Infrared vision with liquid crystal display device

• US 8,384,694 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Powell, Karlton, Liu, Zhiqiang, Masalkar, Prafulla
• Primary Examiner(s): LAMB, CHRISTOPHER RAY
• Application Number:
  US12/620,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• 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

Various embodiments related to infrared vision for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device are disclosed herein. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a display system, comprising an LCD device and a display backlight configured to illuminate the LCD device by directing visible light toward an interior surface of the LCD device. The display system further comprises a wavelength-selective reflector disposed between the display backlight and the LCD device and having a smooth surface facing the interior surface of the LCD device, where the wavelength-selective reflector has a wavelength-selective coating configured to cause incident visible light from the display backlight to be transmitted through the wavelength-selective reflector to the LCD device, and cause incident infrared light reflected from an object on or near an exterior surface of the LCD device to be reflected off of the wavelength-selective reflector and directed to an infrared vision subsystem.

Claims

1. A display system, comprising:

a liquid crystal display device;

a display backlight configured to illuminate the liquid crystal display device by directing visible light toward an interior surface of the liquid crystal display device; and

a wavelength-selective reflector disposed between the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device and having a smooth surface facing the interior surface of the liquid crystal display device, where the wavelength-selective reflector has a wavelength-selective coating configured to cause incident visible light from the display backlight to be transmitted through the wavelength-selective reflector to the liquid crystal display device, and cause incident infrared light reflected from an object on or near an exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device to be reflected off of the wavelength-selective reflector and directed to an infrared vision subsystem.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the infrared vision subsystem is disposed outside of all straight-line optical paths occurring between corresponding operative portions of the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device.

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein the infrared vision subsystem includes an offset imaging system having an image sensor configured to receive infrared light directed from the wavelength-selective reflector, the image sensor positioned laterally offset from an optical axis of infrared light incident on the image sensor.

4. The display system of claim 2, wherein the infrared vision subsystem includes a tilted plane imaging system having an image sensor configured to receive infrared light directed from the wavelength-selective reflector, where both a surface normal to a plane of the image sensor as well as a surface normal to a plane of the object on or near the external surface of the liquid crystal display device is tilted with respect to an imaging system optical axis.

5. The display system of claim 2, wherein the infrared vision subsystem comprises an offset imaging system and a tilted plane imaging system, the infrared vision system further comprising an image sensor configured to receive infrared light directed from the wavelength-selective reflector, the image sensor positioned laterally offset from an optical axis of infrared light incident on the image sensor and where both a surface normal to a plane of the image sensor as well as a surface normal to a plane of the object on or near the external surface of the liquid crystal display device is tilted with respect to an imaging system optical axis.

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein the tilted plane imaging system further includes a post-processor for post-processing an image acquired via the image sensor to reduce distortion of the image.

7. The display system of claim 2, further comprising a switchable diffuser enabling the infrared vision subsystem to detect one or more of physical objects and hand gestures located substantially beyond the external surface of the liquid crystal display device during a non-diffuse state of the display system.

8. The display system of claim 2, wherein a touch surface of the display system includes one or more imaging sections, each imaging section being contiguous within itself such that imaging may be substantially telecentric for one or more of at the external surface of the liquid crystal display device and above the external surface of the liquid crystal display device.

9. The display system of claim 2, wherein the infrared vision subsystem further includes an image sensor configured to receive infrared light directed from the wavelength-selective reflector and a post-processor for post-processing an image acquired via the image sensor.

10. The display system of claim 1, wherein the wavelength-selective reflector includes a dichroic mirror.

11. The display system of claim 1, further comprising an infrared illumination system configured to direct infrared light toward the object on or near the exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device.

12. A display system, comprising:

a liquid crystal display device;

a display backlight configured to illuminate the liquid crystal display device by directing visible light toward an interior surface of the liquid crystal display device;

a dichroic mirror disposed between the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device and having a smooth surface facing the interior surface of the liquid crystal display device, where the dichroic mirror has a wavelength-selective coating configured to cause incident visible light from the display backlight to be transmitted through the dichroic mirror to the liquid crystal display device, and cause incident infrared light reflected from an object on or near an exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device to be reflected off of the dichroic mirror; and

an offset infrared vision subsystem disposed outside of all straight-line optical paths occurring between corresponding operative portions of the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device, the offset infrared vision subsystem including an image sensor configured to receive infrared light directed from the dichroic mirror, the image sensor being positioned laterally offset from an optical axis of infrared light incident on the image sensor.

13. The display system of claim 12, further comprising an infrared illumination system configured to direct infrared light toward the object on or near the exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device.

14. The display system of claim 13, further comprising a diffuser disposed above the exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device and configured to aid in one or more of infrared illumination of the object and backlight uniformity.

15. A display system of a surface computing system, the display system comprising:

a liquid crystal display device;

a display backlight configured to illuminate the liquid crystal display device by directing visible light toward an interior surface of the liquid crystal display device;

an infrared illumination system configured to direct infrared light toward an object on or near an exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device;

a wavelength-selective reflector disposed between the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device and having a smooth surface facing the interior surface of the liquid crystal display device, where the wavelength-selective reflector has a wavelength-selective coating configured to cause incident visible light from the display backlight to be transmitted through the wavelength-selective reflector to the liquid crystal display device, and cause incident infrared light reflected from the object on or near the exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device to be reflected off of the wavelength-selective reflector;

a switchable diffuser disposed adjacent to the exterior surface of the liquid crystal display device and configured to aid in one or more of infrared illumination of the object and backlight uniformity; and

an infrared vision subsystem disposed outside of all straight-line optical paths occurring between corresponding operative portions of the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device, the infrared vision subsystem including an image sensor configured to receive infrared light directed from the wavelength-selective reflector.

16. The display system of claim 15, wherein the infrared vision subsystem includes an offset imaging system and the image sensor is positioned laterally offset from an optical axis of infrared light incident on the image sensor.

17. The display system of claim 15, wherein the infrared vision subsystem includes a tilted plane imaging system having a lens aligned to a chief axis of a field of view of a centroid of a light bundle of infrared light incident on the image sensor and a post-processor for post-processing an image acquired via the image sensor to reduce distortion of the image.

18. The display system of claim 15, wherein the wavelength-selective reflector includes a dichroic mirror.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein the dichroic mirror is curved.

20. The display system of claim 15, further comprising a secondary upper mirror disposed outside of all straight-line optical paths occurring between corresponding operative portions of the display backlight and the liquid crystal display device and configured to provide high field of view imaging angles while maintaining low image distortion.