SPATIAL IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND SPATIAL IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20170024082A1
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ITO, Tsuyoshi, TACHIBANA, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 10,372,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

An spatial image display apparatus and method for displaying a spatial image in an aerial space, sensing an object traversing the spatial image, calculating the position of the object'"'"'s effective centroid, and performing an input operation is disclosed. The spatial image display apparatus detects distances from the object'"'"'s surface thrust into the aerial display to more precisely determine the position on the spatial image at which the user intends to indicate.

Claims

1. A spatial image display apparatus, comprising:

a spatial image display device configured to emit a spatial image formed from a visible light in an aerial space; and

a sensor configured to generate a signal corresponding to a position of an object traversing a display plane of the spatial image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial image display device further comprises:

a display device configured to emit the visible light; and

an imaging optical system reflecting the visible light into the aerial space; and

a control device configured to calculate a position of an effective centroid of the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control device is further configured to calculate the position of the effective centroid of the object based on a lesser of:

a maximum length of the object in a x direction; and

a maximum length of the object in a y direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control device further comprises:

a timer configured to record timing of the signal to indicate an operation command.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control device further comprises:

a receiver configured to perform an analog-to-digital conversion on the signal; and

a position analyzer configured to generate the position of the effective centroid of the object; and

a main controller; and

a memory configured to store executable code and data; and

a display controller configured to generate the visible light.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a pseudo-physical button.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises:

a plurality of light ray emitters and detectors arranged along the display plane of the spatial image;

wherein each light ray emitter emits light rays parallel and adjacent to the display plane; and

wherein the signal corresponds to an intensity detected by the detector of the light rays reflecting off the object traversing the display plane; and

whereby the signal corresponds to the distance between the object and the sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises:

a fog generator; and

fog;

whereby the fog generator generates the fog in the display plane of the spatial image.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a pseudo-physical button.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a notebook computer.

11. A method of creating and interacting with an aerial spatial image, the method comprising:

emitting a visible light to create a spatial image in a display plane of an aerial space; and

detecting a position of an object traversing the display plane of the spatial image; and

calculating an effective centroid position of the object traversing the display plane of the spatial image based on the detected position of the object; and

identifying an input command based on the effective centroid position of the object traversing the display plane of the spatial image.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby the detection of more than one object is considered a unique input command.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the detection of the object traversing the display plane outside the spatial image and opposite a pseudo-physical button is considered a unique input command.

14. The method of claim 11, whereby the visible light is emitted into a fog generated by a fog generator into the display plane.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detection of the object traversing the display plane outside the spatial image and opposite a pseudo-physical button is considered a unique input command.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the timing of the object traversing the display plane outside the spatial image is considered a unique input command.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, causes the information processing apparatus to:

control a spatial image display device to emit a visible light to create a spatial image in a display plane of an aerial space;

calculate an effective centroid position of an object traversing the display plane of the spatial image based on a detected position of the object; and

identify an input command based on the effective centroid position of the object traversing the display plane of the spatial image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions as in claim 17, further causing the information processing apparatus to:

identify an input command based on the amount of time the object is sensed traversing the display plane of the spatial image.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions as in claim 17, further causing the information processing apparatus to:

calculate a change in the position of the effective centroid of the object; and

identify an input command based on the change in a predetermined amount of time.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions as in claim 17, further causing the information processing apparatus to:

calculate an effective centroid position of more than one object traversing the display plane of the spatial image based on a detected position of the objects; and

identify an input command based on the effective centroid positions of each object.