Method for enhancing performance in a system utilizing an array of sensors that sense at least two-dimensions

• US 6,690,354 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Canesta Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sze, Cheng-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUN YI
• Application Number:
  US09/997,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20020060669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-179, 463/37-38, 382/106, 382/276, 382/293, 382/291
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

In a three-dimensional data acquisition system, coordinate transformation and geometric error correction are avoided by representing data in a sensor array coordinate system (i,j,k) rather than a conventional (x,y,z) coordinate system. A preferably point-sized sub-region is defined for each potential region of interest for a virtual input device subject to interaction with a user-controlled object. The (i,j,k) coordinate system used relates to raw data, and correction for several types of geometric error and optical lens error are avoided by determining interaction with such raw coordinate data. As a result, substantial processing overhead may be avoided.

Claims

1. A method to reduce computation in a system that uses an array of sensors definable in (i,j,k) coordinates to detect at least two-dimensional data representing distance between the array and a region of interest definable in (x,y,z) coordinates, the region of interesting including at least one region in which a portion of a user-controlled object can interact with a portion of a virtual input device, the method including the following steps:

(A) calculating and transforming from (x,y,z) coordinates into said (i,j,k) coordinates a distortion coordinate for a sub-portion of said region of interest; and

(B) using distortion coordinates calculated at step (A) to determine in said (i,j,k) coordinates distance between an image portion of a target object and a portion of said region of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (B) includes determining when said (i,j,k) coordinates are zero;

wherein when said (i,j,k) coordinates are zero, a contact interaction between a portion of said user-controlled object and at least a sub-region of said virtual input device has occurred.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at step (A) said sub-portion is a point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said sub-portion includes a point defined on said virtual input device; and

step (A) includes at least one of (i) calculating and (ii) transforming distortion coordinates.

5. The method of claim 4, further including storing distortion coordinates so calculated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (A) includes statically doing at least one of (i) calculating and (ii) transforming distortion coordinates.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said system includes an optical lens associated with said array;

wherein distortion effect upon distance determined at step (B) due to at least one lens distortion selected from non-linear pincushion type distortion and non-linear barrel type distortion is reduced.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said distortion coordinates are calculated for sub-regions on said virtual input device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-controlled object includes a human user'"'"'s finger.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-controlled object includes a user-held stylus.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual input device includes a virtual keyboard.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual input device includes at least one of a virtual mouse and a virtual trackball.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual input device includes at least one of a virtual writing pad and a virtual trackpad.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at step (B) said distance is determined using time-of-flight data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said virtual input device includes a virtual touch pad across whose virtual surface said user-controlled object may be moved;

further including transforming (i,j,k) coordinates to (x,y,z) coordinates for locations where virtual contact is detected between virtual surface and a portion of said user-controlled object.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said virtual input device includes a virtual touch pad across whose virtual surface said user-controlled object may be moved;

further including transforming (i,j,k) coordinates to (x,y,z) coordinates for locations where movement is detected across said virtual surface by a portion of said user-controlled object.

17. A sub-system to reduce computation in a system that uses an array of sensors definable in (i,j,k) coordinates to detect at least two-dimensional data representing distance between the array and a region of interest definable in (x,y,z) coordinates, the sub-system including:

means for transforming point sub-region locations defined within said region of interest from (x,y,z) coordinate system data to (i,j,k) coordinate system data, and calculating in said (i,j,k) coordinate system a distortion coordinate for each said point-region; and

means for using distortion coordinates calculated at step (A) to determine in said (i,j,k) coordinates distance between a sensor in said array and a portion of said region of interest.

18. The sub-system of claim 17, wherein said system is a time-of-flight system.

19. The sub-system of claim 17, wherein said user-controlled object includes at least one of a human finger and a user-held stylus.

20. The sub-system of claim 17, wherein said virtual input device includes at least one of a virtual keyboard, a virtual mouse, a virtual trackball, and a virtual writing pad.