×

Method and device for optical input of commands or data

  • US 5,767,842 A
  • Filed: 04/21/1995
  • Issued: 06/16/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. In a data processing system, a method of data input using video sensors for monitoring positions of an operator'"'"'s hand with respect to keys on a virtual keyboard optically produced on a surface and for subsequent and correlated data recognition by corresponding key locations on the keyboard to the monitored positions of the fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand, comprising the steps of:

  • touching the keys with fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand to input data;

    scanning by the video sensors adjacent to the keyboard to detect presence of the hand;

    following by the video sensors the contour of the detected present hand to detect positions of the fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand;

    scanning by the video sensors along each of the fingers for determining locations of the tips of the fingers with respect to the keyboard to determine identification information of the keys touched with the fingers;

    optically detecting with the video sensors each touch of the keys on the keyboard by the fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand wherein the step of optically detecting each touch comprises the step of determining speed of the finger in motion to touch the key of the keyboard as a three dimensional vector measurement along the X, Y and Z axes of motion of the finger;

    entering the identification information of the keys touched with the fingers into the data processing system to represent the input data; and

    monitoring subsequent positions of the fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand and comparing the input data corresponding to each subsequent monitored finger position to the identification information of the keys touched, and corresponding each monitored position of the fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand with individual key locations on the keyboard.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×