Three-dimensional space touch apparatus using multiple infrared cameras

• US 8,786,576 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Jung, Kwang Mo, Park, Young Choong, Choi, Kwang Soon, Park, Woo Chul, Seo, Hae Moon, Ahn, Yang Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): STONE, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US12/975,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175
• 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 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a 3D space touch apparatus. The 3D space touch apparatus includes a support, an infrared LED array, left and right infrared cameras, and a space touch sensor module. The support supports the infrared LED array and the left and right infrared cameras. The infrared LED array emits infrared rays, which form an infrared screen in a space above the support. The left and right infrared cameras are disposed on the left and right sides of the support so that the lenses thereof can be oriented to the infrared screen. The space touch sensor module calculates the X-, Y- and Z-axis coordinates of a location of the infrared screen, touched by user pointing means, using images captured by the left and right infrared cameras and information about the resolutions and angles of view of the left and right infrared cameras.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) space touch apparatus, comprising:

an infrared Light-Emitting Diode (LED) array;

left and right infrared cameras;

a support that supports the infrared LED array and the left and right infrared cameras,

wherein the infrared LED array emits infrared rays to form an infrared screen having a predetermined shape in a space above the support, and

wherein the left and right infrared cameras are disposed on left and right sides of the support so that lenses thereof can be oriented to the infrared screen; and

a space touch sensor module that calculates X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis coordinates of a selected location in the infrared screen, touched by user pointing means, using scattering or diffusion of the infrared rays generated in images including the selected location captured by the left and right infrared cameras when the selected location is touched by the user pointing means,

wherein the space touch sensor module;

calculates the Z-axis coordinate of the selected location in the infrared screen by dividing a vertical-axis coordinate of locations, corresponding to the selected location of the camera images touched by the user pointing means, by a resolution of the left and right infrared cameras, and multiplying a result of the division by a predetermined distance of the Z-axis; and

calculates the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen using lateral-axis coordinates of the locations in the camera images touched by the user pointing means and information about angles of view of the left and right infrared cameras.

2. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse generation unit that periodically generates a pulse signal; and

an LED driver unit coupled to the pulse generation unit,

wherein the LED driver unit supplies pulsed Direct Current (DC) power to the infrared LED array.

3. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the left and right infrared cameras perform capturing when the pulse signal is input from the pulse generation unit.

4. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the space touch sensor module further uses a difference between a previously stored background image and the image including the selected location to calculate the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen.

5. The 3D space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the resolutions of the left and right infrared cameras indicate a maximum physical distance of the Z-axis.

6. A space touch apparatus, comprising:

at least one infrared light source which emits at least one infrared ray to form an infrared screen having a predetermined coordinate frame in a space;

at least two cameras oriented to the infrared screen to respectively capture at least two images of an area including a selected location, touched by user pointing means, in the infrared screen; and

a space touch sensor module which calculates coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen using scattering or diffusion of the infrared ray generated in the at least two images of the area including the selected location respectively captured by the at least two cameras when the selected location is touched by the user pointing means,

wherein the space touch sensor module;

calculates a Z-axis coordinate of the selected location in the infrared screen by dividing a vertical-axis coordinate of locations, corresponding to the selected location of the camera images touched by the user pointing means, by a resolution of the at least two cameras, and multiplying a result of the division by a predetermined distance of the Z-axis; and

calculates X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen using lateral-axis coordinates of the locations of the camera images touched by the user pointing means and information about angles of view of the at least two cameras.

7. The space touch apparatus of claim 6, wherein the infrared screen has a three-dimensional (3D) shape, and the space touch sensor module calculates 3D coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen using the at least two images of the area including the selected location respectively captured by the at least two cameras.

8. The space touch apparatus of claim 7, wherein the space touch sensor module calculates the 3D coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen further using information about resolutions and angles of view of the at least two cameras.

9. The space touch apparatus of claim 6, wherein the infrared screen has a three-dimensional (3D) shape, and the space touch sensor module calculates 3D coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen using the at least two images of the area including the selected location respectively captured by the at least two cameras.

10. The space touch apparatus of claim 9, wherein the space touch sensor module calculates the 3D coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen further using information about resolutions and angles of view of the at least two cameras.

11. The space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the space touch sensor module further uses a difference between a previously stored background image and the at least two images including the selected location to calculate X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen.

12. A space touch apparatus, comprising:

at least one light source which emits at least one selected wavelength light ray to form a screen having a predetermined shape in a space;

at least two cameras including a left and a right infrared camera which respectively capture at least two images of an area including a selected location using scattering or diffusion of the selected wavelength light rays when the selected location is touched by user pointing means in the screen, and filtering out different wavelength lights;

a space touch sensor module which calculates coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen, touched by user pointing means, using the at least two images of the area including the selected location respectively captured by the at least two cameras,

wherein the space touch sensor module;

calculates a Z-axis coordinate of the selected location in the screen by dividing a vertical-axis coordinate of locations, corresponding to the selected location of the camera images touched by the user pointing means, by a resolution of the left and right infrared cameras, and multiplying a result of the division by a predetermined distance of the Z-axis; and

calculates X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen using lateral-axis coordinates of the locations in the camera images touched by the user pointing means and the information about angles of view of the left and right infrared cameras.

13. The space touch apparatus of claim 12, wherein the screen has a three-dimensional (3D) shape, and the space touch sensor module calculates 3D coordinates of the selected location in the screen, touched by user pointing means, using the at least two images of the area including the selected location respectively captured by the at least two cameras.

14. The space touch apparatus of claim 13, wherein the space touch sensor module calculates the 3D coordinates of the selected location in the screen further using information about resolutions and angles of view of the at least two cameras.

15. The space touch apparatus of claim 12, wherein the screen has a three-dimensional (3D) shape, and the space touch sensor module calculates 3D coordinates of the selected location in the screen using the at least two images of the area including the selected location respectively captured by the at least two cameras.

16. The space touch apparatus of claim 15, wherein the space touch sensor module calculates the 3D coordinates of the selected location in the screen further using information about resolutions and angles of view of the at least two cameras.

17. The space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the space touch sensor module further uses a difference between a previously stored background image and the at least two images including the selected location to calculate X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the selected location in the infrared screen.

18. The space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein a number of the at least one light source is two or more,

wherein a size of the screen is determined by the number of the at least one infrared light source, and

wherein the screen is formed independently from fields of view of the at least two cameras and is not limited by a physical boundary to form the predetermined shape in the space.

19. The space touch apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein a number of the at least one light source is two or more,

wherein a size of the screen is determined by the number of the at least one light source, and

wherein the screen is formed independently from fields of view of the at least two cameras and is not limited by a physical boundary to form the predetermined shape in the space.