Display with an Optical Sensor

• US 20120120030A1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, John P., Briden, John J.
• Application Number:
  US13/386,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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

A three dimensional optical sensor 115 can generate three dimensional data for an object 120 contacting a display system. If the object contacts the display system a controller can activate a function of a computing device only if the object extends from the display system to a distance greater than a programmed distance 130.

Claims

1. A display system 100 comprising:

a three dimensional optical sensor 115 to generate three dimensional data for an object 120 that contacts the display system, wherein the object contacts the display system if the object is less than a contact distance from the display system; and

a controller to activate a function of a computing device only if the object extends from the display system to a distance greater than a programmed distance 130.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a panel 110 to display images received from the computing device on the display system 100.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller disregards contact to the display system 100 if the object is contacting the display system and the object does not extend from the display system to the programmed distance 130.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the function is an enablement of a program identified by an image displayed on the display system 100 at a location on the display system of an object that is in contact with the display system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the three dimensional data includes the height, width and depth of an object 120.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the three dimensional optical sensor 115 is a time of flight optical sensor, a structured light optical sensor, a integral image optical sensor, a focus sensor or a defocus sensor.

7. A method comprising:

receiving depth information from a three dimensional optical sensor 115;

determine from the depth information if an object 120 is contacting a display system 100, wherein the object is determined to be contacting the display system if the object is less than a contact distance from the display system; and

disregarding a contact with the display system if the object in contact with the display system does not extend from the display system to a programmed distance 130 from the display system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising activating a function on a computing device if the object that is in contact with the display system 100 extends to the programmed distance 130.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing a depth signature of the object.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising disregarding the object if the depth signature of the object is the depth signature of a contaminant.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising disregarding the object if the object is moving in front of a front side of the display system and the depth signature of the object is indentified as a contaminant.

9. The method of claim 9 wherein the function is an enablement of a program identified by an image displayed on the display system 100 at a location on the display system of an object that is in contact with the display system.

13. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to:

receive three dimensional data from a three dimensional optical sensor 115;

determine from the depth information if an object 120 is contacting a display system 100, wherein the object is determined to be contacting the display system if the object is less than a contact distance from the display system; and

activate a function only if the object extends from the display system to a programmed distance 130 from the display system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to disregard the contact with the display system 100 if the object is in contact with the display system and does not extend to the programmed distance 130 from the display system.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to compare the three dimensional data to a stored depth signature to determine a type of the object.