COMPACT RTD INSTRUMENT PANELS AND COMPUTER INTERFACES
First Claim
1. A rear projection display, comprising:
- a computer controlled video projector;
a screen on which information projected by said video projector is displayed; and
a solid plastic optical member having at least one internal reflecting surface and whose exit surface is of an extent similar to said screen.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This concerns my RTD invention disclosed in co pending applications, particularly but not necessarily for use in the “center stack” region of vehicle instrument panels. Disclosed are novel prism devices to shrink the size of the unit, while increasing resistance to vibration and condensation and providing easier assembly into the vehicle. Also disclosed are methods to improve the efficiency of such projector based systems for delivering display light to the driver of the vehicle, as well as to reduce noise caused by backscatter from the screen and control surface, or sunlight coming through the windshield. RTD versions for home or office use are also disclosed, including a ““cushion computer”-like device meant primarily for use on one'"'"'s lap and optionally having a reconfigurable keyboard. The device can also serve as a TV remote and perform other useful functions in the home, workplace, or car, and may serve as a useful interface accessory to expand the usability and enjoyment of mobile devices.
159 Citations
501 Claims
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1. A rear projection display, comprising:
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a computer controlled video projector;
a screen on which information projected by said video projector is displayed; and
a solid plastic optical member having at least one internal reflecting surface and whose exit surface is of an extent similar to said screen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A human interface for a vehicle comprising:
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a computer driven video projector;
a screen and control surface on which video images are projected and where a user inputs commands using one or more fingers and/or by actuating a physical control detail located on said surface; and
a housing containing said screen and control surface and said projector, said housing adapted to fit into a slot in the instrument panel of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Sensing apparatus for use with a rear projection display comprising:
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a rear projection screen on which images are displayed;
a light source for illuminating objects on or proximate said screen, said light source being polarized in a first direction;
a first quarter wave plate to rotate the plane of polarization of light from said light source prior to passing through said rear projection screen;
a second quarter wave plate to rotate light returning from said objects after passing back through said rear projection screen; and
an electro-optical sensing system to sense light returning from at least one of said objects, said sensing system including a polarizer whose direction of polarization is orthogonal to said first polarization direction. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for preferentially increasing the visibility of information on a portion of a display screen comprising the steps of:
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determining that a person is interacting with the screen or objects thereon in a region comprising a portion of the screen; and
using said determination, increasing the visibility of information projected in said region. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A lightweight human interface to a computer comprising:
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a housing having a base surface;
a screen in said housing opposite said base surface;
an image display device for displaying video or graphical information on said screen;
an electro optical sensor for determining data relating to one or more objects on or proximate said screen;
communication means for communicating sensed information to a remote computer system and for receiving information from said remote computer system in response to said communicated sensed information; and
display control means for controlling said image display device using said received information. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A human interface accessory for a portable computing device comprising:
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a housing including an image display screen;
an image display device for displaying video or graphical information on said screen;
an electro-optical sensor for sensing information concerning at least one object on or proximate said screen; and
a means to connect a portable computing device to said sensor and said image display device to allow a user to interact via said screen with said portable computing device. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 501, 52)
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53. A human interface to a computer for use on the lap of a user comprising:
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a housing having a base surface;
a display screen attached to said housing opposite said base surface and fixed in position at an angle to said base and pointing generally toward said users eyes;
an image display device for displaying video or graphical information on said screen;
an electro optical sensor for determining data relating to one or more objects on, or proximate to, said screen;
a processing means to determine information from said sensed data used to control said computer; and
a means for controlling said image display device using information from said computer. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A control panel having variable size labeling for control functions thereof, said labels being largest for those control functions which are in actively in use.
- 63. A human interface to a computer having a display with a screen containing tactile relief details to reference the location of a users finger on the screen.
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67. A method for sensing information concerning at least one object on a users side of a rear projection screen comprising the steps of:
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providing an electro-optical sensing means and an electro-optical illumination means on the projection side of said screen;
optimizing at least one of said illumination and said sensing means as a function of ambient light on the users side of said screen; and
determining from said electro optical sensing means the position or orientation of at least one object in contact with said screen or in close proximity thereto. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for controlling a computer based system comprising:
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providing a rear projection display controlled by a computer, said display having an outer surface;
projecting an image of at least one control device on said display;
providing an electro optical sensing means for sensing at least one finger of a user contacting said outer display surface in the vicinity of said projected at least one control device image;
using data from said sensing means, and said computer, determining movement of said finger or fingers indicative of a desired change in said at least one control device;
controlling said system as a result of said sensed movement; and
displaying a new image for said at least one control device resulting from said movement. - View Dependent Claims (74)
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75. A reconfigurable control system, comprising:
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a rear projection display including a projector and a display screen;
a plurality of physical control details mounted to said screen;
a sensing system to sense the position of said plurality of control details;
a computer to control said projector and determine from said sensed control detail positions the desired inputs to said control system; and
a means to reconfigure said control system from one set of displayed control functions to another.
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76. A method for providing different user interface experiences using the same computer based display device, comprising the steps of:
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providing a rear projection and computer based display and human interface having a screen and interaction surface on which projected information is displayed for a user to interact with;
providing sensing means to sense objects on or in front of said screen and interaction surface;
providing an initial display screen and associated display software; and
removing said initial screen and substituting a second screen and associated display and sensing software, said second screen being physically different than said initial screen. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79)
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80. A computer based display and human interface apparatus, comprising:
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a housing;
a screen and human interaction surface attached to said housing;
a computer based rear projection display device located within said housing to project data onto said screen;
sensing means to sense objects on or in front of said screen and interaction surface; and
computer means to control said sensing means and display means, said computer containing software associated with a particular screen and human interaction surface and adapted to work with further sensing and display software corresponding to other physically different screens and human interaction surfaces.
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Specification