Collaborative pointing devices
First Claim
1. A system for collaborating between a plurality of users, each user having a laser input device for interacting with an initial image, said system having:
- a controller for controlling operation of said laser input devices and registering interactions by said users via said laser input devices, each of said laser input devices operated by said controller to transmit a modulated laser beam having a distinct transmission pattern, each said distinct transmission pattern being produced by turning a respective one of said laser beams on and off according to a respective cycle, said laser beam producing a laser spot on said initial image;
an initial image provider for providing said initial image on a display;
a camera for capturing successive images to form a sequence of captured images for processing and mapping said successive images to said initial image, each of said successive images having a plurality of picture elements; and
a processor for analyzing said successive images to determine the presence of said laser spots, wherein respective laser spots turn on and off such that they appear in certain ones of said successive images in accordance with said distinct transmission pattern;
whereby said processor determines a relationship between each pixel in each said successive image and the corresponding pixel on said initial image, and determines interactions on said display associated with said laser input devices such that laser spots of each of said input devices are uniquely identified based on said distinct transmission patterns.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for determining a position of laser spots in an initial image due to a plurality of laser pointer, the method having the steps of acquiring a sequence of images from a camera directed at the initial image to produce acquired images thereof, each said acquired image comprising image elements forming a frame; assigning each of said laser pointers a unique transmission pattern; registering said code of each of said laser pointers during frame i with a processor; determining said laser spots in said frame i; registering the appearance of the laser spots of each of the laser pointers during frame i with a processor; assigning positional coordinates to each said located laser spots so as to produce a sequence of positional coordinates (xi,yi) corresponding to sequential positions of the laser spot in the initial image; whereby said laser spots appear in the captured images in a pattern corresponding to said unique transmission pattern and each of said laser pointers is uniquely identifiable and tracked.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for collaborating between a plurality of users, each user having a laser input device for interacting with an initial image, said system having:
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a controller for controlling operation of said laser input devices and registering interactions by said users via said laser input devices, each of said laser input devices operated by said controller to transmit a modulated laser beam having a distinct transmission pattern, each said distinct transmission pattern being produced by turning a respective one of said laser beams on and off according to a respective cycle, said laser beam producing a laser spot on said initial image; an initial image provider for providing said initial image on a display; a camera for capturing successive images to form a sequence of captured images for processing and mapping said successive images to said initial image, each of said successive images having a plurality of picture elements; and a processor for analyzing said successive images to determine the presence of said laser spots, wherein respective laser spots turn on and off such that they appear in certain ones of said successive images in accordance with said distinct transmission pattern; whereby said processor determines a relationship between each pixel in each said successive image and the corresponding pixel on said initial image, and determines interactions on said display associated with said laser input devices such that laser spots of each of said input devices are uniquely identified based on said distinct transmission patterns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for determining a position of a laser spot on an initial image in the presence of a plurality of laser pointers, the method having the steps of:
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acquiring a sequence of images from a camera directed at said initial image to produce i captured images thereof, each of said captured images comprising image elements forming a frame; assigning to each of said laser pointers, a distinct transmission pattern, each said distinct transmission pattern being produced by turning a respective one of said laser spots on and off according to a respective cycle; registering said appearance of said laser spots of each of said laser pointers during frame i with a processor; registering said appearance of said laser spots of each of said laser pointers during frame i+1 and frame i−
1 with said processor;assigning positional coordinates to each of said located laser spots so as to produce a sequence of positional coordinates (xi,yi) corresponding to sequential positions of the laser spot with respect to said initial image; determining which of said laser input devices was transmitting during said frame i according to said distinct transmission pattern and said positional coordinates; and reporting said location of said laser spot in frame i; whereby said laser spots turn on and off such that they appear in said captured images in a pattern corresponding to said distinct transmission pattern and each of said laser pointers is uniquely identifiable and can thereby be tracked. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification