Control apparatus and method

• US 8,363,011 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Lee, Chia Hoang, Lin, Jian Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abebe, Sosina
• Application Number:
  US12/171,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/156, 345/169, 382/107, 463 37- 38
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The invention discloses a control apparatus capable of providing a user with a control over an object displayed on a display apparatus by a pointing device. The control apparatus includes an image capturing module, a separating module, a positioning module, a constructing module, and a processing module. The image capturing module is used to record an image sequence included N images. The separating module is applied to capture the pointing device image related to the pointing device from each image. The positioning module is used for calculating a specific point of the pointing device image of each image to generate a first set of specific point information. The constructing module is applied to generate a trajectory in accordance with a pre-defined criterion and the first set of specific point information. Additionally, the processing module is used to analyze the trajectory and generate a control signal to control the object.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for providing a user with a control over an object displayed in a display apparatus by a pointing device, the control apparatus comprising:

an image capturing module for recording a video sequence and generating N image frames, N being a positive integer;

a separating module for capturing a pointing device image related to the pointing device from each image frame in accordance with a characteristic of the pointing device;

a positioning module for calculating a specific point of the pointing device image of each image frame to generate a first set of specific point information;

a constructing module for generating a trajectory in accordance with a pre-defined criterion and the first set of specific point information; and

a processing module for analyzing the trajectory and generating a control signal to control the object;

wherein, when the constructing module determines that generation of the trajectory is finished, the constructing module triggers a counter to execute a counting process;

wherein, only after the counting process is finished, the trajectory is then transmitted to the processing module by the constructing module.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specific point of the pointing device image is a central point of the pointing device image.

3. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of specific point information comprises a second specific point and a third specific point adjacent to the second specific point, and the pre-defined criterion is that when the difference between the second specific point and the third specific point is smaller than a pre-defined value, the trajectory comprising the third specific point.

4. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing module performs three-dimensional control of the object according to the control signal.

5. The control apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image capturing module further comprises:

a vibration reduction module for removing a pre-defined noise from the video sequence, and generating N image frames.

6. The control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the vibration reduction module processes the video sequence by blurring/smoothing algorithm to remove the pre-defined noise.

7. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capturing module further comprises a video camera or a camera.

8. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is the color of the pointing device.

9. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing module analyzes the trajectory to generate a direction information, a strength information, and a rotation angle information;

and the processing module generating the control signal in accordance with the direction information, the strength information, and the rotation angle information.

10. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein the direction information is an upward information, a downward information, a leftward information, or a rightward information.

11. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein the rotation angle information is either a clockwise information or a counterclockwise information.

12. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing module generates the control signal in accordance with the direction information, the strength information, the rotation angle information, and a classifier.

13. A control method for providing a user with the control over an object displayed in a display apparatus by a pointing device, the control method comprising the following steps:

(a) recording a video sequence and generating N image frames, N being a positive integer;

(b) capturing a pointing device image related to the pointing device from each image frame in accordance with a characteristic of the pointing device;

(c) calculating a specific point of the pointing device image of each image frame to generate a first set of specific point information;

(d) generating a trajectory in accordance with a pre-defined criterion and the first set of specific point information, and determining, in accordance with the first set of specific point information, when the generation of the trajectory is finished, triggering a counter to execute a counting process, and then transmitting the trajectory only after the counting process is finished;

(e) analyzing the trajectory and generating a control signal; and

(f) controlling the object according to the control signal.

14. The control method of claim 13, wherein the specific point of the pointing device image is a central point of the pointing device image.

15. The control method of claim 13, wherein the first set of specific point information comprises a second specific point and a third specific point adjacent to the second specific point, and the pre-defined criterion is that when the difference between the second specific point and the third specific point is smaller than a pre-defined value, the trajectory comprising the third specific point.

16. The control method of claim 13, wherein step (f) performs three-dimensional control of the object according to the control signal.

17. The control method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further comprises the following step:

(a1) removing a pre-defined noise from the video sequence, and generating N image frames.

18. The control method of claim 17, wherein step (a1) processes the video sequence by blurring/smoothing algorithm to remove the pre-defined noise.

19. The control method of claim 13, wherein the characteristic is the color of the pointing device.

20. The control method of claim 13, wherein step (e) analyzes the trajectory to generate a direction information, a strength information, and a rotation angle information, and generating the control signal in accordance with the direction information, the strength information, and the rotation angle information.

21. The control method of claim 20, wherein the direction information is an upward information, a downward information, a leftward information, or a rightward information.

22. The control method of claim 20, wherein the rotation angle information is either a clockwise information or a counterclockwise information.

23. The control method of claim 20, wherein step (e) generates the control signal in accordance with the direction information, the strength information, the rotation angle information, and a classifier.