Display device

• US 20060158437A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Blythe, Michael M., Pinard, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US11/041,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20060158437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0033 Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for directing a beam of light into a display such that the beam of light undergoes internal reflection within the display and capturing a reflected light beam are disclosed.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display;

a light source for directing a beam of light into the display such that the beam of light undergoes internal reflection within the display;

an image capture component for capturing one or more images within a reflected beam of light; and

an image comparator for comparing differences between the directed beam of light and the reflected beam of light.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the reflected beam of light is a portion of the directed beam of light that has been reflected by an object contacting a surface of the display.

3. The display device of claim 1, further including:

a second display; and

a second light source for directing a beam of light into the second display to form an image on the second display, wherein the reflected light beam is at least a portion of the light beam directed into the second display.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the image comparator can identify a position of one or more objects contacting the surface of the display based upon the differences between the directed light beam and the reflected light beam.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light source includes an infrared light source.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the image capture component can identify the reflected beam of light when one or more objects contact the surface of the first display.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light source is positioned at an end of the display and the image capture component is positioned at the end.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display includes a wedge shape.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the display includes a first bend between the wedge shape and an expansion region.

10. The display device of claim 8, wherein the display includes a second bend, wherein the second bend is between the wedge shape and an image capture region.

11. A display device;

comprising;

a display having surfaces arranged to provide internal reflection of a light beam; and

a sensor for capturing a disruption of the internal reflection of the light beam from an object contacting a one of the surfaces of the display.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the sensor includes an image capture component.

13. The display device of claim 11, wherein the image capture component includes a camera.

14. The display device of claim 11, wherein the light beam enters the display at one or more ends of the display.

15. The display device of claim 11, wherein the one or more ends of the display include a reflective film.

16. The display device of claim 11, wherein the light source includes an infrared light source.

17. The display device of claim 11, wherein the object includes an object selected from the group including a device, a component, and an individual.

18. The display device of claim 11, wherein the object includes a reflective surface.

19. The display device of claim 11, further including a processor for identifying a location of the object contacting the one or more surfaces of the display based upon capturing the disruption of the internal reflection of the light beam.

20. The display device of claim 11, further including a light source for directing the light beam into the display.

21. The display device of claim 11, wherein the surfaces arranged to provide internal reflection of a light beam are arranged to direct the light beam to form an image on one of the surfaces.

22. A display device, comprising:

a first display;

a second display;

a first light source for directing a beam of light into the first display;

a second light source for directing a beam of light into the second display; and

a sensor for capturing the beam of light from the first light source and a reflected beam of light from the second light source.

23. The display device of claim 22, wherein the second light source is an infrared light source.

24. The display device of claim 22, wherein the first light source forms an image on a surface of the first display by directing the beam of light into the first display.

25. The display device of claim 22, wherein one or more ends of the second display includes a reflective film.

26. The display device of claim 22, wherein the device includes an image comparator for comparing differences between the beam of light from the first light source and the reflected beam of light from the second light source.

27. The display device of claim 26, wherein the image comparator can identify a position of one or more objects contacting a surface of the second display based upon the differences between the first light beam and the second light beam.

28. The display device of claim 26, wherein the image comparator can identify a position of one or more objects contacting the surface of the first display based upon the differences between the first light beam and the second light beam.

29. The display device of claim 22, wherein a surface of the display is constructed such that an object contacting a surface of the display reflects the beam of light from the second light source to form the reflected beam of light.

30. The display device of claim 29, wherein the surface of the display is constructed such that the reflected beam of light has an angle of incidence less than a critical angle and such that the reflected beam of light emerges from the surface of the display.

31. The display device of claim 30, wherein a sensor is positioned to receive the emerged, reflected beam of light.

32. The display device of claim 22, wherein a surface of the first display contacts a surface of the second display.

33. The display device of claim 22, wherein the first light source is positioned at an end of the second display such that light from the first light source is directed into the second display and undergoes internal reflection.

34. The display device of claim 22, wherein the second light source is positioned at a surface of the first display such that light from the second light source is directed toward one of a number of surfaces of the second display to form an image on one of the number of surfaces of the display.

35. A display system, comprising:

a display;

a light source for directing a beam of light into the display such that the beam of light undergoes internal reflection within the display; and

means for capturing a reflected light beam, wherein at least a portion of the directed beam of light becomes the reflected beam of light through an interaction with an object contacting a surface of the display; and

means for comparing data representing the one or more images of the directed light beam with data representing the reflected light beam to determine a difference between the directed light beam data and the reflected light beam data.

36. The display system of claim 35, wherein means for capturing the reflected light beam includes an image capture component.

37. The display system of claim 36, wherein the image capture component is positioned relative to an end of the display.

38. The display system of claim 36, wherein the image capture component is positioned relative to a surface of the display.

