LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE KEY AND OPTICALLY-RECOGNIZABLE SIGNATURE

• US 20110074739A1
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jensen, Leif Stephen, Pen, Yoeun, Chai, Ming-Li, Young, Kristophor Martin, Kikin-Gil, Erez
• Application Number:
  US12/651,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074739A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A machine vision input system includes a light-transmissive key including a base surface and an opposing touch surface. The base surface is configured to optically mate with a display surface so that images displayed on the display surface are viewable through the touch surface. An optically-recognizable signature is registered to the light-transmissive key for detection by an image capture device. The optically-recognizable signature provides machine vision differentiation from other optically-recognizable signatures while transmitting images displayed on the display surface for viewing through the touch surface of the light-transmissive key.

Claims

1. A machine vision input system, comprising:

a light-transmissive key including a base surface and an opposing touch surface, the base surface configured to optically mate with a display surface so that images displayed on the display surface are viewable through the touch surface; and

an optically-recognizable signature registered to the light-transmissive key for detection by an image capture device, the optically-recognizable signature providing machine vision differentiation from other optically-recognizable signatures while transmitting images displayed on the display surface for viewing through the touch surface of the light-transmissive key.

2. The machine vision input system of claim 1, where the optically-recognizable signature is printed on the base surface of the light-transmissive key with infrared reflective ink.

3. The machine vision input system of claim 1, where the optically-recognizable signature is registered to the base surface of the light-transmissive key.

4. The machine vision input system of claim 1, where the optically-recognizable signature includes a pattern having a higher visible light transmittance than an infrared light transmittance for detection by the image capture device.

5. The machine vision input system of claim 4, where the pattern comprises a plurality of data regions for encoding data about the light-transmissive key.

6. The machine vision input system of claim 1, where the base surface of the light-transmissive key is flat.

7. The machine vision input system of claim 1, where the touch surface of the light-transmissive key is contoured.

8. The machine vision input system of claim 1, further comprising:

a projector for projecting light toward the display surface to display images on the display surface, where the display surface optically mates with the base surface of the light-transmissive key to display images projected by the projector through the touch surface of the light-transmissive key;

an infrared light source configured to direct infrared reference light through the display surface to the light-transmissive key and to the optically-recognizable signature; and

an image capture device configured to detect infrared reference light reflected from the light-transmissive key or the optically-recognizable signature.

9. The machine vision input system of claim 8, further comprising a contact identification module in operative communication with the image capture device for identifying a detection of an infrared reference light reflection from a user touch on the touch surface of the light-transmissive key, where the infrared reference light reflection is optically transmitted via the base surface of the light-transmissive key.

10. The machine vision input system of claim 8, further comprising a signature identification module in operative communication with the image capture device to identify the optically-recognizable signature corresponding to the light-transmissive key based on a relative amount of or a pattern of infrared reference light reflected from the optically-recognizable signature and detected by the image capture device.

11. The machine vision input system of claim 1, further comprising a signature correlation database configured to correlate the optically-recognizable signature with an image for display through the touch surface of the light-transmissive key.

12. The machine vision input system of claim 11, where the signature correlation database is further configured to correlate an identified user touch at the light-transmissive key with an output action based on an identification of the optically-recognizable signature registered to the light-transmissive key.

13. The machine vision input system of claim 1, where the light-transmissive key is one of a plurality of light-transmissive keys arranged as a keyboard, where each of the plurality of light-transmissive keys is registered to a corresponding optically-recognizable signature so that each of the plurality of light-transmissive keys is machine vision differentiable.

14. The machine vision input system of claim 13, where at least one of the plurality of light-transmissive keys is selectively rearrangeable relative to another of the plurality of light-transmissive keys.

15. A machine vision input system, comprising:

a plurality of light-transmissive keys, each light-transmissive key having a touch surface and an opposing base surface configured to optically mate with a display surface; and

a plurality of optically-recognizable signatures configured to be viewable by an image capture device, each optically-recognizable signature being registered to a corresponding one of the plurality of light-transmissive keys and providing machine vision differentiation from other optically-recognizable signatures while transmitting images displayed on the display surface to a corresponding one of the plurality of light-transmissive keys.

16. The machine vision input system of claim 15, further comprising:

a projector for projecting light toward the display surface to display images on the display surface;

an infrared light source configured to direct infrared reference light through the display surface to each of the plurality of light-transmissive keys and to each of the corresponding optically-recognizable signatures; and

an image capture device configured to detect infrared reference light reflected from each of the plurality of light-transmissive keys or from each of the corresponding optically-recognizable signatures.

17. The machine vision input system of claim 16, further comprising:

a contact identification module in operative communication with the image capture device for identifying a detection of an infrared reference light reflection from a user touch on the touch surface of one of the plurality of light-transmissive keys, where the infrared reference light reflection is optically transmitted via the base surface of that light-transmissive key; and

a signature identification module in operative communication with the image capture device to identify the optically-recognizable signature corresponding to that light-transmissive key based on a relative amount of or a pattern of infrared reference light reflected from the optically-recognizable signature corresponding to that light-transmissive key and detected by the image capture device.

18. The machine vision input system of claim 17, further comprising a signature correlation database configured to correlate each of the plurality of optically-recognizable signatures with an image for display through the touch surface of the corresponding light-transmissive key, and to correlate an identified user touch at each of the plurality of light-transmissive keys with an output action based on an identification of the corresponding optically-recognizable signature registered to each of the plurality of light-transmissive keys.

19. The machine vision input system of claim 18, where the plurality of light-transmissive keys are arranged as a keyboard and where at least one of the plurality of light-transmissive keys is selectively rearrangeable relative to another of the plurality of keys.

20. A keyboard, comprising:

a first key including a first light-transmissive body configured to optically transmit images and a first optically-recognizable signature registered to the first light-transmissive body, the first optically-recognizable signature including a first pattern having a higher visible light transmittance than an infrared light transmittance; and

at least a second key including a second light-transmissive body configured to optically transmit images and a second optically-recognizable signature registered to the second light-transmissive body, the second optically-recognizable signature including a second pattern, different from the first pattern, having a higher visible light transmittance than an infrared light transmittance.