Non-Intrusive Capture And Display Of Objects Based On Contact Locality

• US 20090091555A1
• Filed: 10/07/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Do, Lydia M., Nesbitt, Pamela A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, or products for displaying an image of an object placed on a surface computer, the surface computer including a surface, surface computer capable receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the surface computer including a scanner, that include: detecting, by the surface computer, an object placed on the surface; identifying, by the surface computer, a region of the surface upon which the object is placed; scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object; and rendering, by the surface computer, the object image within the identified region without modifying portions of any other images rendered on the surface outside the identified region.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image of an object placed on a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the surface computer including a scanner, the method comprising:

detecting, by the surface computer, an object placed on the surface;

identifying, by the surface computer, a region of the surface upon which the object is placed;

scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object; and

rendering, by the surface computer, the object image within the identified region without modifying portions of any other images rendered on the surface outside the identified region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises:

scanning an entire scan-able portion of the surface to create a surface image; and

selecting, as the object image, a portion of the surface image that corresponds to the identified region of the surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises:

scanning only the identified region of the surface to create the object image of the object.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein scanning only the identified region of the surface to create the object image of the object further comprises:

shining, by the scanner, light on the object through only the identified region of the surface;

receiving, by the scanner, reflected light from the object; and

transforming, by the scanner, the reflected light into the object image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the method further comprises prompting, by the surface computer in response to detecting the object placed on the surface, a user regarding whether to scan the object and receiving, in response to prompting the user, a user indication instructing the surface computer to scan the object; and

scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises scanning, in response to receiving the user indication, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a pictorial document.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a text document.

8. A surface computer for displaying an image of an object placed on a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the surface computer including a scanner, the surface computer comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

detecting, by the surface computer, an object placed on the surface;

identifying, by the surface computer, a region of the surface upon which the object is placed;

scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object; and

rendering, by the surface computer, the object image within the identified region without modifying portions of any other images rendered on the surface outside the identified region.

9. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises:

scanning an entire scan-able portion of the surface to create a surface image; and

selecting, as the object image, a portion of the surface image that corresponds to the identified region of the surface.

10. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises:

scanning only the identified region of the surface to create the object image of the object.

11. The surface computer of claim 10 wherein scanning only the identified region of the surface to create the object image of the object further comprises:

shining, by the scanner, light on the object through only the identified region of the surface;

receiving, by the scanner, reflected light from the object; and

transforming, by the scanner, the reflected light into the object image.

12. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein:

the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of prompting, by the surface computer in response to detecting the object placed on the surface, a user regarding whether to scan the object and receiving, in response to prompting the user, a user indication instructing the surface computer to scan the object; and

scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises scanning, in response to receiving the user indication, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object.

13. A computer program product for displaying an image of an object placed on a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the surface computer including a scanner, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

detecting, by the surface computer, an object placed on the surface;

identifying, by the surface computer, a region of the surface upon which the object is placed;

scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object; and

rendering, by the surface computer, the object image within the identified region without modifying portions of any other images rendered on the surface outside the identified region.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises:

scanning an entire scan-able portion of the surface to create a surface image; and

selecting, as the object image, a portion of the surface image that corresponds to the identified region of the surface.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises:

scanning only the identified region of the surface to create the object image of the object.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein scanning only the identified region of the surface to create the object image of the object further comprises:

shining, by the scanner, light on the object through only the identified region of the surface;

receiving, by the scanner, reflected light from the object; and

transforming, by the scanner, the reflected light into the object image.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the computer program product further comprises computer program instructions capable of prompting, by the surface computer in response to detecting the object placed on the surface, a user regarding whether to scan the object and receiving, in response to prompting the user, a user indication instructing the surface computer to scan the object; and

scanning, by the surface computer using the scanner, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object further comprises scanning, in response to receiving the user indication, the identified region of the surface to create an object image of the object.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the object is a pictorial document.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.