Input method of pointer input system

• US 8,259,063 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro-Nits Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Primax Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Ting, Li-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, DUC Q
• Application Number:
  US11/753,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-159, 345173-183, 348/734, 463 37- 38
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

The present invention relates to an input method of a pointer input system. A setting procedure and a correcting procedure having been performed on the pointer input system to obtain a space conversion relationship and an over-bright position. The input method includes steps of inputting at least a light spot into a projection screen, capturing the light spot by a photosensing system to obtain a light-spot image, recognizing at least a relevant light spot of the light-spot image by checking whether the light-spot image excluding the over-bright position complies with a light-spot characteristic situation so as to obtain at least a light-spot data, and converting the at least a light-spot data into at least an input data of a data processing system according to the space conversion relationship.

Claims

1. An input method of a pointer input system, said pointer input system comprising a data processing system, an image projecting system, a projection screen and a photosensing system, said input method comprising steps of:

performing a setting procedure and a correcting procedure on said pointer input system to obtain a space conversion relationship and an over-bright position;

inputting at least a light spot onto said projection screen;

arranging at least a dual-band filter or a multi-band filter between said photosensing system and said projecting screen to filter off monochromic or poly chromic light captured by the photosensing system;

capturing said light spot by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a light-spot image;

recognizing at least a relevant light spot of said light-spot image comprising the steps of;

excluding said over-bright position from the light-spot image, and

checking whether said light-spot image complies with a light-spot characteristic situation, thereby obtaining at least a light-spot data; and

converting said at least a light-spot data into at least an input data of said data processing system according to said space conversion relationship.

2. The input method according to claim 1 wherein said light-spot characteristic situation is satisfied when a characteristic value is greater than a light-spot critical value, and wherein said characteristic value includes color intensity, brightness or gray scale.

3. The input method according to claim 1 wherein the step of recognizing said at least a relevant light spot of said light-spot image to obtain said at least a light-spot data includes a sub-step of incorporating the pixels complying with said light-spot characteristic situation and adjacent pixels in a same image block, wherein said image block is deemed as a non-light spot if the area of said image block is beyond a reference area range.

4. The input method according to claim 1 wherein said at least a light-spot data includes a light-spot position data, and wherein the step of recognizing said at least a relevant light spot of said light-spot image to obtain said at least a light-spot data includes sub-steps of:

incorporating the pixels complying with said light-spot characteristic situation and adjacent pixels in a same image block;

measuring characteristic values of respective pixels; and

calculating a center of mass of said image block according to said characteristic values of respective pixels, thereby determining said light-spot position data, wherein said characteristic values are represented by at least three digital bits.

5. The input method according to claim 1 further comprising steps of:

storing at least a light-spot data; and

monitoring and tracking a continuous moving action and a relative position of said at least a light spot according to said light-spot data;

wherein the step of obtain said at least a light-spot data includes sub-steps of;

incorporating the pixels complying with said light-spot characteristic situation and adjacent pixels in a same image block;

determining said moving direction of said at least a light spot according to said stored light-spot data if said image block is deemed as a light spot, and defining a terminal portion of said image block; and

obtaining said light-spot data according to the color information of said terminal portion of said image block.

6. The input method according to claim 5 further comprising a step of constructing at least an anticipated light spot from said stored light-spot data by extrapolation algorithm, or constructing at least a compensated light spot from said stored light-spot data and said at least an anticipated light spot by interpolation algorithm.

7. The input method according to claim 1 wherein the size of said light-spot image is shrunk when compared with a reference image obtained in said correcting procedure, thereby enhancing the recognizing speed or wherein the pixels of said relevant light spot of said light-spot image are scanned in alternate rows or in alternate columns.

8. The input method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of deducing a region of interest of said light-spot image according to said space conversion relationship, wherein only said region of interest of said light-spot image is analyzed when said light spot is recognized.

9. The input method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of constructing at least a sensing point, and detecting color information of said at least a sensing point to discriminate whether any parameter of said pointer input system needs to be adjusted.

10. The input method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of automatically optimizing photosensing parameters of said photosensing system, which includes sub-steps of:

inputting a second frame into said projection screen, said second frame including plural reference points;

continuously adjusting said parameters of said photosensing system and capturing said second frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining plural second images corresponding to different photosensing parameters;

recognizing relevant reference points of said second mages corresponding to said reference points of said second frame, and recording the number of recognized relevant reference points;

searching a target image from said plural second images having a highest number of recognized relevant second reference points; and

setting an optimal photosensing parameter of said photosensing system corresponding to said target image.

11. The input method according to claim 1 wherein said setting procedure further comprising steps of:

inputting a first frame to said projection screen;

capturing said first frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a first image; and

analyzing the color information of said first image, thereby realizing an over-bright position.

12. The input method according to claim 11 further comprising steps:

inputting a second frame to said projection screen;

capturing said second frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a second image; and

determining a light-spot critical value according to the color information of said second image excluding said over-bright position.

13. The input method according to claim 11 further comprising steps of:

inputting a second frame to said projection screen;

capturing said second frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a second image;

dividing said second image into plural sub-images, which have respective color information; and

determining respective light-spot critical values of said sub-images according to the color information of said second image excluding said over-bright position.

