Remote coordinate input device and remote coordinate input method

• US 6,587,092 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yoneno, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US09/949,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 345/39, 345/44-46, 345/156-159, 345/163, 345/169, 353/101, 353/42, 359/142, 359/146, 348/734, 348/725
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image

Abstract

The invention prevents an audience from being distracted by movements of a demonstrator that are not related to movements of a pointer on a screen, and by the demonstrator moving away from the screen, during a presentation which is performed by enlarging and projecting the display of a personal computer onto the screen by a projector. A designating tool, which is held by the hand of the demonstrator, is imaged by an imaging part which is disposed at the top of the screen. On the front of the designating tool, infrared LEDs are disposed at each vertex of an isosceles triangle, and recessed at the center, and the orientation of the designating tool is obtained from the positional relationship of the infrared LEDs of an image which has been imaged by the imaging part. This orientation is converted to planar coordinates and is sent to a computer, a marker is displayed on a screen, and the software is operated.

Claims

1. A remote coordinate input system for use with a screen, comprising:

a designator including a first surface on which at least three first reflecting elements are arranged in a plane, and a second reflecting element arranged on an orthogonal axis to the plane, said second reflecting element arranged on a second surface different from said first surface;

an imaging device that images relative positional relationship between the first reflecting elements and the second reflecting element;

an irradiating device that irradiates the at least three first reflecting elements and the second reflecting element;

a coordinate converter that obtains an orientation of the designator with respect to said imaging device from an image that is imaged by said imaging device and converts the image into planar coordinates;

an output device that outputs the planar coordinates that are obtained by the coordinate converter; and

a display that displays designation information on the screen based on the planar coordinates that are obtained from said output device.

2. The remote coordinate input system of claim 1, each of the at least three first reflecting elements being respectively disposed at each vertex of an isosceles triangle, and a base of the isosceles triangle that is formed by connecting two of the at least three reflecting elements is substantially horizontally arranged.

3. The remote coordinate input system of claim 1, each of the at least three first reflecting elements being respectively arranged at each vertex of a rhombus, one diagonal line of said rhombus being substantially horizontally arranged.

4. A remote coordinate input system for use with a screen, comprising:

a designator including a first surface on which a hollow disk-shaped first light reflecting element is arranged on a plane and a second light reflecting element arranged on an orthogonal axis to the plane said second reflecting element arranged on a second surface on a plane different from said first surface;

an imaging device that images relative positional relationship between the hollow disk-shaped first light reflecting element and the second light reflecting element;

an irradiating device that irradiates the hollow disk-shaped first light reflecting element and the second light reflecting element;

a coordinate converter that obtains an orientation of the designator with respect to said imaging device from an image which is imaged by said imaging device and converts the image to planar coordinates;

an output device that outputs the planar coordinates that are obtained by the coordinate converter; and

a display that displays designating information on the screen based on the planar coordinates that are obtained from said output device.

5. A remote coordinate input method, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first image from a first reflecting element;

obtaining a second image from a second reflecting element;

obtaining a reference coordinate from a coordinate of said first image;

obtaining an orientation of a designator with respect to an imaging device from a positional relationship between the second image and the reference coordinate; and

specifying a designating position on a display according to said orientation.

6. The remote coordinate input method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining independent designating tool images in which an image of a plurality of designators are separated into independent images;

obtaining an orientation of each designator with respect to the imaging device for each independent designating tool image; and

specifying designated positions on the display according to said orientations.