Responding to change of state of control on device disposed on an interactive display surface

• US 20060227099A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Christina Summer, Han, Allen Ming-Kuang, Yee, Dawson, Silverstein, Dana Lu
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

A user input device includes one or more user controls that enable a user to selectively imports bits of data by activating the control when the user input devices proximate to a display surface of an interactive display system. By depressing or otherwise activating a user control, the user causes an element within the user input device to move through a plane of change so that the state of a parameter sensed by the interactive display system changes and is detected. In the examples provided, the parameter relates to infrared light that is reflected or absorbed or produced by a component of the user input device and is thus detected by an infrared sensitive camera. The input can be a single bit, or comprise a plurality of bits corresponding to a specific pattern.

Claims

1. An input device adapted to be used in connection with an interactive display system that has an interactive display surface, comprising:

(a) a housing that is adapted to be placed in proximity to an interactive display surface; and

(b) a user-movable member disposed within the housing, said user-movable member being movable between a first position and a second position to provide an input to an interactive display system, movement of the user-movable member between the first position and the second position enabling a parameter to be sensed by an interactive display system to provide an input thereto.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the movement of the user-movable member from the first position to the second position changes a reflectance value sensed by an interactive display, so that the reflectance value changes from a first state to a second state.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the user-movable member comprises a plunger having an area that is one of reflective and absorptive of light in a waveband to which an interactive display system is responsive, movement of the area of the plunger from the first position to the second position disposing the area sufficiently close to an interactive display surface, so that a change in an intensity of light that is either reflected by or absorbed by the area is detected by an interactive display system.

4. The input device of claim 2, further comprising a mirror coupled to the user-movable member and pivotally mounted adjacent to an orifice in the housing, so that movement of the user-movable member from the first position to the second position pivots the mirror from a first angle in which the mirror reflects light received from an interactive display system that has passed through the orifice, away from a sensor of an interactive display system, to a second angle in which the mirror reflects the light toward a sensor of an interactive display, whereby at the first angle of the mirror, the light reflected from the mirror is not receivable and not detectable by a sensor of an interactive display system, and at the second angle of the mirror, the light reflected from the mirror is receivable and detectable by a sensor of an interactive display system.

5. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a power source coupled to an electronic display and controlled by the user-movable member so that the electronic display surface is energized in response to movement of the user-movable member from the first position to the second position and when thus energized while disposed at the second position, displays a pattern that is then detectable by an interactive display system.

6. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a power source coupled to a light source and controlled by the user-movable member so that the light source is energized in response to movement of the user-movable member from the first position to the second position, and when thus energized while disposed at the second position, emits light that is then detectable an interactive display system.

7. The input device of claim 2, wherein the user-movable member comprises a plunger that moves through a plane of change when moved from the first position to the second position, the plane of change corresponding to a point where the change of the parameter between states is detectable by an interactive display system, said parameter comprising at least one of:

(a) a light reflectance;

(b) a light absorbance;

(c) a light intensity; and

(d) a pattern.

8. A method for responding to a user input on an interactive display system, comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a user input object to be placed in proximity to the interactive display system;

(b) enabling a user to move a component on the user input object to provide an input to the interactive display system, wherein movement of the component between a first position and a second position changes a parameter that can be sensed by the interactive display system by positioning the component sufficiently close to a display surface of the interactive display surface to enable the change in parameter to be detected thereby; and

(c) responding to the change in the parameter that is detected when the component is moved by the user between the first position and the second position.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of applying a signal to the user input object with the interactive display system, the change in the parameter resulting from a modified signal received from the user input object by the interactive display system, where a modification of the signal is caused by the movement of the component between the first and the second positions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal comprises light, and wherein the parameter comprises one of a reflectance and an absorbance of the light, movement of the component between the first position and the second position changing an intensity of light reflected from a portion of the user input object and detected by the interactive display system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the component comprises a movable plunger that is depressed by a user to move an element sufficiently close to the interactive display system to provide an input to a sensor of the interactive display system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the component changes the parameter when moved between the first position and the second position by at least one of:

(a) positioning one of a light reflective and a light absorptive surface so as to respectively one of reflect and absorb a light signal produced by the interactive display system;

(b) activating a display that is visible to the interactive display system, said display emitting light in a pattern that is detected by the interactive display system; and

(c) energizing a light source that is visible to the interactive display system, said light source emitting light that is detected by the interactive display system.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein movement of the component between the first position and the second position comprises the step of moving the component through a plane of change, and wherein the parameter changes between a first state and a second state as the component moves through the plane of change, the step of detecting the change in the parameter comprising the step of detecting the change between the first state and the second state of the parameter.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein movement of the component comprises the step of moving a mirror to reflect light in one of:

(a) a direction away from the interactive display system; and

(b) a direction toward the interactive display system.

15. A user input device that is usable for selectively providing an input to a display surface of an interactive display system, comprising:

(a) a support having an underlying surface adapted to be positioned on the display surface of an interactive display system; and

(b) a movable component that is supported by the support so that the movable component is able to move when selectively urged by a user applying a force thereto, movement of said movable component thereby changing a parameter sensed by the display surface from a first state to a second state to provide a user input to the interactive display system.

16. The user input device of claim 15, wherein the movable component is forced to move through a plane of change that is generally parallel relative to the display surface, to change the parameter sensed by the displays surface.

17. The user input device of claim 16, further comprising a power source coupled to one of a light source and a display, which when activated by movement of the movable component, respectively produces one of a light and a pattern image that is sensed by an interactive display system as the one of the light and the pattern image is moved by the movable component through the plane of change and closer to the display surface.

18. The user input device of claim 16, wherein the movable component includes one of a light reflective and a light absorptive area that is moved through the plane of change so that the display surface senses a change in one of a light reflectance and a light absorption caused by the movable component moving said area relative to the display surface.

19. The user input device of claim 16, wherein the plane of change is disposed at a distance from the display surface corresponding to a limit at which the change in state of the parameter can be detected by an interactive display system.

20. The user input device of claim 15, wherein the change in state of the parameter comprises a change detected by the display surface for at least one of:

(a) a light reflectance;

(b) a light absorbance;

(c) a light level; and

(d) a pattern.