39. The display system of claim 35, wherein means for comparing includes identifying a position of one or more objects contacting a surface of the display based upon the differences between the directed light beam and the reflected light beam.

40. The display system of claim 35, wherein means for comparing includes identifying a position of one or more objects contacting a surface of a second display based upon the differences between the directed light beam and the reflected light beam.

41. A display device, comprising:

a first display having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is angled relative to the first surface;

a second display having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is parallel to the first surface;

a light source for directing a beam of light into at least one of the displays;

a sensor for capturing the beam of light from a second light source and for capturing a reflected beam of light from the first light source; and

an image comparator for comparing the differences between the beam of light from the second light source and the reflected beam of light from the first light source.

42. The display device of claim 41, wherein the second light source is positioned to direct a light beam into the second display to form an image on the first display.

43. The display device of claim 41, wherein the image comparator can identify a location of an object contacting a surface of the first display based upon the differences between the beam of light from the second light source and the reflected beam of light from the first light source.

44. The display device of claim 41, wherein the object contacting the surface of the first display indicates an interaction between a user and images formed on the first surface of the first display.

45. A display system, comprising:

a display device including;

a display to display one or more user interfaces;

a light source for directing a beam of light into the display such that the beam of light undergoes internal reflection within the display;

a sensor for capturing a reflected beam of light emerging from the display, wherein at least a portion of the directed beam of light becomes the reflected beam of light through an interaction with an object contacting a surface of the display; and

a computing device including;

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

computer executable instructions stored in memory and executable on the processor to;

compare differences between the directed beam of light and the reflected beam of light.

46. The display system of claim 45, wherein the computing device further includes computer executable instructions to calculate differences between the directed beam of light and the reflected beam of light to identify a location of an object contacting one or more surfaces of the display.

47. The display system of claim 46, wherein the computer executable instructions to identify the location of an object further include computer executable instructions to locate an interaction between a display device and an object.

48. The display system of claim 47, wherein computer executable instructions to locate an interaction further include computer executable instruction to locate at least one of a gaming interaction, a video conferencing interaction, a data processing interaction, and an interaction by an individual and the one or more user interfaces provided on the display of the display device.

49. A method, comprising:

directing a beam of light into a display such that the beam of light undergoes internal reflection within the display;

capturing a reflected light beam from a surface of a display, the reflected light beam originating from at least a portion of the directed beam of light disrupted by an object contacting the surface of the display; and

comparing one or more images of a directed light beam with the one or more images of the reflected light beam to determine a difference between the directed light beam and the reflected light beam.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the beam of light is directed into an end of the display.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein capturing one or more images of the reflected light beam from a surface of the display includes interacting with the surface of the display by contacting the surface of the display.

52. The method of claim 49 further including directing a second beam of light into the display to form one or more images on a surface of the display.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the second beam of light is directed into an end of the display.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the second beam of light is directed into the end of the display as the first beam of light.

55. The method of claim 49, further including capturing the one or more images of the directed light beam.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein capturing the one or more images of the directed beam of light occurs at an end of the display.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein capturing the one or more images of the directed beam of light occurs at the same end of the display as the beam of light.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein capturing the one or more images of the directed beam of light occurs at an end of the display as a second beam of light.

59. The method of claim 49, wherein comparing one or more images of a directed light beam with the one or more images of the reflected light beam includes comparing the captured one or more images of the directed light beam with the captured one or more images of the reflected light beam to determine a difference between the captured directed light beam with the captured reflected light beam.

60. The method of claim 49, wherein comparing one or more images of a directed light beam with the one or more images of the reflected light beam indicates a location on the surface of the display of an object contacting the surface of the display.

61. The method of claim 49, wherein comparing one or more images of a directed light beam with the one or more images of the reflected light beam includes using an image subtraction method.

62. A computer readable medium having a set of executable instructions for causing a device to perform a method, comprising:

directing a beam of light into a display such that the beam of light undergoes internal reflection within the display;

capturing a reflected light beam from a surface of a display, the reflected light beam originating from at least a portion of the directed beam of light disrupted by an object contacting the surface of the display; and

comparing one or more images of a directed light beam with the one or more images of the reflected light beam to determine a difference between the directed light beam and the reflected light beam.

63. The medium of claim 62, further including directing light into a display to form one or more images on a surface of the display.

64. The medium of claim 62, further including directing light into a second display, wherein the directed light is emitted from a second light source.

65. The medium of claim 64, further including capturing one or more images of reflected light from a surface of the second display.

66. The medium of claim 62, further including comparing the one or more images of the directed light beam with the captured one or more images of the reflected light beam to determine a difference between the captured directed light beam and the captured reflected light beam.