Touchless pointing device

• US 8,907,894 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northridge Associates LLC
• Original Assignee: Northridge Associates LLC
• Inventors: Gervais, William J., Helmick, Mark H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US12/732,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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

A touchless input device for a computer replaces a computer mouse and does not require physical contact between the user-operator and any part of the input device. The touchless input device uses multiple, linear near infrared, optical sensors and multiple near infrared light emitters working in a plane in space, all held inside a frame with an opening that defines the detection region. The device images the plane and processes the images to determine the presence, location and velocity of objects in the plane. The operator introduces an object, such as a finger, into the plane and moves the object in the plane to emulate the motion of a computer mouse across a desktop. Mouse buttons and other functions are emulated by unique motions in the plane. The device communicates these motions and events to the computer typically using a Universal Serial Bus.

Claims

1. A touchless pointing device to control a computer in a sterile environment wherein a user controls with a digit, hand gesture, or stylus but does not directly contact the pointing device for operation, comprising:

a frame having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first planar area between the top and bottom edges containing a polygonal opening therethrough, and a compartment adjacent the bottom edge, the compartment having a front wall defining a second planar area, wherein the second planar area is substantially parallel to the first planar area;

a support adjacent the top edge to incline the frame;

at least a first and a second infrared emitter/detector assemblies disposed in the compartment and aimed at the polygonal opening of the frame, projecting and detecting a flashing infrared signal within a first detection region defined by the polygonal opening containing x and y axes and in between the first and second planar areas for a z axis;

at least a third and a fourth infrared emitter/detector assemblies contained within the compartment aimed through apertures at the bottom of the frame to define second and third detection regions proximate the apertures;

a lens and filter adapted to at least the first and second emitter/detector assemblies;

a digital signal processor connected to the infrared emitter/detector assemblies, wherein a flashing reflection from the digit, hand gesture or stylus is received simultaneously by the emitter/detector assemblies, and processed by the digital signal processor to detect the presence, two-dimensional position, and motion of the digit, hand gesture or stylus within the first detection region; and

a power and signal cable connecting the computer to the digital signal processor.

2. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the first and a second infrared emitter/detector assemblies include a near infrared linear detector.

3. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the device includes at least one of a visual feedback LED connected to the digital signal processor, which digital signal processor also includes a tone generator.

4. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the frame is fabricated from a single, integral sheet of material wherein the support at the top includes a section of material folded downward, and the compartment includes two sections of material folded to form a channel.

5. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein at least the first and second infrared detectors are aimed crisscross and a half cylinder shaped focusing lens is positioned along the signal paths of the first and second infrared emitters.

6. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein at least the first and second infrared emitter/detector assemblies are aimed crisscross into the first detection region.

7. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein frame is inclined at about 15 degrees +/−

1 degree relative to a horizontal surface.

8. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the lens includes a high F-stop small aperture.

9. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the filter enables passage of infrared light only.

10. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the polygonal opening includes a rectangular shape that is proportional in size to a display screen of the computer.

11. The touchless pointing device of claim 1, wherein the device functions as a mouse such that movement of an object within the first detection region controls movement of a cursor of the computer, and objects detected within the second and third detection regions duplicate left and right mouse clicks.

12. A touchless pointing device to control a computer in a sterile environment wherein a user controls with a digit, hand gesture, or stylus but does not directly contact the pointing device for operation, comprising:

a frame with a compartment having a thickness, and the frame including a first planar area containing an opening therethrough;

at least a first and a second electromagnetic signal emitter/detector assemblies disposed in the compartment and aimed out of the compartment toward the opening in the planar area of the frame, defining a first detection region generally bounded in x and y axes by the opening and in a z axis according to the thickness of the compartment;

a third electromagnetic signal emitter/detector assembly contained within the compartment aimed through an aperture in the frame to define a second detection region proximate the aperture;

a digital signal processor connected to the electromagnetic emitter/detector assemblies, wherein the emitter/detector assembly emits a rapidly flashing, unswept signal such that a flashing reflection from the digit, hand gesture or stylus is received simultaneously by the emitter/detector assemblies, and is synchronously de-modulated and processed by the digital signal processor to continuously detect the presence, two-dimensional position, and motion of the digit, hand gesture or stylus within the first detection region; and

a signal transmission means for connecting the computer to the digital signal processor.

13. The touchless pointing device of claim 12, wherein the digital signal processor generates audio and visual signals conveyed to a LED and a speaker, respectively.

14. The touchless pointing device of claim 12, wherein the signal transmission means includes at least one of a USB cable, an ethernet cable, a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, an HDMI cable, an infrared transceiver, a radio transceiver, and a WiFi transceiver.

15. The touchless pointing device of claim 12, wherein a high F-stop lens and band pass filter are adapted to the detector of the first and second emitter/detector assemblies.

16. The touchless pointing device of claim 12, wherein the x and y axes bounded opening defining the first detection region is rectangular shaped and scaled proportionately to a screen size of a video display of the computer.

17. A touchless pointing device to control a computer in a sterile environment wherein a user controls with a digit, hand gesture, or stylus but does not directly contact the pointing device for operation, comprising:

a frame having a compartment and a planar area containing an opening therethrough;

a support underneath the frame to incline the frame toward the user;

at least a first and a second infrared emitter/detector assemblies disposed at different locations in the compartment and aimed toward the opening in the planar area of the frame;

a focusing lens disposed in front of the infrared emitters of the first and second infrared emitter/detector assemblies, wherein the focusing lens focuses a flashing infrared signal into a virtual plane defining a first detection region proximate to and generally bounded by the frame opening;

at least a third and a fourth infrared emitter/detector assemblies contained within the compartment aimed through apertures in the frame to define second and third detection regions proximate the apertures;

a digital signal processor connected to the infrared emitter/detector assemblies, wherein a flashing reflection from the digit, hand gesture or stylus is received simultaneously by the emitter/detector assemblies, and processed by the digital signal processor to detect a peak amplitude representing the reflection to detect the presence, two-dimensional position, and motion of the digit, hand gesture or stylus within the first detection region; and

a signal transmission means for connecting the computer to the digital signal processor.

18. The touchless pointing device of claim 17, wherein the infrared emitter/detector assemblies operate in the near infrared range of about 0.74 μ

m to 1.4 μ

m in wavelength.

19. The touchless pointing device of claim 17, wherein the infrared emitter/detector assemblies include a linear, one-dimensional, infrared detector.

20. The touchless pointing device of claim 17, wherein the focusing lens includes a half cylinder shaped lens disposed in front of the emitters of the first and second infrared emitter/detector assemblies.