Interactive video display system

• US 7,170,492 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Reactrix Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Bell, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US11/083,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-168, 345418-428, 463 30- 37
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

An interactive video display system. A display screen is for displaying a visual image for presentation to a user. A camera is for detecting an object in an interactive area located in front of the display screen, the camera operable to capture three-dimensional information about the object. A computer system is for directing the display screen to change the visual image in response to the object.

Claims

1. An interactive video display system comprising:

a display screen for displaying a visual image for presentation to a user;

a first camera for detecting an object in an interactive area located in front of said display screen, said first camera operable to capture three-dimensional information about said object;

a second camera for creating a second interactive area; and

a computer system for directing said display screen to change said visual image in response to said object;

wherein said first camera provides said computer system with three-dimensional information at a first frame rate and said second camera provides said computer system with two-dimensional information at a second frame rate, wherein said first frame rate is slower than said second frame rate, such that said computer system is operable to generate high quality three-dimensional information based on said three-dimensional information and said two-dimensional information.

2. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first camera is a time-of-flight camera.

3. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said display screen is a cathode ray tube.

4. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said display screen is a flat-panel display screen.

5. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 4 wherein said flat-panel display screen is a liquid crystal display screen.

6. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said display screen is a plasma screen.

7. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a projector for projecting said visual image and wherein said display screen is a screen for displaying said visual image.

8. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a third camera for detecting said object, said third camera operable to capture three-dimensional information about said object.

9. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 8 wherein said third camera is a time-of-flight camera.

10. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 8 wherein said first camera and said third camera operate in conjunction to create said interactive area.

11. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 8 wherein said first camera is operable to create said interactive area proximate said display screen, and wherein said third camera is operable to create a third interactive area farther from said display screen than said interactive area.

12. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said computer system can identify a portion of people near said interactive video display system actively interact with said interactive video display system by determining people in said second interactive area that do not enter said interactive area.

13. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said distance information is used for person tracking.

14. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive area comprises a plurality of interactive regions including volumetric regions at particular distances from said display screen.

15. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 14 wherein a first volumetric region extends from said display screen to a particular distance from said display screen, and a second volumetric region extends from said particular distance away from said display screen.

16. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 15 wherein said second volumetric region extends to a second particular distance away from said display screen.

17. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 16 wherein said second particular distance is dynamic.

18. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 14 wherein a user may interact with said visual image by moving into and out of said first volumetric region.

19. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said object is a user.

20. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first camera is separate from said display screen, such that said interactive area is between said first camera and said display screen.

21. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 20 wherein said second camera is separate from said display screen.

22. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 21 wherein said first camera and said second camera operate in conjunction to create said interactive area.

23. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 21 wherein said first camera is operable to create said interactive area proximate said display screen, and wherein said second camera is operable to create said second interactive area farther from said display screen than said interactive area.

24. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said second camera is an infrared camera for creating said second interactive area.

25. The interactive video display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said three-dimensional information is for providing interactions of said object physically matched to a location on said display screen.

26. A method for presenting an interactive visual image using an interactive video display system, said method comprising:

displaying a visual image on a display screen, wherein said visual image is for presentation to a user on a front side of said display screen;

detecting interaction of an object with said visual image using a three-dimensional camera, said three-dimensional camera operable to capture three-dimensional information about said object at a first frame rate;

detecting interaction of said object with said visual image using an infrared camera, said infrared camera operable to capture two-dimensional information about said object at a second frame rate, wherein said first frame rate is slower than said second frame rate;

generating high quality three-dimensional information based on said three-dimensional information and said two-dimensional information; and

changing said visual image in response to said interaction.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said three-dimensional camera is a time-of-flight camera.

28. An interactive video display system comprising:

a display screen for displaying a visual image for presentation to a user;

a time-of-flight camera for detecting an object in an interactive area located in front of said display screen, said time-of-flight camera operable to capture three-dimensional information about said object;

an infrared camera for creating a second interactive area; and

a computer system for directing said display screen to change said visual image in response to said object, wherein said three-dimensional information is for providing interactions of said object physically matched to a location on said display screen;

wherein said time-of-flight camera provides said computer system with three-dimensional information at a first frame rate and said infrared camera provides said computer system with two-dimensional information at a second frame rate, wherein said first frame rate is slower than said second frame rate. such that said computer system is operable to generate high quality three-dimensional information based on said three-dimensional information and said two-dimensional information.