Method and apparatus for controlling computer without touching input device
First Claim
1. A data input apparatus comprising:
- distance image input means for inputting a distance image representing a distribution of distances measured between the apparatus and a plurality of conceivable points existing on an object;
point determining means for determining a designating point in the distance image input by said distance image input means, wherein said designating point is one of the plurality of conceivable points on the object which has least distance value; and
system control means for controlling a system in accordance with motion of the designating point determined by said point determining means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A distance image representing a distribution of distances, each measured between the apparatus and each conceivable point existing on an object is input. The minimum points in the distance image are detected. The minimum points are some of the conceivable points on the object which have smaller distance values than the other conceivable points. The time differences, each representing a change which each point in the distance image assumes as time passes, are detected. A designating point for designating a command to the system is determined. The designating point is one of the minimum points which has changed in the time difference detected. A system is controlled in accordance with motion of the designating point determined.
326 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A data input apparatus comprising:
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distance image input means for inputting a distance image representing a distribution of distances measured between the apparatus and a plurality of conceivable points existing on an object; point determining means for determining a designating point in the distance image input by said distance image input means, wherein said designating point is one of the plurality of conceivable points on the object which has least distance value; and system control means for controlling a system in accordance with motion of the designating point determined by said point determining means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A data input apparatus comprising:
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distance image generating means for generating a distance image, representing a distribution of distances measured between the apparatus and a plurality of conceivable points existing on an object, from an output which a light-receiving means generates while a light-emitting means is emitting a light beam and from an output which said light-receiving means generates while said light-emitting means is emitting no light beam; minimum point detecting means for detecting a plurality of minimum points in the distance image generated by said distance image generating means, wherein said plurality of minimum points is a group of the plurality of conceivable points on the object which has smaller distance values than other ones of the plurality of conceivable points; point determining means for determining at least one designating point for designating a command to a system in accordance with a specific rule, wherein said at least one designating point is at least one of the plurality of minimum points detected by said minimum point detecting means; and system control means for controlling the system in accordance with motion of said at least one designating point determined by said point determining means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A data input apparatus, comprising:
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light emitting means for emitting a light; means for obtaining as an image a magnitude of a reflected light obtained by the light emitted by the light emitting means being reflected by an object; extraction means for extracting geometrical data of the object by processing the obtained image; and system control means for controlling an operation of a system to be operated by using the geometrical data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An image processing method comprising the steps of:
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correcting a plurality of values of a plurality of pixels to cause a sum of the plurality of values to meet a predetermined condition, wherein said plurality of pixels defines a part of an image of a rod-shaped object; detecting a center of gravity of a tip of the rod-shaped object, from the corrected values of the plurality pixels; and calculating a position of the tip of the rod-shaped object, from the center of gravity detected.
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23. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing information to be input, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
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computer readable program code means for correcting a plurality of values of a plurality of pixels to cause a sum of the plurality of values to meet a predetermined condition, wherein said plurality of pixels defines a part of an image of a rod-shaped object; computer readable program code means for detecting a center of gravity of the tip of the rod-shaped object, from the corrected plurality values of the pixels; and computer readable program code means for calculating a position of the tip of the rod-shaped object, from the center of gravity detected.
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24. A data input method, comprising the computer steps of:
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a) inputting a distance image; b) obtaining a minimum point having a shortest distance value among the input distance images; c) controlling a system to be operated by using the obtained minimum point.
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25. A data input method, comprising the computer steps of:
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a) inputting a distance image representing a distribution of distances measured between an apparatus and a plurality of conceivable points existing on an object; b) determining a designating point in the input distance image, wherein said designating point is one of the plurality of conceivable points on the object which has least distance value; and c) controlling a system in accordance with motion of the determined designating point.
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26. A data input method, comprising the computer steps of:
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a) inputting a distance image representing a distribution of distances measured between an apparatus and a plurality of conceivable point existing on an object; b) detecting a plurality of minimum points in the input distance image, wherein said plurality of minimum points is a group of the plurality of conceivable points on the object which has smaller distance values than the other ones of the plurality of conceivable points; c) detecting time differences, each one of the time differences representing a change which each point in the distance image assumes as time passes; d) determining a designating point for designating a command to a system, wherein said designating point is one of the plurality minimum points which has changed in the detected time differences; and e) controlling the system in accordance with motion of the determined designating point.
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27. A data input method, comprising the computer steps of:
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a) inputting a distance image representing a distribution of distances measured between an apparatus and a plurality of conceivable points existing on an object; b) detecting a plurality of minimum points in the input distance image, wherein said plurality of minimum points is a group of the plurality conceivable points on the object which has smaller distance values than other ones of the plurality of conceivable points; c) detecting time differences, each one of the time differences representing a change which each point in the distance image assumes as time passes; d) determining a designating point for designating a command to a system, wherein said designating point is one of the plurality of minimum points which has least time difference falling within a predetermined range; and e) controlling the system in accordance with motion of the determined designating point.
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28. A data input method, comprising the computer steps of:
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a) generating a distance image, representing a distribution of distances measured between the apparatus and a plurality of conceivable points existing on an object, from an output which a light-receiving means generates while a light-emitting means is emitting a light beam and from an output which said light-receiving means generates while said light-emitting means is emitting no light beam; b) detecting a plurality of minimum points in the generated distance image, wherein said plurality of minimum points is a group of a plurality of conceivable points on an object which has smaller distance values than other ones of the plurality of conceivable points; c) determining at least one designating point for designating a command to a system in accordance with a specific rule, wherein said at least one designating point is at least one of the detected plurality of minimum points; and d) controlling the system in accordance with motion of said at least one designating point determined.
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29. A computer data input method, comprising the steps of:
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a) emitting a light; b) obtaining as an image a magnitude of a reflected light obtained by the light emitted by a light emitting means being reflected by an object; c) extracting geometrical data of the object by processing the obtained image; and d) controlling an operation of a system to be operated by using the geometrical data.
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30. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing information to be input, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture, comprising:
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computer readable program code means for inputting a distance image which is a distribution between an object and a distance; computer readable program code means for obtaining a minimum point whose distance is minimum among input distance images; and computer readable program code means for controlling a system by using the obtained minimum point.
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31. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing information to be input, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
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computer readable program code means for inputting a distance image which is a distribution between an object and a distance; computer readable program code means for determining, among input distance images, a point having minimum distance value as an instructing point for instructing a system to be operated; and computer readable program code means for controlling an operation of the system to be operated based on movement of the determined instructing point.
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32. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing information to be input, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture, comprising:
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computer readable program code means for inputting a distance image which is a distribution between an object and a distance; computer readable program code means for obtaining a minimum point whose distance value is locally minimum among input distance images; computer readable program code means for detecting time difference which is a variable amount of the distance value corresponding to a time of the input distance image; computer readable program code means for determining among a plurality of detected minimum points, one minimum point in which the detected time difference is varied as an instructing point for instructing a system to be operated; and computer readable program code means for controlling an operation of the system to be operated based on the operation of the determined instructing point.
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33. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing information to be input, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
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computer readable program code means for inputting a distance image which is a distribution between an object and a distance; computer readable program code means for obtaining a minimum point whose distance value is locally minimum among input distance images; computer readable program code means for detecting time difference which is a variable amount of the distance value corresponding to a time of the input distance image; computer readable program code means for determining, among plurality of detected minimum points, one minimum point in which the time difference of the distance has a certain range of values and which has a minimum value, as an instructing point for instructing a system to be operated; and computer readable program code means for controlling an operation of the system to be operated based on the operation of the determined instructing point.
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Specification