Three-dimensional pointing sensing apparatus and method

• US 8,773,531 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hyong Euk, Bang, Won-Chul, Kim, SangHyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US12/662,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• US Class Current: 348/140
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) pointing sensing apparatus may be provided. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus may include an image generation unit that may photograph a first light source and a second light source in a light emitting unit, and generate an image including an image of the first light source and an image of a second light source. Also, the 3D pointing sensing apparatus may include an orientation calculation unit that may calculate an orientation of the light emitting unit, using a size difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source in the image.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) pointing sensing apparatus, comprising:

an image generation unit to photograph a first light source and a second light source in a light emitting unit, and to generate an image including an image of the first light source and an image of a second light source, wherein light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source pass through a hole of the three-dimensional (3D) pointing sensing apparatus; and

an orientation calculation unit to calculate an orientation of a vector between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit, using a size difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source in the image to calculate a first angle of the vector with respect to a first two dimensional plane of the image generation unit using at least one processing device,

wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based in part on the first angle of the vector,

wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source to calculate a second angle of the vector with respect to a second two dimensional plane of the image generation unit, and

wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based on the first angle of the vector and the second angle of the vector.

2. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a position calculation unit to calculate a position of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source in the image.

3. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the position calculation unit calculates the position of the light emitting unit, using the calculated orientation of the light emitting unit, the position of the image of the first light source, and the position of the image of the second light source.

4. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image is an infrared (IR) image generated when the image generation unit photographs the first light source and the second light source.

5. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image generation unit filters out light excluding an IR wavelength after photographing the first light source and the second light source to generate the IR image.

6. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first light source and the second light source is an IR emitting unit of a remote control which controls an electronic device,

the IR emitting unit encodes each of an IR light and a control signal using different codes and transmits the encoded IR light and control signal, when transmitting the IR light for calculating the orientation of the light emitting unit and when transmitting the control signal for controlling the electronic device, and

the image generation unit photographs and decodes the IR light from the IR emitting unit of the remote control, and generates the image when a decoding result is determined as the IR light for calculating the orientation of the light emitting unit.

7. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the light emitting unit, using the size difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source, and an intensity difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source.

19. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a position calculation unit to calculate a distance from the hole of the 3-D pointing sensing apparatus to a middle point between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit based on the position of the image of the first light source, the position of the image of the second light source, a known fixed distance between the first light source and the second light source, and one of the first angle of the vector and the second angle of the vector.

20. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the first two dimensional plane of the image generation unit is one of the X-Y plane of the image generation unit, X-Z plane of the image generation unit, and the Y-Z plane of the image generation unit,

wherein the second two dimensional plane of the image generation unit is one of the X-Y plane of the image generation unit, X-Z plane of the image generation unit, and the Y-Z plane of the image generation unit, and

wherein the second two dimensional plane of the image generation unit is a different plane than the first two dimensional plane of the image generation unit.

8. A three-dimensional (3D) pointing sensing apparatus, comprising:

an image generation unit to photograph a first light source and a second light source in a light emitting unit, and to generate an image including an image of the first light source and an image of a second light source, wherein light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source pass through a hole of the three-dimensional (3D) pointing apparatus; and

an orientation calculation unit to calculate an orientation of a vector between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit, using an intensity difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source in the image to calculate a first angle of the vector with respect to a first two dimensional plane of the image generation unit using at least one processing device,

wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based in part on the first angle of the vector,

wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source to calculate a second angle of the vector with respect to a second two dimensional plane of the image generation unit, and

wherein the orientation calculation unit calculates the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based on the first angle of the vector and the second angle of the vector.

9. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a position calculation unit to calculate a position of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source in the image.

10. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the position calculation unit calculates the position of the light emitting unit, using the calculated orientation of the light emitting unit, the position of the image of the first light source, and the position of the image of the second light source.

11. The 3D pointing sensing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image is an infrared (IR) image generated when the image generation unit photographs the first light source and the second light source.

12. A three-dimensional (3D) pointing sensing method, comprising:

photographing a first light source and a second light source in a light emitting unit, and generating an image including an image of the first light source and an image of a second light source, wherein light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source pass through a hole of a three-dimensional (3D) pointing apparatus;

calculating an orientation of a vector between the first light source and the second light source; and

calculating an orientation of the light emitting unit, using a size difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source in the image to calculate a first angle of the vector with respect to a first two dimensional plane of the image generation unit using at least one processing device,

wherein the calculating of the orientation of the light emitting unit includes calculating the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based in part on the first angle of the vector,

wherein the calculating of the orientation of the light emitting unit includes calculating the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source to calculate a second angle of the vector with respect to a second two dimensional plane of the image generation unit, and

wherein the calculating of the orientation of the light emitting unit includes calculating the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based on the first angle of the vector and the second angle of the vector.

13. The 3D pointing sensing method of claim 12, wherein the calculating calculates the orientation of the light emitting unit, using the size difference, a position of the image of the first light source, and a position of the image of the second light source.

14. The 3D pointing sensing method of claim 12, further comprising:

calculating a position of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source in the image.

15. The 3D pointing sensing method of claim 14, wherein the calculating of the position calculates the position of the light emitting unit, using the calculated orientation of the light emitting unit, the position of the image of the first light source, and the position of the image of the second light source.

16. The 3D pointing sensing method of claim 12, wherein the generating of the image comprises:

photographing the first light source and the second light source to generate the image; and

filtering out light excluding an infrared (IR) wavelength, and generating the IR image from the image.

17. The 3D pointing sensing method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first light source and the second light source is an infrared (IR) emitting unit of a remote control controlling an electronic device,

the IR emitting unit encodes each of an IR light and a control signal using different codes and transmits the encoded IR and control signal, when transmitting the IR light for calculating the orientation of the light emitting unit and when transmitting the control signal for controlling the electronic device, and

the generating of the image comprises:

photographing the IR light from the IR emitting unit of the remote control, and recognizing an IR element; and

decoding the recognized IR element, and generating the image when a decoding result is determined as the IR light for calculating the orientation of the light emitting unit.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with instructions causing at least one processing device to perform a three-dimensional (3D) pointing sensing method comprising:

photographing a first light source and a second light source in an light emitting unit, and generating an image including an image of the first light source and an image of a second light source, wherein light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source pass through a hole of a three-dimensional (3D) pointing apparatus;

calculating an orientation of a vector between the first light source and the second light source; and

calculating an orientation of the light emitting unit, using a size difference between the image of the first light source and the image of the second light source in the image to calculate a first angle of the vector with respect to a first two dimensional plane of the image generation unit using at least one processing device,

wherein the calculating of the orientation of the light emitting unit includes calculating the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based in part on the first angle of the vector,

wherein the calculating of the orientation of the light emitting unit includes calculating the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source of the light emitting unit, using a position of the image of the first light source and a position of the image of the second light source to calculate a second angle of the vector with respect to a second two dimensional plane of the image generation unit, and

wherein the calculating of the orientation of the light emitting unit includes calculating the orientation of the vector between the first light source and the second light source based on the first angle of the vector and the second angle of the vector.