Hover detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic system comprising:
- a display device configured to display images at a display surface where users are able to perceive images displayed by the display device;
a camera having a field of view of a first area in front of the display surface, the first area in front of the display surface being an area in which users are able to perceive the display surface;
an illumination source that is configured to illuminate a second area in front of the display surface, the second area intersecting the first area to define an anticipated input region within the field of view of the camera, the anticipated input region being less than all of the field of view of the camera and corresponding to a location in front of the display surface where physical objects are expected to be positioned when user input is being provided to the electronic system and where physical objects are expected to be absent when user input is not being provided to the electronic system; and
a processing unit configured to perform operations comprising;
capturing an image from the camera while the illumination source is illuminating the second area in front of the display surface;
analyzing the image captured by the camera to detect an object within the anticipated input region based on illumination of the illumination source, wherein analyzing the image comprises;
comparing portions of the image captured by the camera to a brightness threshold that defines a brightness level at which an illuminated object should surpass, but an unilluminated object should not surpass;
identifying portions of the image captured by the camera that are above the brightness threshold based on the comparison; and
detecting the object within the anticipated input region based on the identified portions of the image captured by the camera that are above the brightness threshold;
determining user input based on the object detected within the anticipated input region; and
controlling an application based on the determined user input.
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Abstract
Hover detection technology, in which an image is captured from a camera while an illumination source is illuminating an area in front of a display surface and the image captured by the camera is analyzed to detect an object within an anticipated input region based on illumination of the illumination source. User input is determined based on the object detected within the anticipated input region and an application is controlled based on the determined user input.
107 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An electronic system comprising:
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a display device configured to display images at a display surface where users are able to perceive images displayed by the display device; a camera having a field of view of a first area in front of the display surface, the first area in front of the display surface being an area in which users are able to perceive the display surface; an illumination source that is configured to illuminate a second area in front of the display surface, the second area intersecting the first area to define an anticipated input region within the field of view of the camera, the anticipated input region being less than all of the field of view of the camera and corresponding to a location in front of the display surface where physical objects are expected to be positioned when user input is being provided to the electronic system and where physical objects are expected to be absent when user input is not being provided to the electronic system; and a processing unit configured to perform operations comprising; capturing an image from the camera while the illumination source is illuminating the second area in front of the display surface; analyzing the image captured by the camera to detect an object within the anticipated input region based on illumination of the illumination source, wherein analyzing the image comprises; comparing portions of the image captured by the camera to a brightness threshold that defines a brightness level at which an illuminated object should surpass, but an unilluminated object should not surpass; identifying portions of the image captured by the camera that are above the brightness threshold based on the comparison; and detecting the object within the anticipated input region based on the identified portions of the image captured by the camera that are above the brightness threshold; determining user input based on the object detected within the anticipated input region; and controlling an application based on the determined user input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method, comprising:
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capturing an image of a field of view of a first area in front of a display surface at which images are displayed, the first area in front of the display surface being an area in which users are able to perceive the display surface; illuminating a second area in front of the display surface while the image is being captured, the second area intersecting the first area to define an anticipated input region within the field of view, the anticipated input region being less than all of the field of view and corresponding to a location in front of the display surface where physical objects are expected to be positioned when user input is being provided to an electronic system and where physical objects are expected to be absent when user input is not being provided to the electronic system; analyzing the captured image to detect an object within the anticipated input region based on the illuminating, wherein analyzing the image comprises; comparing portions of the image to a brightness threshold that defines a brightness level at which an illuminated object should surpass, but an unilluminated object should not surpass; identifying portions of the image that are above the brightness threshold based on the comparison; and detecting the object within the anticipated input region based on the identified portions of the image that are above the brightness threshold; determining user input based on the object detected within the anticipated input region; and controlling an application based on the determined user input.
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21. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for displaying images at a display surface where users are able to perceive images displayed; means for capturing an image having a field of view of a first area in front of the display surface, the first area in front of the display surface being an area in which users are able to perceive the display surface; means for illuminating a second area in front of the display surface, the second area intersecting the first area to define an anticipated input region within the field of view of the means for capturing the image, the anticipated input region being less than all of the field of view of the means for capturing the image and corresponding to a location in front of the display surface where physical objects are expected to be positioned when user input is being provided and where physical objects are expected to be absent when user input is not being provided, wherein the means for capturing the image captures the image while the means for illuminating the second area in front of the display surface is illuminating the second area; means for analyzing the image captured by the means for capturing the image to detect an object within the anticipated input region based on illumination by the means for illuminating, wherein the means for analyzing the image comprises; means for comparing portions of the image captured by the means for capturing the image to a brightness threshold that defines a brightness level at which an illuminated object should surpass, but an unilluminated object should not surpass; means for identifying portions of the image captured by the means for capturing the image that are above the brightness threshold based on the comparison; and means for detecting the object within the anticipated input region based on the identified portions of the image captured by the means for capturing the image that are above the brightness threshold; means for determining user input based on the object detected within the anticipated input region; and means for controlling an application based on the determined user input.
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22. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium, the computer program product comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:
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capture an image from a camera, wherein; the camera has a field of view of a first area in front of a display surface, the first area in front of the display surface being an area in which users are able to perceive the display surface; and the image is captured while an illumination source is illuminating a second area in front of the display surface, the second area intersecting the first area to define an anticipated input region within the field of view of the camera, the anticipated input region being less than all of the field of view of the camera and corresponding to a location in front of the display surface where physical objects are expected to be positioned when user input is being provided to the processor and where physical objects are expected to be absent when user input is not being provided to the processor; analyze the image captured by the camera to detect an object within the anticipated input region based on illumination of the illumination source, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to analyze the image comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to; compare portions of the image captured by the camera to a brightness threshold that defines a brightness level at which an illuminated object should surpass, but an unilluminated object should not surpass; identify portions of the image captured by the camera that are above the brightness threshold based on the comparison; and detect the object within the anticipated input region based on the identified portions of the image captured by the camera that are above the brightness threshold; determine user input based on the object detected within the anticipated input region; and control an application based on the determined user input.
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Specification