Computer presentation system and method with optical tracking of wireless pointer

• US 20010045940A1
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Karl C. Hansen
• Inventors: Hansen, Karl C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen

Abstract

A method for interfacing with a computer through a projected display of the computer using a laser pointer includes processing an image of the projected display captured by a camera, determining position of a laser pointer spot on the projected display, generating commands to position a computer mouse pointer at a screen position corresponding to the projected display, and generating a mouse click for the computer when a programmable laser pointer event occurs. Commands may be used to emulate control of the computer typically provided by a pointing device such as a mouse or track ball.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with a computer through a projected display of the computer using a laser pointer, the method comprising:

processing an image of the projected display captured by a camera;

determining position of a laser pointer spot on the projected display;

generating commands to position a computer mouse pointer at a screen position corresponding to the projected display; and

generating a mouse click for the computer when a programmable laser pointer event occurs.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein the programmable laser pointer event comprises a change in the laser pointer spot color.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein the programmable laser pointer event comprises a change in the laser pointer spot shape.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein the programmable laser pointer event comprises a change in the laser pointer spot pattern of movement.

5. A method for interfacing with a computer through a projected display of the computer using a laser pointer as a pointing device for the computer with an image of the projected display captured by a camera in communication with the computer, the method comprising:

processing the image of the projected display captured by the camera to move a computer mouse pointer to a position corresponding to the position of a spot generated by the laser pointer within the projected display.

6. The method of

claim 5

further comprising:

processing the image of the projected display captured by the camera to generate a mouse click command for the computer.

7. The method of

claim 6

further comprising:

superimposing calibration marks on the projected display to calibrate the camera.

8. A method for remotely controlling a computer using a laser pointer, the method comprising:

projecting images using video output signals from the computer onto a remote surface;

controlling the laser pointer to generate a spot on the remote surface;

positioning and calibrating a camera in communication with the computer to capture the images projected on the remote surface;

processing the images using the computer to determine position of the spot generated by the laser pointer;

generating commands for the computer to position a computer mouse pointer at a location corresponding to the spot generated by the laser pointer so that the computer mouse pointer tracks the spot generated by the laser pointer.

9. The method of

claim 8

further comprising:

processing the images captured by the camera to generate a mouse click command for the computer.

10. The method of

claim 9

wherein the step of processing the images to generate a mouse click comprises comparing positions of the spot generated by the laser pointer to detect movement.

11. The method of

claim 9

wherein the step of processing the images to generate a mouse click comprises detecting a spot property to determine whether the property has changed.

12. The method of

claim 11

wherein the spot property is color.

13. The method of

claim 11

wherein the spot property is shape.

14. The method of

claim 8

wherein the commands to position the computer mouse pointer are generated only when the spot generated by the laser pointer is within a predetermined area of the image captured by the camera.

15. The method of

claim 14

wherein the commands to position the computer mouse pointer are generated only when the spot generated by the laser pointer is within a first predetermined region of the image captured by the camera, the method further comprising generating a mouse click command for the computer when the spot generated by the laser pointer is within a second predetermined region of the image captured by the camera.

16. A method for generating computer commands to remotely control a computer using a laser pointer, the method comprising:

calibrating a camera connected to the computer and positioned to capture an image of video output from the computer;

displaying video output from the computer;

superimposing a light pattern generated by the laser pointer onto the output from the computer;

capturing an image of the output and the light pattern generated by the laser pointer using the camera;

processing the image to determine position of the light pattern generated by the laser pointer relative to the video output from the computer; and

generating computer commands based at least on the position of the light pattern generated by the laser pointer to control movement of a computer cursor.

17. The method of

claim 16

wherein the step of displaying video output from a computer comprises projecting an image of the output on a remotely located screen.

18. The method of

claim 16

wherein the step of displaying video output from a computer comprises displaying the video output on a monitor connected to the computer.

19. A computer presentation system for generating commands to remotely control a computer using an optical cursor generated by a hand-held pointer and projected on a screen displaying output from the computer, the system comprising:

a camera in communication with the computer for capturing an image of the screen including the projected output from the computer and the optical cursor generated by the hand-held pointer; and

software executable by the computer for processing the image to determine position of the optical cursor generated by the hand-held pointer on the projected display and positioning a computer mouse pointer at a corresponding screen position on the projected display to remotely control the computer using the hand-held pointer.

20. The computer presentation system of

claim 19

wherein the software generates a mouse click when a programmable hand-held pointer event occurs.

21. The computer presentation system of

claim 19

wherein the software generates a command to control an application program running on the computer when a programmable hand-held pointer event occurs.

22. The computer presentation system of

claim 19

wherein the software generates a command to control an operating system of the computer when a hand-held pointer event occurs.

23. The computer presentation system of

claim 19

wherein the software generates a command to superimpose calibration marks on the projected image to calibrate the image captured by the camera relative to the output from the computer.

24. A computer presentation system comprising:

a computer;

a monitor in communication with the computer for displaying output from the computer;

a projector for projecting the output from the computer onto a remotely located surface;

a hand-held optical pointer for generating an optical cursor and selectively superimposing the optical cursor on the remotely located surface; and

a camera positioned to capture an image of at least a portion of the projected output from the computer, the camera being in communication with the computer;

wherein the computer includes instructions for processing the image to determine position of the optical cursor within the projected image of the computer output, positioning a computer mouse pointer at the corresponding position of the computer output, and selectively generating a mouse click when a programmable event occurs.

25. The system of

claim 24

wherein the hand-held optical pointer comprises a laser pointer.

26. A computer presentation system comprising:

a computer having an associated monitor for displaying output from the computer;

a projector connected to the computer for projecting the output from the computer onto a remotely located surface;

a laser pointer for generating a user-selectable optical cursor and selectively superimposing the optical cursor on the remotely located surface; and

a camera positioned to capture an image of the remotely located surface including at least a portion of the projected output from the computer, the camera being in communication with the computer;

wherein the computer includes instructions for calibrating the camera by projecting calibration fiducials onto the remotely located surface and processing the image of the remotely located surface to determine position of the optical cursor relative to the projected computer to provide computer mouse cursor control using the laser pointer.

27. A computer presentation system comprising:

a computer having a monitor for displaying output from the computer; and

means for capturing a projected image of the computer output having a superimposed cursor generated by a laser pointer and processing the image to determine position of the cursor generated by the laser pointer relative to the projected image of the computer output to generate positioning and control commands emulating a conventional computer mouse.

28. A computer presentation system comprising:

a computer having an associated monitor for displaying output from the computer;

means for projecting the output from the computer onto a remotely located surface;

means for generating a user-selectable optical cursor which may be selectively superimposed on the remotely located surface; and

means for detecting position of the optical cursor relative to the output from the computer;

means for positioning a computer mouse cursor to a location corresponding to the detected position of the optical cursor; and

means for detecting a user selectable characteristic of the optical pointer to generate a corresponding computer mouse command.

29. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to generate commands to control a cursor generated by the computer based on cursor generated by a laser pointer, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for processing data from a camera positioned to capture an image of a projected display of the computer output;

instructions for generating a command for the computer based on the position of the cursor generated by the laser pointer so the cursor generated by the computer tracks the cursor generated by the laser pointer; and

instructions for generating a command for the computer when a programmable laser pointer event occurs.