Three-Dimensional Space Touch Apparatus Using Multiple Infrared Cameras

• US 20110148822A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Jung, Kwang Mo, Ahn, Yang Keun, Choi, Kwang Soon, Park, Woo Chul, Park, Young Choong, Seo, Hae Moon
• Granted Patent: US 8,786,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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

Disclosed herein is a 3D space touch apparatus. The 3D space touch apparatus includes a support, an infrared LED array, left and right infrared cameras, and a space touch sensor module. The support supports the infrared LED array and the left and right infrared cameras. The infrared LED array emits infrared rays, which form an infrared screen in a space above the support. The left and right infrared cameras are disposed on the left and right sides of the support so that the lenses thereof can be oriented to the infrared screen. The space touch sensor module calculates the X-, Y- and Z-axis coordinates of a location of the infrared screen, touched by user pointing means, using images captured by the left and right infrared cameras and information about the resolutions and angles of view of the left and right infrared cameras.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) space touch apparatus, comprising:

an infrared Light-Emitting Diode (LED) array;

left and right infrared cameras;

a support that supports an the infrared LED array and the left and right infrared cameras;

wherein the infrared LED array emits infrared rays forming an infrared screen in a space above the support;

wherein the left and right infrared cameras disposed on left and right sides of the support so that lenses thereof can be oriented to the infrared screen; and

a space touch sensor module that calculates X-, Y- and Z-axis coordinates of a location of the infrared screen, touched by user pointing means, using images captured by the left and right infrared cameras and information about resolutions and angles of view of the left and right infrared cameras.

2. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the space touch sensor module calculates the Z-axis coordinate of the location of the infrared screen using a vertical-axis coordinate of locations of the camera images touched by the user pointing means, and calculates the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the locations of the infrared screen using lateral-axis coordinates of the locations of the camera images touched by the user pointing means and the information about resolutions and angles of view of the left and right infrared cameras.

3. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

a pulse generation unit that periodically generates a pulse signal; and

an LED driver unit coupled to the pulse generation unit, wherein the LED driver unit supplies pulsed Direct Current (DC) power to the infrared LED array.

4. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the left and right infrared cameras perform capturing when the pulse signal is input from the pulse generation unit.