Mouse pointing system/icon identification system

• US 20050264525A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Adams, Charles R., Nathanson, Harvey C., Howell, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US11/130,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen

Abstract

A small hand-held pocket-pen sized image projector device having enhancement features which include a pointing capability whereby a user can direct a laser pointing beam to a projected image and an icon identification capability for selectively orienting or otherwise controlling an image projected by the device. Also, a button type “clicking” function selection capability similar to that in a common laptop personal computer is also provided.

Claims

1. An imaging system for a portable image projector comprising:

a portable housing;

an image projector located in the housing for generating a pointing beam which is projected through a lens in the housing onto an image viewing medium;

an image sensor located in the housing adjacent the lens for sensing the pointing beam on the viewing medium and generating an electrical image signal of the beam at present location thereof on the image viewing medium;

circuitry connected to the sensor for generating a signal indicator of the present location of the pointing beam on the image viewing medium;

a beam positioning device for changing the location of the pointing beam of the image viewing medium;

circuitry connected to the beam positioning device for generating an update signal indicative of a desired new location of the pointing beam; and

a video signal generator responsive to the update signal for generating a signal of the pointing beam which is fed to the image projector for imaging the pointing beam at said new location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable housing is in the shape and size of a pocket pin.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the image projector includes a MEMS mirror chip.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the image sensor comprises an array of light sensitive elements.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said array of light sensitive elements comprise an array of semiconductor charge coupled devices.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the pointing beam comprises a visible beam or an invisible beam.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the pointing beam comprises an IR beam.

8. The system of claim 4 and wherein the image projector additionally generates a visual indicator at the point where the pointing beam impinges on the viewing medium.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the visual indicator comprises an icon.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said icon comprises a pointing icon.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the pointing icon is in the form of an arrow.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the beam positioning device comprises a manual device apart from the portable housing for moving the pointing beam.

13. The system of claim 12 and additionally including a wireless transmitter/receiver connection between the circuitry generating the signal of the present location of the beam and the beam positioning device.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the manual device comprises a personal computer mouse type driver device.

15. The system of claim 1 and additionally including a manually actuated switch on the housing for locking the image sensor on to a selected portion of the image on the viewing medium.

16. The system of claim 1 and additionally including a switch on the housing for moving the pointing beam over the image on the viewing medium.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the switch comprises a toggle switch located at one end of the housing.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the image resolution of the image on the viewing medium is of a first image resolution and the image resolution of the pointing beam is of a second image resolution.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the first image resolution is greater than said second image resolution.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first image resolution is XGA image resolution and the second image resolution is VGA image resolution.

21. An image system for a portable image projector comprising:

a portable housing;

an image projector located in the housing and including means for generating an image including an icon, said icon performing a certain function including conveying information to a viewer regarding a present viewed state of said image, said projector projecting the image and icon through a lens in the housing onto an image viewing medium;

an image sensor located in the housing adjacent the lens for sensing and generating an electrical signal of the present state of said image and said icon on the viewing medium;

circuitry connected to the sensor for identifying the icon on the viewing medium; and

an image signal generator for generating a signal for altering the present state of the image in response to the viewed state of the icon, said image having an altered state thereafter being fed to the image projector for projecting a new image and icon on the viewing medium.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the portable housing is in the shape and size of a pocket pen.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said icon conveys information for performing a predetermined function with the image on the viewing medium.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the predetermined function comprises a re-orientation of the image on the viewing medium.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the image projector includes a MEMS mirror chip.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the image sensor comprises an array of light sensitive elements.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said array of light sensitive elements comprise an array of charge coupled devices.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the image resolution of the image on the viewing medium is of a first image resolution and the image resolution of the icon is of a second image resolution.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the first image resolution is greater than said second image resolution.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the first image resolution is XGA image resolution and the second image resolution is VGA image resolution.