Optical touch system

• US 9,063,219 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, En-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US13/645,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20130088576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/586 from multiple light sources, e.g. photometric stereo
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An image system comprises a light source, an image sensing device, and a computing apparatus. The light source is configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion. The image sensing device is configured to generate a picture comprising an image. The image is produced by the object and comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object. The computing apparatus is configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image.

Claims

1. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, wherein the image comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part of the image and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion of the object and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image, wherein the picture is obtained by subtracting a picture that is taken when the light source is turned off from a picture that is taken when the light source is turned on.

2. The image system of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a plurality of portions, and the computing apparatus determines a plurality of first distances corresponding to the plurality of portions and a three-dimensional image using the plurality of first distances and the picture.

3. The image system of claim 1, wherein the light source emits invisible light and the image sensing device is configured to detect the invisible light.

4. The image system of claim 3, wherein the light source emits infrared light and the image sensing device is configured to detect infrared light.

5. The image system of claim 3, further comprising a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture comprising an image of the object, wherein the computing apparatus determines a position of the at least one part of the image of the picture and the dimension using the visible light picture.

6. The image system of claim 1, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor.

7. The image system of claim 1, wherein the computing apparatus compares the intensity value representing the at least one part of the image with a predetermined intensity range to determine either the time during which the light source is turned on or the exposure time of the image sensing device.

8. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, wherein the image comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part of the image and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion of the object and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor,

wherein the image sensing device comprises a pixel array and an automatic exposure control device coupled with the pixel array, and

wherein the automatic exposure control device is configured to compare the intensity value representing the at least one part of the image with a predetermined intensity range to determine an exposure control value, which is used to determine exposure time of the pixel array.

9. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, wherein the image comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part of the image and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion of the object and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image, wherein the object comprises two connected portions and the image comprises two connected parts corresponding to the two connected portions, and

wherein the computing apparatus determines intensity values respectively representing the two connected parts and a second distance between one of the two connected portions and the image sensing device, and reflectance of another of the two connected portions, according to the intensity values respectively representing the two connected parts and the second distance.

10. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, wherein the image comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part of the image and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion of the object and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image, wherein the computing apparatus determines two third distances between two portions of the object respectively corresponding to two parts of the image and the image sensing device by dimensions of the two parts of the image, and checks one of the two third distances with another of the two third distances.

11. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, wherein the image comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part of the image and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion of the object and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image, wherein the computing apparatus determines two fourth distances between two portions of the object respectively corresponding to two parts of the image and the image sensing device by dimensions of the two parts of the image, and checks reflectance of one of the two portions with the two fourth distances.

12. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a first portion and a second portion connected with the first portion, wherein the first portion comprises reflectance different from that of the second portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, the image comprising a first part corresponding to the first portion of the object and a second part corresponding to the second portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine reflectance of the second portion of the object using an intensity value representing the first part of the image and an intensity value representing the second part of the image, wherein the computer apparatus compares the intensity value representing the first part of the image with a predetermined intensity range to determine either the time during which the light source is turned on or the exposure time of the image sensing device.

13. The image system of claim 12, wherein the computing apparatus determines a dimension of the first part of the image and a distance between the first portion of the object and the image sensing device by the dimension.

14. The image system of claim 12, wherein the light source emits invisible light and the image sensing device detects the invisible light, and the image system further comprises a visible light image sensing device that determines a position of the first part of the image and a dimension of the first part of the image.

15. The image system of claim 14, wherein the light source emits infrared light and the image sensing device detects infrared light.

16. The image system of claim 12, wherein the image sensing device detects visible light.

17. The image system of claim 12, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor.

18. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a first portion and a second portion connected with the first portion, wherein the first portion comprises reflectance different from that of the second portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, the image comprising a first part corresponding to the first portion of the object and a second part corresponding to the second portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine reflectance of the second portion of the object using an intensity value representing the first part of the image and an intensity value representing the second part of the image, wherein the picture is obtained by subtracting a picture that is taken when the light source is turned off from a picture that is taken when the light source is turned on.

19. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a first portion and a second portion connected with the first portion, wherein the first portion comprises reflectance different from that of the second portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an image produced by the object, the image comprising a first part corresponding to the first portion of the object and a second part corresponding to the second portion of the object; and

a computing apparatus configured to determine reflectance of the second portion of the object using an intensity value representing the first part of the image and an intensity value representing the second part of the image, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor, and wherein the image sensing device comprises a pixel array and an automatic exposure control device coupled with the pixel array, wherein the automatic exposure control device compares the intensity value representing the first part of the image with a predetermined intensity range to determine an exposure control value, which is used to control exposure time of the pixel array.

20. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object;

an image sensing device configured to generate, in sequence, a first picture and a second picture respectively comprising an image produced by the object;

a computing apparatus configured to determine a distance between the object and the image sensing device by the image of the first picture, to determine a first intensity value representing the image of the first picture and a second intensity value representing the image of the second picture and corresponding to the first intensity value, and to determine a travel distance of the object from the time that the first picture is generated until the time that the second picture is generated using the first intensity value, the second intensity value, and the distance; and

a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture comprising an image of the object, wherein the computing apparatus determines a position and a dimension of a part of the image of the first or second picture, and

wherein the light source emits invisible light and the image sensing device detects the invisible light.

21. The image system of claim 20, wherein the image sensing device detects visible light.

22. The image system of claim 20, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor.

23. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object;

an image sensing device configured to generate, in sequence, a first picture and a second picture respectively comprising an image produced by the object;

a computing apparatus configured to determine a distance between the object and the image sensing device by the image of the first picture, to determine a first intensity value representing the image of the first picture and a second intensity value representing the image of the second picture and corresponding to the first intensity value, and to determine a travel distance of the object from the time that the first picture is generated until the time that the second picture is generated using the first intensity value, the second intensity value, and the distance, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor,

wherein image sensing device comprises a pixel array and an automatic exposure control device coupled with the pixel array, and wherein the automatic exposure control device compares the first intensity value with a predetermined intensity range to determine an exposure control value, which is used to determine exposure time of the pixel array.

24. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a plurality of portions;

an image sensing device configured to generate a plurality of pictures with each comprising an image produced by the object and each image comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to the plurality of portions; and

a computing apparatus configured to generate motion signals corresponding to the plurality of portions of the object according to changes in positions and intensity values of the plurality of parts of the images, wherein each picture is obtained by subtracting a picture that is taken when the light source is turned off from a picture that is taken when the light source is turned on.

25. The image system of claim 24, wherein the computing apparatus determines a three-dimensional image of the object according to the positions and the intensity values of each image.

26. The image system of claim 24, wherein the light source emits invisible light and the image sensing device detects the invisible light.

27. The image system of claim 26, further comprising a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture comprising an image of the object, wherein the computing apparatus determines the position and a dimension of one of the parts of the image of one picture using the image of the visible light picture.

28. The image system of claim 24, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor.

29. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a plurality of portions;

an image sensing device configured to generate a plurality of pictures with each comprising an image produced by the object and each image comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to the plurality of portions; and

a computing apparatus configured to generate motion signals corresponding to the plurality of portions of the object according to changes in positions and intensity values of the plurality of parts of the images, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor,

wherein the image sensing device comprises a pixel array and an automatic exposure control device coupled with the pixel array, and

wherein the automatic exposure control device compares the intensity value representing one of the parts of one of the images with a predetermined intensity range to determine an exposure control value, which is used to determine exposure time of the pixel array.

30. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a plurality of portions;

an image sensing device configured to generate a plurality of pictures with each comprising an image produced by the object and each image comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to the plurality of portions; and

a computing apparatus configured to generate motion signals corresponding to the plurality of portions of the object according to changes in positions and intensity values of the plurality of parts of the images,

wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor, and

wherein the computing apparatus compares the intensity value representing one of the parts of one of the images with a predetermined intensity range to determine either the time during which the light source is turned on or the exposure time of the image sensing device.