Mediacube

• US 20050280631A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Drucker, Steven M., Wong, Curtis Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,168,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

An object placed on a display surface conveys an image appearing on the display surface to a surface of the object. The object can include one or more optical elements such as a lens, or may include a plurality of fused fiber optics or collimated light tubes to convey the image appearing under the object to a different surface. The image can thus be made to appear on a side of the object, or on an intermediate surface within the object, or on a top surface of the object. In addition, on an interactive display device, the user is enabled to interact with the image and the object, for example, by using a gesture to move the image about on the display surface so that it is moved toward and under the object and thereafter appears on the surface of the object.

Claims

1. An object for shifting a displayed image from a display surface to a position either within or on the object, comprising a light guide having a generally planar bottom surface that is adapted to be positioned over a-display surface and to cause an image appearing on a display surface to instead appear on a different surface, said light guide conveying light from the image appearing on a display surface to one of:

(a) an intermediate surface disposed within the object, said intermediate surface being generally planar and spaced apart from an outer surface of the object; and

(b) a side of the object, said side of the object being generally planar and having an edge that is adjacent to the display surface.

2. The object of claim 1, wherein the light guide comprises an optical element.

3. The object of claim 1, wherein the light guide comprises fused optical fibers.

4. The object of claim 1, wherein the light guide comprises collimated light tubes.

5. The object of claim 1, wherein the object is six-sided.

6. The object of claim 5, wherein the light guide causes light from the image appearing on the display surface to curve toward the side of the object from a bottom of the object.

7. The object of claim 1, wherein the object includes a portion that is generally optically transparent to enable the image appearing on the intermediate surface, which is disposed behind said portion of the object, to be visible through said portion of the object, within the object.

8. The object of claim 1, further comprising an identifying characteristic that is associated with the object, so that the object and a disposition of the object on the display surface are determinable by detecting the identifying characteristic of the object, to cause the image to selectively appear on the display surface under the object and to be shifted to the different surface by the object.

9. The object of claim 8, wherein the identifying characteristic comprises a light reflective marking applied to the generally planar bottom surface of the object.

10. The object of claim 9, wherein the light reflective markings are selected for reflecting infrared light.

11. A method for causing an image to appear either within or on an object that is disposed on a display surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying the image on a portion of the display surface where the object is disposed; and

(b) conveying the image along an optical path within the object to one of;

(i) a surface of the object, said surface having an edge that is adjacent to the display surface, so that the image is visually perceivable on the surface of the object; and

(ii) an interior surface within the object that is spaced apart from a top surface of the object, so that the image appears visually perceivable on the interior surface within the object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of conveying the image comprises the step of employing an optical element to project the image from the display surface to the interior surface of the object, said optical element determining the optical path within the object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of conveying the image comprises the step of conveying the image through fused optical fibers that determine the optical path.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of conveying the image comprises the step of conveying the image through collimated light tubes that determine the optical path.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the optical path is curved within the object.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of detecting the object and its location on the display surface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting the object and its location on the display surface comprises the steps of:

(a) illuminating an underside of the display surface with infrared light, so that a bottom of the object disposed on the display surface is also illuminated with the infrared light;

(b) receiving infrared light reflected from the bottom of the object through the display surface; and

(c) processing a signal corresponding to the infrared light reflected from the object, to detect the object and determine its location on the display surface.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

(a) tracking the location of the object as the object is moved over the display surface; and

(b) projecting the image to be conveyed within the object, so that a location of the image projected on the display surface moves relative to the display surface so as to continue to be directed toward the object.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of enabling a user to interact with an image that is not being projected where the object is disposed, to cause the object to appear to move to where the object is disposed and then to be visually perceived on said one of the surface of the object and the interior surface within the object.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the image comprises a plurality of media objects that have previously been associated with the object, further comprising the step of causing the one or more media object to appear to float within the object when the object is disposed on the display surface.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of causing the plurality of media objects to appear to flow from the object and onto the media surface in response to a user action.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of enabling a user to selectively add a new media object to the plurality of media objects comprising the image by associating the media object with the object, so that the new media object that is added also appears to float within the object when the object is disposed on the display surface.

23. An object having six outer surfaces, including a bottom, a top, and four sides extending between the top and the bottom, said object being adapted to contact a display surface with its bottom and to convey an image appearing on the display surface to one of:

(a) a side of the object, so that the image appears on the selected one of the four sides; and

(b) an intermediate surface that is within the object and spaced apart from the top, so that the image appears on the intermediate surface.

24. The object of claim 23, further comprising an internal optical element that receives light from an image appearing on a display surface contacted by the bottom of the object and focuses the light on the intermediate surface within the object.

25. The object of claim 23, further comprising a light guide disposed within the object, said light guide conveying light from the image appearing on a display surface contacted by the bottom of the object to said one of the side and the intermediate surface of the object.

26. The object of claim 25, wherein the light guide comprises one of a plurality of fused optical fibers, and a plurality of collimated light tubes.

27. The object of claim 23, further comprising a light reflective marking applied to the bottom of the object, to enable a location of the object on the display surface to be detected.

28. A method for enabling a user interaction with an image appearing on a display surface, to cause the image to appear within or on an object that is disposed on the display surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying the image on a portion of the display surface where the object is not disposed;

(b) enabling a user to select the image and use a gesture to move the image over the display surface toward the object;

(c) stopping a motion of the image under the object; and

(d) conveying the image along an optical path within the object to one of;

(i) an external surface of the object; and

(ii) an interior surface within the object that is spaced apart from an external surface of the object, so that the image is visually perceivable on said one of the external surface of the object and the interior surface within the object.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of sensing a location where the object is disposed on the display surface, to enable the movement of the image to be stopped at the location of the object.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the image comprises a media object, further comprising the step of associating the media object with the object when the image is moved under the object.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the media object comprises one of a plurality of media objects that are associated with the object and which appear to float within the object when the object, further comprising the step of enabling a user to selectively perform an action that causes the plurality of media object to appear to flow from the object and be displayed on the display surface, outside of the object.