Method and system for screen navigation

• US 7,940,253 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Orsley, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, NELSON C
• Application Number:
  US11/506,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A screen system includes a display, three or more sensors, a processor connected to the display and the three or more sensors, and a clock connected to the processor. When a position on a display is selected by a stylus that includes one or more emitters, the one or more emitters each emit a pulse or a series of pulses. Each sensor generates a receive message when the sensors receive a pulse. Each receive message includes an identifier identifying which sensor transmitted the receive message. The processor then determines the location of the emitter or emitters in the stylus and the position on the display using the sensor identifiers and a respective time associated with each receive message.

Claims

1. A screen system, comprising:

a stylus comprising one or more emitters each operable to emit a pulse;

a display;

three or more sensors each operable to receive the pulse emitted by the one or more emitters and in response thereto transmit a receive message, wherein each receive message comprises an identifier identifying a respective sensor transmitting the receive message; and

a processor connected to the display and to each of the three or more sensors and operable to receive a receive message generated when the pulse is first received by one of the three or more sensors, the processor being configured to count clock pulses until receive messages are received from the remaining two or more sensors to determine a time delay between the first sensor receiving the pulse and each of the remaining two or more sensors receiving the pulse, the processor being further configured to determine a position selected by the stylus using the determined time delays and a plurality of stored time delays for the three or more sensors, wherein position data defining a respective position on the display is associated with each of the stored time delays.

2. The screen system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the position the stylus has selected within the image displayed on the display by calculating a relative time of arrival for each of the receive messages.

3. The screen system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the position the stylus has selected within the image displayed on the display by calculating a relative time difference of arrival for each of the receive messages.

4. The screen system of claim 1, wherein the one or more emitters comprise one or more acoustical emitters and the three or more sensors comprise three or more microphones.

5. The screen system of claim 1, wherein the one or more emitters comprise one or more optical emitters and the three or more sensors comprise three or more photodetectors.

6. The screen system of claim 1, wherein the one or more emitters comprise one or more radio frequency (RF) transmitters and the three or more sensors comprise three or more RF receivers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to identify the position on the display to which the stylus is pointing using a line drawn through the determined locations of first and second emitters of the stylus that intercepts with the display.

8. The screen system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine locations of first and second emitters of the stylus using the sensor identifiers and a time associated with each receive message, the processor being further operable to identify the position on the display to which the stylus is pointing using the determined locations of the first and second emitters of the stylus to estimate the position on the display.

9. A method for navigation in a screen system comprising a display, three or more sensors, and a stylus comprising one or more emitters that each emits a pulse that is received by the three or more sensors, the method comprising:

a) emitting a pulse;

b) generating a receive message when the pulse first received by one of the three or more sensors, wherein each receive message comprises an identifier identifying a respective one of the three or more sensors that received the pulse;

c) counting clock pulses until receive messages are received from the remaining two or more sensors to determine a time delay between the first sensor receiving the pulse and each of the remaining two or more sensors receiving the pulse; and

d) determining a position selected by the stylus using the determined time delays and a plurality of stored time delays for the three or more sensors, wherein position data defining a respective position on the display is associated with each of the stored time delays.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying an image.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the screen system comprises a touchscreen system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying includes identifying the position on the display to which the stylus is pointing using a line drawn through the determined locations of first and second emitters of the stylus that intercepts with the display.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining comprises receiving the receive messages and determining the selected position by calculating a relative time of arrival using each receive message and a time associated with each receive message.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining comprises receiving the receive messages and determining the selected position by calculating a relative time difference of arrival using each receive message and a time associated with each receive message.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising repeating a) through d) each time a pulse is emitted from the one or more emitters.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying the position on the display to which the stylus is pointing using the determined locations of first and second emitters of the stylus to estimate the position on the display.

17. A method for navigation in a screen system comprising a display, three or more sensors, and a stylus comprising first and second emitters that each emits a pulse that is received by the three or more sensors, the method comprising:

a) emitting the pulse from each of the first and second emitters of the stylus;

b) generating a receive message when the pulse is first received by one of the three or more sensors, wherein each receive message comprises an identifier identifying a respective one of the three or more sensors that received the pulse;

c) counting clock pulses until receive messages are received from the remaining two or more sensors to determine a time delay between the first sensor receiving the pulse and each of the remaining two or more sensors receiving the pulse;

d) determining locations of the first and second emitters of the stylus using the determined time delays and a plurality of stored time delays for the three or more sensors, wherein position data defining a respective position on the display is associated with each of the stored time delays; and

e) identifying a position on the display to which the stylus is pointing using the determined locations of the first and second emitters of the stylus to estimate the position on the display.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising repeating a) through e) each time a pulse is emitted from each of the first and second emitters.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifying includes identifying the position on the display to which the stylus is pointing using a line drawn through the determined locations of the first and second emitters of the stylus that intercepts with the display.