Device and method for monitoring the object's behavior

• US 8,830,189 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zrro Technologies 2009 Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zrro Technologies 2009 Ltd.
• Inventors: Rimon, Ori, Zachut, Rafi, Sharvit, Vered Cohen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANDIS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US13/190,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 178 1801- 1811
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A monitoring unit is presented for use in monitoring a behavior of at least a part of a physical object. The monitoring unit comprises: a data input module configured for receiving measured data indicative of a behavior of at least a part of the physical object in a certain coordinate system associated with a predetermined sensing surface; and a digital signal processor configured and operable to be responsive to said measured data for transforming the measured data into an approximate representation of said at least portion of the physical object into a virtual coordinate system such that the transformation maintains a positional relationship between virtual points and corresponding portions within said at least part of the physical object. This technique enables further formatting of said approximate representation into a predetermined data input format of a certain electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring behavior of at least a part of a physical object with respect to a sensing surface so as to target and activate a virtual object on a remote screen, the method comprising:

(a) providing measured data indicative of a behavior of at least a part of a physical object with respect to a predetermined sensing surface, said measured data being indicative of said behavior in a first three-dimensional space;

(b) processing said measured data indicative of the behavior of said at least part of the physical object in said first three-dimensional space with respect to the sensing surface and transforming said measured data into an approximate representation of said behavior in a virtual coordinate system, the transformation maintaining a three-dimensional positional relationship between virtual points in said virtual coordinate system and corresponding portions of the physical object in said first three-dimensional space, the approximate representation including a representation of the distance from the corresponding portions of the physical objects to the sensing surface, said representation of the distance being indicative of a hovering height between said at least part of the physical object and said sensing surface; and

(c) displaying on the remote screen said approximate representation of the behavior of said at least part of the physical object, wherein the virtual object is targeted in hover on the remote screen, while being activated by touch of said sensing surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said approximate representation comprises representation of said at least part of the physical object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined sensing surface defines said first three-dimensional space being a remote coordinate system with respect to the virtual coordinate system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing surface is capable of generating said measured data in either one or a combination of both contact and contactless modes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing surface is capable of detecting absolute or relative position for each of said corresponding portions of the physical object with respect to the sensing surface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said measured data is in the form of a signal intensity map in said first three-dimensional space, said transforming comprises processing said signal intensity map.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said measured data is generated by a sensor matrix of said predetermined sensing surface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said sensor matrix of the sensing surface is capable of detecting user finger hand and tip locations in said first three-dimensional space.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting data to a remote location of said virtual coordinate system, the data being transmitted being either indicative of said approximate representation, or the measured data to enable said processing of the measured data into said approximate representation at said remote location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said transmitting comprises wireless signal transmission selected from the group consisting of at least one of IR, Bluetooth, radio frequency (RF), and acoustic transmission.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined sensing surface is a surface of a proximity sensor matrix.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined sensing surface is a surface of a capacitive proximity sensor matrix.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of said behavior comprises at least one of the following:

(a) a position of the portions of the physical object with respect to said predetermined sensing surface;

(b) a change in position of the portions of the physical object with respect to said predetermined sensing surface;

(c) a motion pattern of the portions of the physical object with respect to said predetermined sensing surface.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of said behavior comprises at least one of a change in position of the portions of the physical object with respect to said predetermined sensing surface, and a motion pattern of the portions of the physical object with respect to said predetermined sensing surface, said providing of the data indicative of the behavior of at least a part of the physical object comprises detecting the position of said at least part of the object using either one or a combination of both of a continuous detection mode and a sampling detection mode.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said transformation comprises determining data indicative of a distance between each of the virtual points and each of the corresponding portions of said at least part of the physical object.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying said at least part of the physical object, to thereby allow generation of the measured data.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising identifying noise energy in the vicinity of said proximity sensor matrix and operating the proximity sensor matrix accordingly.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said noise energy is identified by a frequency being in or at least partial overlapping an operative frequency range of said proximity sensor matrix, the operation of the proximity sensor matrix upon identifying the noise energy comprising either preventing measurements by said proximity sensor matrix or shifting the operative frequency to be outside of said range.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical object is associated with at least a part of a human body.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the physical object is associated with multiple fingers of at least one human hand.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the distance of said at least part of the physical object from the proximity sensor affects at least one of:

size, transparency level, darkness, color or shape of its corresponding presentation.

22. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying the approximate representation on the remote screen.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing of the measured data comprises obtaining data indicative of a path along which position of said at least part of the physical object is being changed with respect to the sensing surface.

