Systems, methods, and apparatuses for spatial input associated with a display

• US 8,957,856 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Stinson, Willis D. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Yaron
• Application Number:
  US12/909,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• 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 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light

Abstract

An exemplary system includes a handheld user input device configured to emit a pointing signal and a selection signal from within a physical user space and directed at a display screen. The exemplary system further includes a spatial input subsystem configured to detect the pointing signal, determine a physical position within the physical user space based on the detected pointing signal, map the determined physical position within the physical user space to a cursor position on the display screen, output data representative of the cursor position for use by a display subsystem associated with the display screen, detect the selection signal, and output, in response to the selection signal, data representative of a selection command for use by the display subsystem. Corresponding systems, methods, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a handheld user input device including a power source that provides power for the handheld user input device to

emit a pointing signal from within a physical user space and directed at a display screen, the pointing signal having a first signal attribute, and

emit a selection signal from within the physical user space and directed at the display screen, the selection signal including a strobe having a second signal attribute distinguishing the selection signal from the pointing signal; and

a spatial input subsystem configured to

detect the pointing signal,

determine a physical position within the physical user space based on the detected pointing signal,

map the determined physical position within the physical user space to a cursor position on the display screen,

output data representative of the cursor position for use by a display subsystem associated with the display screen,

detect the selection signal, and

output, in response to the selection signal, data representative of a selection command for use by the display subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pointing signal comprises one of a discrete infrared signal and a discrete visible light signal and the selection signal comprises the other one of the discrete infrared signal and the discrete visible light signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical user space comprises a three-dimensional user space located in front of the display screen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the spatial input subsystem comprises one or more cameras; and

the physical user space coincides with a field of view of the one or more cameras.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the handheld user input device comprises an outer housing configured to be held by a user; and

the handheld user input device is configured to emit the selection signal from within the physical user space when a segment of the outer housing of the handheld user input device is compressed by the user to cause a switch to complete a selection circuit within the handheld user input device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the spatial input subsystem is configured to map the determined physical position within the physical user space to the cursor position on the display screen based on one of a plane projection heuristic and a vector projection heuristic.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the handheld user input device is further configured to emit a reference signal from within the physical user space; and

the spatial input subsystem is further configured to

detect the reference signal,

determine an additional physical position within the physical user space based on the detected reference signal, and

utilize the physical position and the additional physical position within the physical user space to map the physical position to the cursor position on the display screen.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the spatial input subsystem is configured to utilize the physical position and the additional physical position to map the physical position to the cursor position by

determining a vector based on the physical position and the additional physical position;

determining an intersection of the vector with the display screen; and

setting the intersection as the cursor position.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld user input device is further configured to

detect movement of the handheld user input device,

begin emitting the pointing signal in response to the detected movement, and

continue to emit the pointing signal until movement of the handheld user input device is not detected for a predetermined time period.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld user input device comprises:

an elongate housing configured to be held by a user;

a discrete pointing signal source integrated at an end of the elongate housing and configured to emit the pointing signal; and

a discrete selection signal source integrated at the same end of the elongate housing and configured to emit the selection signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the handheld user input device further comprises:

a first switch configured to selectively connect the power source to the pointing signal source to cause the pointing signal source to emit the pointing signal; and

a second switch configured to selectively connect the power source to the selection signal source to cause the selection signal source to emit the selection signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the handheld user input device further comprises a reference signal source protruding from and encircling the elongate housing at a position along the elongate housing that is distant of the end of the elongate housing, the reference signal source configured to emit a reference signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the handheld user input device further comprises:

a switch configured to selectively connect the power source to the pointing signal source to cause the pointing signal source to emit the pointing signal and to the reference signal source to cause the reference signal source to emit the reference signal.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the spatial input subsystem is further configured to

associate the cursor position with an object displayed on the display screen;

and

select, in response to the data representative of the selection command being output, the object displayed on the display screen.

15. A system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to capture data representative of a physical user space that is remote from the at least one sensor, the data representative of the physical user space including data representative of a pointing signal and a selection signal emitted by a handheld user input device from within the physical user space, wherein

the handheld user input device includes a power source that provides power for the handheld user input device to emit the pointing signal and the selection signal,

the pointing signal has a first signal attribute, and

the selection signal includes a strobe having a second signal attribute distinguishing the selection signal from the pointing signal; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the computing device configured to

provide display content for presentation on a display screen,

receive data representative of the physical user space from the at least one sensor,

analyze the data representative of the physical user space to detect the pointing signal and the selection signal,

determine a physical position within the physical user space based on the pointing signal,

map the physical position within the physical user space to a cursor position on the display screen, and

execute one or more operations associated with the display content based on the cursor position and the selection signal.

