System And Method For Providing Object Information

• US 20130050145A1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Ian N., Tan, Kar-Han, Gelb, Daniel George
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention provides a method (500) executed on a processor for providing object information about an object in proximity to a display screen. The method includes the step of determining whether an at least first object is located within a proximal distance of the first surface of the display screen based on information provided by a depth camera (step 510). The method also includes the step of determining whether the at least first object has physically contacted a first surface of the display screen based on information provided by a physical contact sensing component (step 520). The information about (1) the proximal distance of the at least first object from the screen and (2) whether the at least first object has physically contacted the display surface of the screen to provide proximal event information and based on the information provided, it is determining whether the user interface should be modified (step 560).

Claims

6. A system for providing object information, the system comprising:

a screen having a display surface;

a physical contact sensing component for providing physical contact information related to whether an at least a first object has physically contacted the display surface of the screen; and

an image capture device physically positioned to capture the location of the at least first object located in front of the display surface, the image capture device capable of providing distance information about whether the at least first object is within a hover distance from the display surface of the screen; and

a user interface component coupled to the physical contact sensing component and the image capture device, wherein responsive to the at least first object being within the hover distance and no registration of physical contact by the physical contact sensing component, determining whether to modify a user interface.

7. The system recited in claim 6 wherein responsive to determining that the user interface should be modified, the user interface is modified by providing a touch sensitive menu.

8. The system recited in claim 7 wherein the touch sensitive menu is displayed on the screen in the region of the screen where the at least first object is hovering in front of.

9. The system recited in claim 6, wherein responsive to determining that the user interface should be modified, the user interface is modified by magnifying the data displayed on the screen in the region of the screen where the at least first object is hovering in front of.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 6 wherein it is determined that the user interface should be modified, and the user interface is modified by changing the content displayed on the screen in the region of the screen that the at least one object is hovering in front of.

11. A computer readable storage medium having computer readable program instructions stored thereon for causing a computer system to perform a method of providing object information, the method comprising:

determining whether an at least first object is located within a proximal distance of the display surface of the screen based on information provided by a depth camera;

determining whether the at least first object has physically contacted a display surface of the screen based on information provided by a physical contact sensing component; and

utilizing information about the proximal distance of the at least first object from the screen and information about whether the at least first object has physically contacted the display surface of the screen to provide proximal event information, wherein responsive to proximal event information provided, determining whether a user interface is modified.

1. A system for providing object information, the system comprising:

a screen having a display surface;

a physical contact sensing component for providing physical contact information related to whether an at least a first object has come into physical contact with the display surface of the screen; and

a depth camera physically positioned to capture the location of the at least first object located in front of the display surface, the object location information including the region of the screen that the at least first object is located in front of and further including the object distance information related to the distance the at least first object is located away from the front of the screen; and

a user interface component coupled to the physical contact sensing component and depth camera, for processing the physical contact information, object location information, and object distance information.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein responsive to the physical contact information, object location information, and object distance information provided, it is determined whether to modify a user interface.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the physical contact sensing component is a resistive touch screen element.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein object distance information from the depth camera and physical touch information from the physical contact sensing component are used to determine if the at least one object has touched the display surface of the screen.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the depth camera captures image information that can be used to determine whether a single or multiple objects are in proximity with the display surface of the screen.

12. The computer readable storage medium recited in claim 11 further including the step of determining whether the at least first object is hovering when the at least first object has not contacted the display surface of the screen.

13. The computer readable storage medium recited in claim 11, further including the step of determining whether multiple objects are in proximity with the display surface of the screen.

14. The computer readable storage medium recited in claim 12, further including the step of determining whether the touch is associated with a single object when multiple proximal objects are detected.

14-1. The computer readable storage medium recited in claim 11, wherein image information provided by the depth camera can be used to determine whether a single object is in proximity with the display surface of the screen.

16. A method executed on a processor for providing object information, the method comprising:

determining whether an at least first object is located within a proximal distance of the display surface of the screen based on information provided by a depth camera;

determining whether the at least first object has physically contacted a display surface of the screen based on information provided by a physical contact sensing component; and

utilizing information about the proximal distance of the at least first object from the screen and information about whether the at least first object has physically contacted the display surface of the screen in order to provide proximal event information, wherein responsive to proximal event information provided, determining whether the user interface is modified.