PORTABLE INTERACTIVE MEDIA PRESENTATION SYSTEM

• US 20090073129A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SIROTICH, ROBERT, Wright, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

A system for providing a portable touch system comprises a bezel having a first and a second end, and a housing that is adapted to receive the first and second end of the bezel such that a display area is bounded by the housing and the bezel. At least one camera system is coupled to the housing and is operable to capture within at least a portion of the display area images of an object located within a field of view of the at least one camera system.

Claims

24. A method of providing media presentations using a portable touch system, the method comprising:

positioning a housing including touch system components substantially adjacent a surface; and

coupling a bezel to the housing thereby to form a touch surface on at least a portion of the surface bound within the inner periphery of the bezel and the housing.

1. A portable touch system, comprising:

a bezel having a first and a second end;

a housing adapted to receive the first and second end of the bezel such that a display area is bounded by the housing and the bezel; and

at least one camera system coupled to the housing, wherein the at least one camera system is operable to capture within at least a portion of the display area images of an object located within a field of view of the at least one camera system.

2. The portable touch system according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the display area comprises a touch surface area.

3. The portable system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one camera system comprises at least two camera systems having overlapping fields of view encompassing at least the touch surface area.

4. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera system comprises at least one first processor located within the housing, the at least one first processor adapted to receive the captured images and generate pixel data associated with the captured images.

5. The portable system according to claim 4, further comprising a second processor operatively coupled to the at least one first processor and located within the housing, wherein the second processor receives the generated pixel data and generates location coordinate information associated with the object within the field of view.

6. The portable system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one camera system comprises a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera device.

7. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the bezel includes a non-infrared reflection coating.

8. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the bezel includes a retro-reflecting coating.

9. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the bezel is collapsible when detached from the housing.

10. The portable system according to claim 9, wherein the bezel comprises:

a plurality of elongate members; and

a cover adapted to encapsulate each of the elongate members, wherein the elongate members are operatively coupled to one another to extend the bezel for coupling to the housing.

11. The portable system according to claim 10, wherein the cover comprises at least one of a fabric material, a plastic material, and a metallic material.

12. The portable system according to claim 10, wherein the cover comprises a coating that is applied to the plurality of elongate members, and wherein the coating includes anti-infrared reflection or retro-reflective properties.

13. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the housing is collapsible.

14. The portable system according to claim 13, wherein the housing comprises at least two sections coupled by a hinge, the at least two sections adapted to be folded into a first position for deployment and adapted to be folded into a second position during a non-deployed state.

15. The portable system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one optical source located within the housing, the at least one optical source adapted to generate an optical signal.

16. The portable system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one optical source comprises an infrared source.

17. The portable system according to claim 15, further comprising at least one lens located within the housing, the at least one lens adapted to diffuse the optical signal over the at least a portion of the display area.

18. The portable system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one lens comprises a Fresnel lens.

19. The portable system according to claim 15, further comprising a power supply located within the housing, the power supply operative to provide electrical power to the at least one optical source.

20. The portable system according to claim 5, further comprising a power supply located within the housing, the power supply operative to provide electrical power to the at least one first processor and the second processor.

21. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base that is adapted to provide cable management.

22. The portable system according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a casing operable to encapsulate a plurality of electrical devices within the portable housing and provide electromagnetic interference shielding.

23. The portable system according to claim 10, wherein the cover comprises webbing.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising illuminating the formed touch surface with an infrared signal, wherein the infrared signal is generated from within the housing.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the bezel absorbs the infrared signal such that an object interacting with the touch surface is detected as an illuminated region.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the bezel retro-reflects the infrared signal such that an object interacting with the touch surface is detected as a dark region.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising determining a coordinate position associated with the detected illuminated region.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising sending position data associated with the object to a computer in communication with the housing based on the determined coordinate position associated with the detected illuminated region.

30. The method according to claim 27, further comprising determining a coordinate position associated with the detected dark region.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising sending position data associated with the object to a computer in communication with the housing based on the determined coordinate position associated with the detected dark region.

32. A method of providing media presentations using a portable touch system, the method comprising:

providing a bezel having a first and a second end;

providing a housing for receiving the first and second end of the bezel;

providing a display area bound by the housing and the bezel; and

providing at least one camera system coupled to the housing, wherein the at least one camera system is operable to capture within at least a portion of the display area, images of an object located within a field of view of the at least one camera system.

32-1. The method according to claim 31, wherein the at least a portion of the display area comprises a touch screen area.