetermined programmed action, and repeating the above-recited steps as successive graphic displays of a selected interactive graphics routine are successively developed and displayed on the viewing screen of said video telephone set.