16. A method comprising:

detecting, by a spatial input subsystem, a pointing signal having a first signal attribute and emitted by a handheld user input device from within a physical user space and directed at a display screen, the handheld user input device including a power source that provides power for the handheld user input device to emit the pointing signal;

determining, by the spatial input subsystem, a physical position within the physical user space based on the detected pointing signal;

mapping, by the spatial input subsystem, the determined physical position within the physical user space to a cursor position on the display screen;

outputting, by the spatial input subsystem, data representative of the cursor position for use by a display subsystem associated with the display screen;

detecting, by the spatial input subsystem, a selection signal including a strobe having a second signal attribute distinguishing the selection signal from the pointing signal and emitted by the handheld user input device from within the physical user space and directed at the display screen, the power source included in the handheld user input device providing power for the handheld user input device to emit the selection signal; and

outputting, by the spatial input subsystem in response to the selection signal, data representative of a selection command for use by the display subsystem.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the detecting of the pointing signal comprises one or more cameras of the spatial input subsystem detecting the pointing signal; and

the detecting of the selection signal comprises the one or more cameras of the spatial input subsystem detecting the selection signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pointing signal comprises one of a discrete infrared signal and a discrete visible light signal and the selection signal comprises the other one of the discrete infrared signal and the discrete visible light signal.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mapping of the determined physical position within the physical user space to the cursor position on the display screen is based on one of a plane projection heuristic and a vector projection heuristic.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, by the spatial input subsystem, a reference signal emitted by the handheld user input device from within the physical user space; and

determining, by the spatial input subsystem, an additional physical position within the physical user space based on the detected reference signal;

wherein the mapping of the determined physical position within the physical user space to the cursor position on the display screen includes utilizing the physical position and the additional physical position within the physical user space to map the physical position to the cursor position on the display screen.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the utilizing of the physical position and the additional physical position to map the physical position to the cursor position on the display screen includes:

determining a vector based on the physical position and the additional physical position;

determining an intersection of the vector with the display screen; and

setting the intersection as the cursor position.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, by the handheld user input device, movement of the handheld user input device; and

emitting, by the handheld user input device, the pointing signal in response to the movement of the handheld user input device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting, by the handheld user input device, a lack of movement of the handheld user input device for a predetermined period of time; and

terminating, by the handheld user input device, the emitting of the pointing signal in response to the lack of movement of the handheld user input device for the predetermined period of time.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

emitting, by the handheld user input device, the selection signal in response to a compression of a flexible segment of an outer housing of the handheld user input device; and

terminating, by the handheld user input device, the emitting of the selection signal in response to a release of the compression of the flexible segment of the outer housing of the handheld user input device.

25. The method of claim 16, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a elongate housing configured to be held by a user;

a pointing signal source disposed at an end of the elongate housing and configured to generate and emit a pointing signal having a first signal attribute from a physical user space and directed at a display screen, the pointing signal configured for detection by a spatial input subsystem associated with the display screen;

a selection signal source disposed at the end of the elongate housing and configured to generate and emit a selection signal including a strobe having a second signal attribute distinguishing the selection signal from the pointing signal from the physical user space and directed at the display screen, the selection signal configured for detection by the spatial input subsystem associated with the display screen;

a power source disposed within the elongate housing and configured to provide power to at least the pointing signal source and the selection signal source;

a motion sensor disposed within the elongate housing and configured to sense movement of the apparatus;

a first switch disposed within the elongate housing and configured to

selectively connect the power source to the pointing signal source to cause the pointing signal source to emit the pointing signal in response to the motion sensor sensing movement of the apparatus, and

selectively disconnect the power source from the pointing signal source to cause the pointing signal source to stop emitting the pointing signal in response to the motion sensor not sensing movement of the apparatus for a predetermined period of time; and

a second switch within the elongate housing and configured to

selectively connect the power source to the selection signal source to cause the selection signal source to emit the selection signal in response to a compression of a flexible segment of the elongate housing, and

selectively disconnect the power source from the selection signal source to cause the selection signal source to stop emitting the selection signal in response to a release of the compression of the flexible segment of the elongate housing.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a reference signal source disposed along an outer surface of the elongate housing at a position that is distant the end of the elongate housing, the reference signal source configured to emit a reference signal;

wherein the first switch is further configured to

selectively connect the power source to the reference signal source to cause the reference signal source to emit the reference signal in response to the motion sensor sensing movement of the apparatus, and

selectively disconnect the power source from the reference signal source to cause the reference signal source to stop emitting the reference signal in response to the motion sensor not sensing movement of the apparatus for the predetermined period of time.