Computer presentation system and method with optical tracking of wireless pointer

• US 6,275,214 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SyncPoint Imaging, LLC
• Original Assignee: Karl C. Hansen
• Inventors: Hansen, Karl C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/347,761
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/156, 345/157, 345/179, 345/181
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen

Abstract

A method for remotely controlling a computer having an associated screen for displaying output from the computer and having an internal cursor generated by the computer includes detecting at least one property of an external cursor relative to the screen and generating a command for the computer based on the at least one detected property of the external cursor. In one embodiment, the invention includes a computer connected to a projector which projects an image of the computer output onto an external screen. A camera is used to capture an image of the projected computer output. An optical pointer, such as a laser pointer, is used to generate and transmit an external cursor having various properties, such as color, shape, or intensity. The image captured by the camera is used to detect and process at least one property of the external cursor to generate a corresponding command or commands to control the computer. Commands may be used to emulate control of the computer typically provided by a pointing device such as a mouse or track ball.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling a computer having an associated screen for displaying output from the computer and having an internal cursor generated by the computer, the method comprising:

detecting at least one property of an external cursor and position of the external cursor relative to the output from the computer;

generating a command to move the internal cursor to a position on the screen corresponding to the position of the external cursor; and

generating a command for the computer based on the at least one detected property of the external cursor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

capturing an image of the screen and the external cursor with a camera; and

processing the image to detect the at least one property of the external cursor.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of processing the image comprises:

comparing the image to a previously captured image to detect differences between the image and the previously captured image.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of processing the image comprises:

filtering the image to detect the at least one property of the external cursor.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of filtering comprises thresholding the image to detect intensity of the external cursor relative to intensity of the computer output.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of filtering comprises filtering the image to detect color of the external cursor.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of filtering comprises filtering the image to detect shape of the external cursor.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the external cursor to the screen using a source of directed optical energy.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the associated screen is a substantially planar surface remotely located external to the computer and any associated monitor, the method further comprising projecting an image of the output from the computer onto the associated screen.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the associated screen is a computer monitor.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting at least one property of the external cursor comprises detecting a pattern of movement of the external cursor.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

projecting a plurality of fiducials onto the associated screen; and

detecting position of the fiducials relative to output from the computer, wherein the step of detecting at least one property includes detecting position of the external cursor relative to at least one of the fiducials.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of generating a command for the computer comprises generating a command based on the position of the external cursor only if the external cursor is within a region delineated by the plurality of fiducials.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of generating a command for the computer comprises generating a command based on the position of the external cursor while the external cursor is within a region delineated by the plurality of fiducials but outside output from the computer, and generating a command for the computer based on the at least one property while the position of the external cursor is within the associated screen.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting a pattern of movement of the external cursor.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a plurality of fiducials on the associated screen wherein positions of the fiducials are determined based on position of the external cursor.

17. A method for generating computer commands based on position and at least one property of an external cursor, the method comprising:

displaying output from a computer;

displaying the external cursor on the output;

capturing an image of the output;

processing the image to determine position and at least one property of the external cursor; and

converting the position and the at least one property to corresponding computer commands so an internal cursor tracks position of the external cursor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of displaying output from a computer comprises projecting an image of the output on a remotely located screen.

19. A method for remotely controlling a computer, the method comprising:

displaying output from the computer on a remotely located screen;

projecting an optical cursor generated by a hand-held pointer on the remotely located screen;

capturing an image of at least a portion of the remotely located screen;

processing the image to detect position of the optical cursor and at least one user selectable property of the optical cursor; and

generating commands to control position of a cursor generated by the computer based on position of the optical cursor and to control functioning of the computer based on the at least one property of the optical cursor.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

superimposing a plurality of fiducials on the remotely located screen, wherein the step of processing the image includes determining position of the plurality of fiducials within the image and determining position of the optical cursor relative to at least one of the fiducials.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining position of the optical cursor relative to position of the output from the computer.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of superimposing comprises moving the fiducials to expand a bounded region until the optical cursor is detected within the region bounded by the fiducials.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of superimposing comprises moving the fiducials to reduce a bounded region surrounding output from the computer to reduce processing of the image.

24. A computer presentation system for generating commands to remotely control a computer based on a plurality of user selectable properties of an optical cursor generated by a hand-held pointer and projected on a screen displaying output from the computer, the system comprising:

a camera for capturing an image of the output from the computer; and

a processor in communication with the camera for processing the image to detect position of the optical cursor and at least one property of the optical cursor and for converting the position and at least one property to corresponding commands to control the computer and move an internal cursor to a position corresponding to the optical cursor while the optical cursor remains within the output displayed on the screen.

25. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to generate commands to control a cursor generated by the computer based on a plurality of user controllable properties of an external cursor, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for detecting at least one of the user selectable properties of the external cursor; and

instructions for generating a command for the computer based on the at least one detected property of the external cursor.

26. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to generate commands to control the computer based on an external cursor projected onto an image of output generated by the computer, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for processing an image of the output to detect at least one property of the external cursor including position of the external cursor relative to the output; and

instructions for converting the position and the at least one property to a command to control the computer to move an internal cursor to a position corresponding to the external cursor.