Input device, information device, and control information generation method

• US 20040169637A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sato, Daisuke
• Application Number:
  US10/665,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20040169637A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An input device includes: a registered information storage section which stores registered information corresponding to a parameter type; an image capture section which captures an image of a detection object; an image comparison section which compares the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section with the registered information stored in the registered information storage section; a movement detection section which detects movement of the detection object by using the image of the detection object when it is determined that the registered information storage section stores the registered information corresponding to the image of the detection object according to a result of comparison by the image comparison section; and a control information output section which outputs control information corresponding to the parameter type associated with the registered information corresponding to the image of the detection object based on a detection result of the movement detection section.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an image capture section which captures an image of a detection object;

an image comparison section which compares the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section with registered information;

a movement detection section which detects movement of the detection object by using the image of the detection object when it is determined that the registered information includes information corresponding to the image of the detection object according to a result of comparison by the image comparison section; and

a control information output section which outputs control information corresponding to a parameter type associated with the registered information corresponding to the image of the detection object based on a detection result of the movement detection section.

3. The input device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the registered information is a feature point of the image.

5. The input device as defined in claim 3,

wherein the feature point is extracted from the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section.

7. The input device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the movement detection section detects the movement of the detection object by using the feature point of the image.

9. The input device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the movement detection section detects the movement of the detection object by using a center of gravity of the image, and

wherein the center of gravity is calculated from the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section.

11. The input device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the image capture section includes a detection surface and captures the image of the detection being in contact with the detection surface, and

wherein the control information output section outputs the control information of at least one of first and second axis directions which intersect each other at right angles on the detection surface, a third axis direction perpendicular to the detection surface, and rotation directions around the first to third axes.

14. The input device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the registered information includes a plurality of pieces of image information, the parameter type being associated with each piece of the image information.

16. The input device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the image of the detection object is a fingerprint image.

18. An information device comprising:

the input device as defined in claim 1;

and

a processing section which performs control processing based on the control information from the input device.

2. An input device comprising:

a registered information storage section which stores registered information corresponding to a parameter type;

an image capture section which captures an image of a detection object;

an image comparison section which compares the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section with the registered information stored in the registered information storage section;

a movement detection section which detects movement of the detection object by using the image of the detection object when it is determined that the registered information storage section stores the registered information corresponding to the image of the detection object according to a result of comparison by the image comparison section; and

a control information output section which outputs control information corresponding to the parameter type associated with the registered information corresponding to the image of the detection object based on a detection result of the movement detection section.

4. The input device as defined in claim 2,

wherein the registered information is a feature point of the image.

6. The input device as defined in claim 4,

wherein the feature point is extracted from the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section.

8. The input device as defined in claim 2,

wherein the movement detection section detects the movement of the detection object by using the feature point of the image.

10. The input device as defined in claim 2,

wherein the movement detection section detects the movement of the detection object by using a center of gravity of the image, and

wherein the center of gravity is calculated from the image of the detection object captured by the image capture section.

12. The input device as defined in claim 2,

wherein the image capture section includes a detection surface and captures the image of the detection being in contact with the detection surface, and

wherein the control information output section outputs the control information of at least one of first and second axis directions which intersect each other at right angles on the detection surface, a third axis direction perpendicular to the detection surface, and rotation directions around the first to third axes.

13. The input device as defined in claim 2, comprising:

a registration section which registers the registered information according to the parameter type.

15. The input device as defined in claim 2,

wherein the registered information includes a plurality of pieces of image information, the parameter type being associated with each piece of the image information.

17. The input device as defined in claim 2,

wherein the image of the detection object is a fingerprint image.

19. An information device comprising:

the input device as defined in claim 2;

and

a processing section which performs control processing based on the control information from the input device.

20. A control information generation method for generating control information by using a captured image of a detection object, the control information generation method comprising:

searching information corresponding to an image of the detection object in registered information stored corresponding to a parameter type by using the image of the detection object;

detecting movement of the detection object by using the image of the detection object when it is determined that the information corresponding to the image of the detection object is included in the registered information and;

generating the control information corresponding to the parameter type associated with the registered information corresponding to the image of the detection object based on a detection result for the movement of the detection object.

21. The control information generation method as defined in claim 20, comprising:

generating the control information of at least one of first and second axis directions which intersect each other at right angles on the detection surface, a third axis direction perpendicular to the detection surface, and rotation directions around the first to third axes.

22. The control information generation method as defined in claim 20,

wherein the image of the detection object is a fingerprint image.

23. The control information generation method as defined in claim 21,

wherein the image of the detection object is a fingerprint image.