24. A monitoring unit for use in monitoring a behavior of at least a part of a physical object with respect to a sensing surface so as to target and activate a virtual object on a remote screen, the monitoring unit comprising:

a data input module configured for receiving measured data indicative of a behavior of at least a part of the physical object in a certain three-dimensional space associated with a predetermined sensing surface, said measured data being indicative of said behavior in a three-dimensional space; and

a processor configured and operable to be responsive to said measured data for transforming the measured data into an approximate representation of said at least portion of the physical object into a virtual coordinate system such that the transformation maintains a three-dimensional positional relationship between virtual points in said virtual coordinate system and corresponding portions within said at least part of the physical object in said three-dimensional space, the approximate representation including a representation of the distance from the corresponding portions of the physical objects to the sensing surface, said representation of the distance being indicative of a hovering height between said at least part of the physical object and said sensing surface, and for sending for display on the remote screen said approximate representation of the behavior of said at least part of the physical object, wherein the virtual object is targeted in hover on the remote screen, while being activated by touch of said sensing surface.

25. A device for use in monitoring a behavior of a physical object, the device comprising:

the monitoring unit of claim 24, and

a position sensor device linked to the input data module of the monitoring unit, said position sensor device defining said sensing surface and said certain three-dimensional space and being configured and operable to generate said measured data indicative of the behavior of said at least part of the physical object in said certain three-dimensional space relative to said sensing surface.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said position sensor device comprises a proximity sensor matrix capable of generating said measured data in either one or a combination of both of contact and contactless modes.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein said proximity sensor matrix is associated with a keypad of an electronic device where the approximate representation of said behavior is to be applied, said measured data being indicative of the behavior of user'"'"'s fingers with respect to symbols of the keypad.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein said sensing surface is capable of detecting absolute or relative position for each of said corresponding portions of the physical object to the sensing surface.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein said position sensor device is capable of generating said measured data in the form of a signal intensity map in said first coordinate system, said processor being operable for processing said signal intensity map.

30. The device of claim 25, comprising a transmitter unit configured for transmitting data indicative of said representation of said at least part of the physical object to a remote location of said virtual coordinate system, said data being transmitted in at least one of IR, Bluetooth, RF and acoustic transmission modes.

31. The device of claim 25, comprising a formatter utility connectable to an output of the processor and configured and operable to receive data indicative of said approximate representation and converting said data into a predetermined format of data input into a certain electronic device.

32. The device of claim 25, comprising a formatter utility connectable to an output of the transmitter unit and configured and operable to receive data indicative of said approximate representation and converting said data into a predetermined format of data input into a certain electronic device.

33. A device for use in monitoring a behavior of a physical object, the device comprising:

the monitoring unit of claim 24, and

a data input unit configured to define said virtual coordinate system, said data input unit being linked to an output of said processor for receiving data indicative of said approximate representation.

34. The device of claim 33, comprising a formatter utility interconnected between said output of the processor and said data input unit, and being configured and operable to receive data indicative of said approximate representation and converting said data into a predetermined format of data input into said data input unit.

35. The device of claim 33, comprising a signal receiver unit configured for receiving the measured data indicative of said behavior with respect to the sensing surface and being in the form of at least one of IR, Bluetooth, RF and acoustic data and generating corresponding data input into said processor.

36. A system for monitoring a behavior of at least a part of a physical object with respect to a sensing surface so as to target and activate a virtual object on a remote screen, the system comprising:

(a) a position sensor comprising a sensing surface and defining a first three dimensional coordinate system within a sensing region in the vicinity of the sensing surface, the position sensor being configured and operable to generate measured data indicative of the behavior of at least part of the physical object with respect to said sensing surface in said first three-dimensional coordinate system, said measured data being indicative of said behavior in a three-dimensional space;

(b) a data presentation device defining a second coordinate system; and

(c) a processor interlinked between the position sensor device and said data presentation device, and being configured and operable to be responsive to said measured data for transforming the measured data into an approximate representation of said at least part of the physical object into the second coordinate system such that the transformation maintains a three-dimensional positional relationship between virtual points and corresponding portions within said at least part of the physical object, the approximate representation including a representation of the distance from the corresponding portions of the physical objects to the sensing surface, said representation of the distance being indicative of a hovering height between said at least part of the physical object and said sensing surface, and for sending for display on the remote screen said approximate representation of the behavior of said at least part of the physical object, wherein the virtual object is targeted in hover on the remote screen, while being activated by touch of said sensing surface.

37. A hand held device for use in monitoring a behavior of a physical object with respect to a sensing surface so as to target and activate a virtual object on a remote screen, the device comprising a monitoring unit comprising:

a position sensor device having a sensing surface and defining a sensing region in the vicinity of the sensing surface and being configured and operable to generate measured data indicative of behavior of at least part of a physical object in a certain three-dimensional coordinate system within said sensing region, said measured data being indicative of said behavior in a three-dimensional space; and

a processor configured and operable to be responsive to said measured data for transforming said measured data into an approximate representation of said at least portion of the physical object into a virtual coordinate system such that the transformation maintains a three-dimensional positional relationship between virtual points and corresponding portions within said at least part of the physical object, the approximate representation including a representation of the distance from the corresponding portions of the physical object to the sensing surface, said representation of the distance being indicative of a hovering height between said at least part of the physical object and said sensing surface, and for sending for display on the remote screen said approximate representation of the behavior of said at least part of the physical object, wherein the virtual object is targeted in hover on the remote screen, while being activated by touch of said sensing surface.