TOUCH SENSING FOR CURVED DISPLAYS

• US 20090189857A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Andrew, Benko, Hrvoje, Balakrishnan, Ravin
• Granted Patent: US 9,857,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

Described herein is an apparatus that includes a curved display surface that has an interior and an exterior. The curved display surface is configured to display images thereon. The apparatus also includes an emitter that emits light through the interior of the curved display surface. A detector component analyzes light reflected from the curved display surface to detect a position on the curved display surface where a first member is in physical contact with the exterior of the curved display surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a curved display surface having an interior and an exterior, wherein the curved display surface is configured to display images on the exterior thereof;

an emitter that emits light through the curved display surface; and

a detector component that analyzes light reflected from the curved display surface to detect a position on the curved display surface where a first member is in physical contact with the exterior of the curved display surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector component analyzes light reflected from the curved display surface to substantially simultaneously detect respective positions on the curved display surface where a plurality of members are in physical contact with the exterior of the curved display surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a projector that projects images onto the curved display surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the curved surface is a substantially spherical surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the spherical surface includes an aperture, and wherein the projector is positioned to project images through the aperture onto the substantially spherical surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the emitter is positioned to emit light through the aperture through the substantially spherical surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein an optical path of the light emitted by the emitter and an optical path of light emitted by the projector are in substantial alignment.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the emitter is configured to emit light in a non-visible spectrum.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the emitter comprises one or more light emitting diodes that emit infrared light.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more light emitting diodes are configured in a ring-like manner around the aperture.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member is configured to emit infrared light when in contact with the curved display surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a normalizer component that normalizes images captured by the camera; and

an analysis component that analyzes the normalized images to determine whether at least one member is in physical contact with the curved display surface and to further determine a position of any members that are in physical contact with the curved display surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display control component that controls images output by a projector based at least in part upon the determinations by the analysis component.

14. A method, comprising:

emitting light through a curved display surface, wherein the curved display surface is configured to display images thereon;

capturing images of the curved display surface;

analyzing the images to determine whether a member is in physical contact with the curved display surface and, if the member is in physical contact with the curved display surface, to determine a position on the curved display surface where the member is in physical contact with the curved display surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the act of emitting comprises:

emitting non-visible light through the curved display surface; and

emitting visible light through the curved display surface to project images thereon.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying images on the curved display surface based at least in part upon the analysis of the captured images.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the curved display surface is at least a portion of a substantially spherical display surface.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the act of analyzing comprises normalizing captured images.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that multiple members are in physical contact with the curved display surface;

determining positions on the curved display surface of the multiple members; and

projecting images onto the curved display surface based at least in part upon the determined positions of the multiple members.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a substantially spherical display surface that includes an aperture, wherein the substantially spherical display includes an interior and an exterior and is diffuse in nature;

a ring-like configuration of light-emitting diodes that is positioned on the interior of the spherical display surface around the aperture, wherein the light-emitting diodes are configured to emit infrared light;

a wide-angle lens that is positioned inside the aperture and substantially flush with the ring-like configuration of light-emitting diodes;

a wavelength filter that is optically coupled to the wide-angle lens, wherein infrared light received by way of the wide-angle lens passes through the wavelength filter;

an infrared camera that is optically coupled to the wavelength filter and the wide-angle lens, wherein the infrared camera is configured to receive infrared light that passes through the wavelength filter; and

a projector that is optically coupled to the wavelength filter, wherein the wavelength filter reflects visible light emitted from the projector through the wide-angle lens such that the visible light is displayed on the exterior of the substantially spherical display surface, wherein an optical axis of infrared light received by the wavelength filter and an optical axis of visible light reflected by the wavelength filter is substantially similar.