Determining the orientation of an object placed on a surface

• US 8,167,698 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van De Wijdeven, Sander Bernard Francis, Bergman, Anthonie Hendrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUNOZ, ANDRES F
• Application Number:
  US12/439,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A touch screen includes light emitters and light detectors arranged around a periphery thereof. The position, orientation, shape and/or size of objects may be determined by switching the light emitters on one-by-one and detecting shadows caused by the objects. The objects include at least a first part with optical properties of a first type and a second part with optical properties of a second different type. By determining the optical phenomena caused by the second part, the orientation of the objects may be determined and/or the objects may be recognized or identified.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a surface for placement of an object, wherein the surface has a periphery;

for providing light; and

light detectors, wherein the light emitters and the light detectors are arranged around the periphery of the surface, wherein the object comprises at least a first part with optical properties of a first type and a second part with optical properties of a second type different from the first type for the light provided by the light emitters; and

a processor configured to determine a first orientation and a position of the object on the surface from reflected light reflected by the second part of the object in a first direction and detected by a first set of the light detectors in response to being illuminated by a first light emitter of the light emitters when the object is in the first orientation and the position,

the processor being further configured to determine a second orientation of the object located at the position from reflected light reflected by the second part of the object in a second direction and detected by a second set of the light detectors in response to being illuminated by the first light emitter when the object is in the second orientation and the position.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second part is located at a portion of the object for reflecting light in different directions depending on orientation of the object.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the second part comprises a reflective mark on a side of the object, wherein the reflective mark completely covers a portion of the side from a lower part of the object contacting the surface to an upper part of the object opposite the lower part, and wherein remaining portions of the side from the lower part to the upper part are of the first part with optical properties of the first type.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the second part comprises a plurality of reflective marks, the plurality of reflective marks being separated by the first part so that only portions of the side of the object are reflective.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a pawn.

6. A system comprising:

a surface for placement of an object, wherein the surface has a periphery;

light emitters for providing light; and

light detectors, wherein the light emitters and the light detectors are arranged around the periphery of the surface, wherein the object comprises an opaque part and a transparent part for the light provided by the light emitters; and

a processor configured to determine a position of the object on the surface from light blocked by the opaque part and to determine an orientation of the object by using detected light passing through the transparent part of the object.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the transparent part of the object is a passage, passing light only in a certain direction and the processor is configured to determine the orientation of the object by using detected light passing through the passage in a shadow caused by the opaque part.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine the orientation of the object by using the detected light passing through the transparent part of the object in a first direction and provided by a first light emitter of the light emitters and detected by a first set of the light detectors, and to detect a further orientation of the object by using the detected light passing through the transparent part of the object in a second direction and provided by a second light emitter of the light emitters and detected by a second set of the light detectors.

9. A method for use in a system comprising light emitters and light detectors arranged around a periphery of a surface and at least an object placed on said surface, the object comprising at least a first part with optical properties of a first type and a second part with optical properties of a second type different from the first type for the light emitted by the light emitters, the method comprising the acts of:

emitting light by a first light emitter of the light emitters when the object is in a first orientation and a position on the surface;

detecting by a first set of the light detectors reflected light reflected by the second part of the object in a first direction in response to the emitting act; and

determining the first orientation and the position of the object on the surface in response to the detecting act;

further emitting light by the first light emitter when the object is in a second orientation and the position on the surface;

further detecting by a second set of the light detectors reflected light reflected by the second part of the object in a second direction in response to the further emitting act; and

determining the second orientation and the position of the object on the surface in response to the further detecting act.