Tracking approaching or hovering objects for user interfaces

• US 8,599,173 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soo, Armstrong, Brandt, Jeffrey, Ku, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US13/555,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/165, 345/166, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1804
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can utilize photo-sensors embedded in a substantially transparent layer of a UI display for tracking objects that approach or hover over the UI display. The photo-sensors can be configured to detect light of certain wavelengths (e.g., visible light, infrared light) that are propagated toward the UI display, while ignoring light emanating from the UI display when displaying content. Accordingly, by examining various characteristics of the incoming light such as intensity, the architecture can identify a location of a shadow incident upon the display caused by an approaching or hovering selector object blocking portions of incoming light. Additionally or alternatively, the architecture can identify a location of higher intensity for light emanating from the selector object.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving at a set of photosensors incoming electromagentic radiation from a source remote from a multilayer display;

determining a position of a selector object relative to the multilayer display using data collected by the set of photosensors that detect incoming electromagnetic radiation,

wherein the multilayer display comprises an exposed surface layer that is protective and transparent, a display layer that presents visual output and is located behind the exposed surface layer, and multiple sensing layers that are transparent, comprise the set of photosensors, and are located between the display layer and the exposed surface layer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a sensing layer from the multiple sensing layers is included in the exposed surface layer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collected by the set of photosensors comprises information representing an intensity of, and an angle of incidence of, the incoming electromagnetic radiation that traverses the exposed surface layer prior to detection by the set of photosensors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of photosensors reject sensing of outgoing electromagnetic radiation that propagates from the display layer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise mapping the position of the selector object to a screen coordinate for the multilayer display using the data collected by the set of photosensors.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the position of the selector object is mapped to the screen coordinate using location data representing a location of a shadow associated with the selector object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the location of the shadow is identified based upon a determination that the incoming electromagnetic radiation at the location is at a reduced intensity relative to other locations.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the location is a first location and the shadow is a first shadow, and the location data further represents a second location of a second shadow identified based upon a determination that a predetermined spectrum range of the incoming electromagnetic radiation at the second location is at an increased intensity relative to other locations.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor and a set of photosensors, incoming electromagnetic radiation that propagates to a multilayer display comprising a transparent protective layer with an exposed face, a display layer residing beneath the transparent protective layer, and multiple transparent sensing layers that comprise the set of photosensors residing between the display layer and the exposed face;

storing, by the system, data collected by the set of photosensors that relates to an attribute of the incoming electromagnetic radiation; and

determining, by the system, a position of a selector object based upon the data collected by the set of photosensors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the attribute relates to an angle of incidence for the incoming electromagnetic radiation with respect to the multilayer display that is determined by the system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the attribute relates to an intensity measurement for the incoming electromagnetic radiation that is determined by the system.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising discarding, by the system, other data that is associated with outgoing electromagnetic radiation that emanates from the display layer.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, by the system, based upon the data collected by the set of photosensors, coordinate data representing a display coordinate associated with the multilayer display that corresponds to the position of the selector object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the display coordinate is based upon determining a location of a region of interest included in the multilayer display resulting from a determined change in the incoming electromagnetic radiation caused by the selector object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined change relates to an intensity measurement for the incoming electromagnetic radiation at the location that is less than a previous intensity measurement for the incoming electromagnetic radiation at the location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined change relates to an intensity measurement for a specified range of wavelengths of the incoming electromagnetic radiation at the location that is greater than a previous intensity measurement for the specified wavelengths of the incoming electromagnetic radiation at the location.

17. A system, comprising:

a touch-sensitive multilayer display comprising;

a transparent protective layer that comprises an exposed surface for the multilayer display;

a display layer, covered by the transparent protective layer, that presents content;

a transparent touch-sensitive layer, situated between the exposed surface and the display layer, that detects contact to the multilayer display; and

multiple transparent sensing layers, situated between the exposed surface and the display layer, comprising a set of photosensors that detect incoming electromagnetic radiation that propagates to the multilayer display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a sensing layer from the multiple transparent sensing layers is situated within the transparent protective layer.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein a sensing layer from the multiple transparent sensing layers is situated between two touch-sensitive layers included in the transparent touch-sensitive layer.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations comprising determining a position of a selector object relative to the multilayer display based upon data collected by the set of photosensors and mapping the position of the selector object to a screen coordinate for the multilayer display based upon the data collected by the set of photosensors.