Interactive input system and method
First Claim
1. An interactive input system comprising:
- a liquid crystal display panel;
a first illumination source configured to provide a sheet of illumination across and contiguous with an exterior outer surface of the display panel such that when a pointer is brought into proximity with the outer surface and into the sheet of illumination, the pointer reflects illumination of the sheet of illumination through the display panel;
a second illumination source configured to provide illumination to an opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel thereby to backlight said display panel;
a plurality of imaging devices arranged at spaced locations proximate to but spaced from the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, each imaging device having a field of view aimed at an associated sub-region of the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel with the fields of view of neighboring imaging devices partially overlapping, the imaging devices configured to capture images including the illumination reflected by the pointer through the display panel;
processing structure in communication with the imaging devices, said processing structure configured to process the captured images to determine a location of the pointer relative to the exterior outer surface of the display panel, wherein the number of imaging devices and dimensions of the sub regions are selected to reduce dimensions of the interactive input system; and
a reflector positioned between the second illumination source and the imaging devices, the reflector having apertures corresponding to locations of the imaging devices and having a reflective surface facing the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, the reflective surface configured to reflect illumination impinging thereon to the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive input system comprises a display panel; a first illumination source providing illumination across an outer surface of the display panel such that when a pointer is brought into proximity with the outer surface, the pointer reflects illumination from the first illumination source through the display panel; at least one imaging device having a field of view aimed at an opposite outer surface of the display panel, the at least one imaging device capturing images including illumination reflected by the pointer through the display panel; and processing structure in communication with the at least one imaging device, said processing structure processing the captured images to determine a location of the pointer relative to the outer surface.
19 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An interactive input system comprising:
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a liquid crystal display panel; a first illumination source configured to provide a sheet of illumination across and contiguous with an exterior outer surface of the display panel such that when a pointer is brought into proximity with the outer surface and into the sheet of illumination, the pointer reflects illumination of the sheet of illumination through the display panel; a second illumination source configured to provide illumination to an opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel thereby to backlight said display panel; a plurality of imaging devices arranged at spaced locations proximate to but spaced from the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, each imaging device having a field of view aimed at an associated sub-region of the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel with the fields of view of neighboring imaging devices partially overlapping, the imaging devices configured to capture images including the illumination reflected by the pointer through the display panel; processing structure in communication with the imaging devices, said processing structure configured to process the captured images to determine a location of the pointer relative to the exterior outer surface of the display panel, wherein the number of imaging devices and dimensions of the sub regions are selected to reduce dimensions of the interactive input system; and a reflector positioned between the second illumination source and the imaging devices, the reflector having apertures corresponding to locations of the imaging devices and having a reflective surface facing the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, the reflective surface configured to reflect illumination impinging thereon to the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method comprising:
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providing a sheet of illumination generally across and contiguous with an exterior outer surface of a liquid crystal display panel using a first illumination sources positioned about the periphery of the liquid crystal display panel; providing illumination using a second illumination source to an opposite exterior outer surface of said display panel thereby to backlight said display panel; capturing images of a pointer brought into proximity with the exterior outer surface and into the sheet of illumination, using a plurality of imaging devices proximate to but spaced from the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, each imaging device having a field of view aimed at an associated sub-region of the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel with the fields of view of neighboring imaging devices partially overlapping, as a result of illumination from the sheet of illumination provided by the first illumination sources being reflected by the pointer towards the imaging devices; reflecting illumination using a reflector positioned between the second illumination source and the imaging devices, the reflector having apertures corresponding to locations of the imaging devices and having a reflective surface facing the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, the reflective surface configured to reflect illumination impinging thereon to the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel; processing the captured images to determine a location of the pointer. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An interactive input system comprising:
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a liquid crystal display panel; at least a first illumination source configured to provide a sheet of illumination across and contiguous with an exterior outer surface of the display panel; at least a second illumination source configured to provide backlight illumination to an opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel; a plurality of imaging devices arranged at spaced locations proximate to but spaced from the opposite exterior surface of the display panel, each imaging device having a field of view aimed at a respective portion of the opposite exterior outer surface with the fields of view of neighboring imaging devices partially overlapping, at least one of said imaging devices configured to capture images of at least one pointer brought into proximity with the exterior outer surface of the display panel and into the sheet of illumination as a result of illumination from the sheet of illumination provided by the first illumination source being reflected by the pointer through the display panel and towards the imaging devices; processing structure configured to process the captured images to determine a location of the at least one pointer; a reflector positioned between the second illumination source and the imaging devices, the reflector having apertures corresponding to locations of the imaging devices and having a reflective surface facing the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, the reflective surface configured to reflect illumination impinging thereon to the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel; and a housing at least accommodating the display panel, first illumination source, second illumination source, reflector and imaging devices, the number of imaging devices and the respective portion dimensions being selected to reduce the dimensions of said housing.
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31. An interactive input system comprising:
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a liquid crystal display panel; a first illumination source configured to provide a sheet of illumination across and contiguous with an exterior outer surface of the display panel such that when a pointer is brought into proximity with the outer surface and into the sheet of illumination, the pointer reflects illumination of the sheet of illumination through the display panel; a second illumination source configured to provide illumination to an opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel thereby to backlight said display panel; a plurality of imaging devices arranged at spaced locations proximate to but spaced from the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel, each imaging device having a field of view aimed at an associated sub-region of the opposite exterior outer surface of the display panel with the fields of view of neighboring imaging devices partially overlapping, the imaging devices configured to capture images including the illumination reflected by the pointer through the display panel; and processing structure in communication with the imaging devices, said processing structure configured to process the captured images to determine a location of the pointer relative to the exterior outer surface of the display panel and to determine whether the pointer is a hover pointer or a touch pointer, wherein the number of imaging devices and dimensions of the sub regions are selected to reduce dimensions of the interactive input system, and wherein pointers above a threshold distance from the outer surface of the display panel and in the sheet of illumination are hover pointers and pointers at or below the threshold distance from the outer surface of the display panel are touch pointers. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification