NON-CONTACT MOUSE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20100271303A1
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Topseed Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Topseed Technology Corp.
• Inventors: CHEN, Shoei-Lai, Hsu, Che-Hao
• Application Number:
  US12/430,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271303A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A non-contact mouse method uses an image sensor (10) to fetch an original image and adjust the original image to obtain an adjusted image. A motion image is detected in the adjusted image. A mouse block (56) is defined in the motion image. At least one moving-speed block in the mouse block is defined. A peak position of the motion image is detected. Finally, an operation associated with the moving-speed block pointed by the peak position is executed.

Claims

1. A method for operating a non-contact mouse, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) fetching an original image by using an image sensor (10);

(b) adjusting the original image to obtain an adjusted image;

(c) detecting a motion image in the adjusted image;

(d) defining a mouse block (56) in the motion image;

(e) defining at least one moving-speed block in the mouse block (56);

(f) detecting a peak position of the motion image; and

(g) executing an operation associated with the moving-speed block pointed by the peak position.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprising:

(b1) adjusting processed size of the original image;

(b2) transferring colors of the original image; and

(b3) filtering speckle noises of the original image.

3. The method in claim 2, wherein the step (b2) transfers colors of the original image from the 24-bit full-color image to the 8-bit gray-level image.

4. The method in claim 2, wherein the step (b3) filters the speckle noises by an image low pass filter.

5. The method in claim 1, wherein the motion image is a gesture image and the peak position is a fingertip.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the step (c) calculates the motion image in the adjusted image by using an image difference method.

7. The method in claim 1, wherein the moving-speed block comprises a start block (68), a normal-speed motion block (64), a low-speed motion block (66), or a high-speed motion block (62).

8. The method in claim 1, wherein the image sensor (10) is a webcam.

9. A non-contact mouse apparatus (30) applied to an image sensor (10), comprising:

a image sensor driving unit (32) electrically connected to the image sensor (10);

a motion image recognizing unit (34) electrically connected to the image sensor driving unit (32); and

a mouse driving unit (38) electrically connected to the motion image recognizing unit (34);

wherein the image sensor (10) is configured to fetch an original image, and the image sensor driving unit (32) is configured to transform the original image to an image electric signal, and the motion image recognizing unit (34) is configured to process the image electric signal to an adjusted image and to detect a motion image in the adjusted image;

the motion image recognizing unit (34) is configured to define a mouse block (56) in the motion image;

the motion image recognizing unit (34) is configured to define at least one moving-speed block in the mouse block; and

the motion image recognizing unit (34) is configured to detect a peak position of the motion image to transmit a simulated mouse signal, which is corresponding to the peak position in the moving-speed block, to the mouse driving unit (38) to control a cursor.

10. The non-contact mouse apparatus in claim 9, wherein the motion image is a gesture image and the peak position is a fingertip.

11. The non-contact mouse apparatus in claim 9, wherein the image sensor (10) is a webcam.

12. The non-contact mouse apparatus in claim 9, wherein the moving-speed block comprises a start block (68), a normal-speed motion block (64), a low-speed motion block (66), or a high-speed motion block (62).