14. The input method according to claim 11 further comprising a step of adjusting a signal-to-noise ratio of said photosensing system such that a peak value of a characteristic value of said first image excluding said over-bright position is smaller than a noise threshold value.

15. The input method according to claim 11 further comprising a step of automatically optimizing photosensing parameters of said photosensing system, which includes sub-steps of:

inputting a second frame into said projection screen, said second frame including plural reference points;

continuously adjusting said parameters of said photosensing system and capturing said second frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining plural second images corresponding to different photosensing parameters;

recognizing relevant reference points of said second mages corresponding to said reference points of said second frame, and recording the number of recognized relevant reference points;

searching a target image from said plural second images having a highest number of recognized relevant second reference points; and

setting an optimal photosensing parameter of said photosensing system corresponding to said target image.

16. The input method according to claim 1 wherein said correcting procedure further comprising steps of:

inputting at least a reference frame into said projection screen, said reference frame including plural reference points;

capturing said reference frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a reference image;

recognizing relevant reference points of said reference image corresponding to said reference points of said reference frame according to a color critical value; and

comparing the recognized relevant reference points with predetermined reference data, thereby discriminating a space conversion relationship between said projection screen and said photosensing system.

17. The input method according to claim 16 wherein said color critical value is obtained by the following sub-steps:

inputting a first color frame into said projection screen, and capturing said first color frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a first color reference image;

determining a first color reference value according to the color information of said first color reference image;

inputting a second color frame into said projection screen, and capturing said second color frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a second color reference image;

determining a second color reference value according to the color information of said second color reference image; and

determining said color critical value according to said first color reference value and said second color reference value.

18. The input method according to claim 16 wherein said reference frame includes a checkerboard pattern, a block dot pattern or a cross dot pattern, and said input method further comprises a step of detecting a number of pixels per system frame of said data processing system and an aspect ratio of said system frame of said data processing system so as to discriminate the accuracy of said space conversion relationship.

19. The input method according to claim 16 wherein the step of inputting said reference frame into said projection screen includes a sub-step of adjusting the size of said reference frame and the location of said reference frame on said projection screen, and said input method further comprises a step of displaying said recognized relevant reference points on a monitor and adjusting the direction of said photosensing system according to said recognized relevant reference points.

20. The input method according to claim 16 further comprising a step of automatically optimizing photosensing parameters of said photosensing system, which includes sub-steps of:

inputting a second reference frame into said projection screen, said second reference frame including plural second reference points;

continuously adjusting said parameters of said photosensing system and capturing said second reference frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining plural second reference images corresponding to different photosensing parameters;

recognizing relevant second reference points of said second reference images corresponding to said second reference points of said second reference frame, and recording the number of recognized relevant second reference points;

searching a target image from said plural second reference images having a highest number of recognized relevant second reference points; and

setting an optimal photosensing parameter of said photosensing system corresponding to said target image.

21. The input method according to claim 1 wherein said correcting procedure further comprising steps of:

inputting at least a reference frame into said projection screen, said reference frame including plural reference points;

capturing said reference frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a reference image;

dividing said reference image into plural sub-images, which have respective color critical values;

recognizing relevant reference points of said reference image corresponding to said reference points of said reference frame according to said color critical values; and

comparing the recognized relevant reference points with predetermined reference data, thereby discriminating a space conversion relationship between said projection screen and said photosensing system.

22. The input method according to claim 21 wherein said color critical values are obtained by the following sub-steps:

inputting a first color frame into said projection screen, and capturing said first color frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a first color reference image;

dividing said first color reference image into plural first sub-images, which have respective first color critical values;

determining said first color reference values according to respective color information of said first color reference image;

inputting a second color frame into said projection screen, and capturing said second color frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining a second color reference image;

dividing said second color reference image into plural second sub-images, which have respective second color critical values;

determining said first color reference values according to respective color information of said second color reference image; and

determining said color critical values according to said first color reference values and said second color reference values.

23. The input method according to claim 21 further comprising a step of automatically optimizing photosensing parameters of said photosensing system, which includes sub-steps of:

inputting a second reference frame into said projection screen, said second reference frame including plural second reference points;

continuously adjusting said parameters of said photosensing system and capturing said second reference frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining plural second reference images corresponding to different photosensing parameters;

recognizing relevant second reference points of said second reference images corresponding to said second reference points of said second reference frame, and recording the number of recognized relevant second reference points;

searching a target image from said plural second reference images having a highest number of recognized relevant second reference points; and

setting an optimal photosensing parameter of said photosensing system corresponding to said target image.

24. The input method according to claim 1 wherein said correcting procedure further comprising steps of:

inputting at least a reference frame into said projection screen, said reference frame including plural reference points;

successively capturing said reference frame by said photosensing system, thereby obtaining at least a reference image;

recognizing relevant reference points of said reference image corresponding to said reference points of said reference frame; and

comparing the recognized relevant reference points with at least a predetermined reference data, thereby discriminating a space conversion relationship between said projection screen and said photosensing system, wherein said predetermined reference data complies with a specified coordinate system.