Remote controller and display system

• US 9,314,173 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Gu, Ren-Hau, Kao, Ming-Tsan, Huang, Sen-Huang
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US13/617,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6897 Computer input devices, e.g. mice or keyboards
• 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 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/00 Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link

Abstract

There is provided a remote controller including a plurality of press buttons, an optical finger mouse and a transmission interface. The press buttons are configured to trigger a control signal. The optical finger mouse is configured to detect a physiological characteristic and a displacement. The transmission interface is configured to output the control signal, the physiological characteristic and the displacement to a display device. There is further provided a display system.

Claims

1. A remote controller configured to detect and output a displacement of a finger of a user, a physiological characteristic of the user and a control signal, the remote controller comprising:

a plurality of press buttons configured to trigger the control signal;

a first light source configured to provide light of a first wavelength to the finger;

a second light source configured to provide light of a second wavelength to the finger;

a light control unit configured to control on-states of the first light source and the second light source;

at least one image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the finger at a sampling frequency to generate a plurality of first image frames corresponding to the on- states of the first light source and a plurality of second image frames corresponding to the on-states of the second light source; and

a processing unit configured to

calculate both of the physiological characteristic and the displacement of the finger for controlling a cursor according to the first image frames and the second image frames captured by the at least one image sensor, and

generate the control signal according to an operating state of the press buttons,

wherein in calculating the physiological characteristic, the processing unit is configured to

divide each of the first image frames into at least two parts and calculate an average brightness of each part,

analyze the average brightness of the each part of the first image frames to obtain a first intensity variation,

divide each of the second image frames into at least two parts and calculate an average brightness of each part,

analyze the average brightness of the each part of the second image frames to obtain a second intensity variation, and

calculate the physiological characteristic according to the first intensity variation and the second intensity variation.

2. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a heart rate according to a comparison of at least one pulse threshold with at least one of the first intensity variation and the second intensity variation.

3. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physiological characteristic comprises a blood oxygenation and a heart rate.

4. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to compare a brightness value of the first image frames and the second image frames with at least one brightness threshold to identify a contact status of the finger with the remote controller.

5. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate the displacement according to two of the first image frames, according to one of the first image frames and one of the second image frames, or according to two of the second image frames.

6. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the light control unit is configured to alternatively enable the on-states of the first light source and the second light source such that the image sensor receives the reflected light associated with the first light source and the second light source alternatively;

or

the light control unit is configured to simultaneously enable the on-states of the first light source and the second light source such that the image sensor receives the reflected light associated with the first light source and the second light source simultaneously, and the image sensor comprises an optical filter covering at least a part of a sensing surface thereof.

7. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first light source, the second light source, the light control unit, the at least one image sensor and the processing unit are packaged as a control chip to output the physiological characteristic and the control signal processed by at least one of an encoding process, a sequential process and a compressing process.

8. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a touch member for the finger to operate thereon, wherein the touch member is one of the press buttons or separated from the press buttons.

9. The remote controller as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first light source and the second light source are configured to provide the light toward the touch member.

10. A remote controller for being operated by a user, the remote controller comprising:

a plurality of press buttons configured to trigger a control signal;

an optical finger mouse configured to detect both of a physiological characteristic of the user and a finger displacement of a finger of the user for controlling a cursor according to image frames captured by at least one image sensor, the optical finger mouse comprising;

a first light source configured to provide light of a first wavelength to the finger of the user;

a second light source configured to provide light of a second wavelength to the finger;

the at least one image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the finger to generate a plurality of first image frames corresponding to on-states of the first light source and a plurality of second image frames corresponding to on-states of the second light source; and

a processing unit configured to

divide each of the first image frames into at least two parts and calculate an average brightness of each part,

analyze the average brightness of the each part of the first image frames to obtain a first intensity variation,

divide each of the second image frames into at least two parts and calculate an average brightness of each part,

analyze the average brightness of the each part of the second image frames to obtain a second intensity variation, and

calculate the physiological characteristic according to the first intensity variation and the second intensity variation; and

a transmission interface configured to output the control signal, the physiological characteristic and the finger displacement.

11. The remote controller as claimed in claim 10, wherein the optical finger mouse further comprises:

a light control unit configured to control the on-states of the first light source and the second light source.

12. The remote controller as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a heart rate according to a comparison of at least one pulse threshold with at least one of the first intensity variation and the second intensity variation.

13. The remote controller as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further configured to compare a brightness value of the first image frames and the second image frames with at least one brightness threshold to identify a contact status of the finger with the optical finger mouse.

14. The remote controller as claimed in claim 10, wherein the optical finger mouse further comprises a touch member combined with one of the press buttons, and the first light source and the second light source are configured to provide the light toward the touch member.

15. A display system, comprising:

a display device configured to display images; and

a remote controller configured to output a control signal and a physiological characteristic to the display device to control the display device to update the images being displayed according to the control signal and to display the physiological characteristic, the remote controller comprising;

a first light source configured to provide light of a first wavelength to a finger;

a second light source configured to provide light of a second wavelength to the finger;

a light control unit configured to control on-states of the first light source and the second light source;

at least one image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the finger to generate a plurality of first image frames corresponding to the on-states of the first light source and a plurality of second image frames corresponding to the on-states of the second light source; and

a processing unit configured to

(i) divide each of the first image frames into at least two parts and calculate an average brightness of each part, and analyze the average brightness of the each part of the first image frames to obtain a first intensity variation;

(ii) divide each of the second image frames into at least two parts and calculate an average brightness of each part, and analyze the average brightness of the each part of the second image frames to obtain a second intensity variation; and

(iii) calculate the physiological characteristic according to the first intensity variation and the second intensity variation.

16. The display system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the display device is configured to generate a warning state when the physiological characteristic exceeds a predetermined value.

17. The display system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate the control signal according to an operating state of a plurality of press buttons.

18. The display system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the remote controller further comprises a touch member combined with one of the press buttons and the first light source and the second light source are configured to provide the light toward the touch member.

19. The display system as claimed in claim 15, wherein

the processing unit is further configured to calculate a displacement according to two of the first image frames, according to one of the first image frames and one of the second image frames, and according to two of the second image frames;

and

the remote controller is further configured to output the displacement to the display device to accordingly control a cursor displayed by the display device.

20. The display system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a heart rate according to a comparison of at least one pulse threshold with at least one of the first intensity variation and the second intensity variation.