Object position determination

• US 9,494,415 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sweetser, John N., Grunnet-Jepsen, Anders, Winer, Paul, Keselman, Leonid M., Bateman, Steven S., Rojas, Chris, Takagi, Akihiro, Jayant, Chandrika
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Chan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MAI H
• Application Number:
  US14/125,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20150131852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• 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 3/0346 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

Abstract

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and storage media for human-computer interaction are described. In embodiments, an apparatus may include one or more light sources and a camera. Through capture of images by the camera, the computing device may detect positions of objects of a user, within a three-dimensional (3-D) interaction region within which to track positions of the objects of the user. The apparatus may utilize multiple light sources, which may be disposed at different distances to the display and may illuminate the objects in a direction other than the image capture direction. The apparatus may selectively illuminate individual light sources to facilitate detection of the objects in the direction toward the display. The camera may also capture images in synchronization with the selective illumination. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting human-computer interaction, the apparatus comprising:

a display, wherein the display defines a plane;

one or more light sources located at different distances from the display to illuminate objects of a user placed in front of the display such that the illuminated objects can be detected by a camera located in the display;

the camera, wherein the camera is to capture images of the illuminated objects in an image capture direction that is substantially normal to the plane of the display such that respective captured images are associated with different respective distances from the display;

a position determination module coupled with the camera to determine, based on the captured images, one or more positions of the objects in a three-dimensional (3-D) interaction region defined in front of the display, wherein the position determination module is to determine distances of the objects based on the distances associated with the captured images;

a keyboard that includes a plurality of keys, wherein the one or more light sources are disposed between the keys of the keyboard, wherein the light sources emit light in an illumination direction other than the image capture direction, and wherein the illumination direction is vertical; and

an illumination control module coupled with the plurality of light sources and the camera to selectively operate individual light sources of the plurality of light sources to facilitate detection of objects positioned substantially along an axis defined by the image capture direction;

wherein the camera is to capture images in synchronization with selective operation of individual light sources of the plurality of light sources.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more light sources are to illuminate using light in a selected wavelength range; and

the camera comprises a filter to substantially block light that is not in the selected wavelength range.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the selected wavelength range comprises a wavelength range of infrared light.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the illumination control module is to selectively operate portions of the one or more light sources.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position determination module is to determine positions of one or more objects substantially along an axis defined by the image capture direction based on synchronization of one or more images captured by the camera and illumination of individual light sources of the plurality of light sources.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the objects comprise a fingertip of the user.

7. A method for supporting human-computer interaction with a computing device comprising a display defining a plane and a keyboard having a plurality of keys, the method comprising:

illuminating, by selectively operating individual light sources of one or more light sources of the computing device to facilitate detection of objects positioned substantially along an axis defined by an image capture direction, wherein the light sources are between the keys of the keyboard and emit light in a vertical illumination direction, and wherein objects of a user are placed in front of the display such that the illuminated objects can be detected by a camera of the computing device located at or near the display;

capturing in synchronization with selective operation of individual light sources of the one or more light sources, by the camera of the computing device, one or more images of the illuminated objects in the image capture direction that is substantially normal to the display such that respective captured images are associated with different respective distances from the display; and

determining, by the computing device, based on the captured images, one or more positions of the objects in a three-dimensional (3-D) interaction region defined in front of the display, including determining distances of the objects based on the distances associated with the captured images.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

illuminating comprises illuminating using light in a selected wavelength range; and

capturing one or more images comprises capturing the one or more images using a filter to substantially block light that is not in the selected wavelength range.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media including computer-executable instructions configured, in response to execution on a computing device comprising a display that defines a plane and a keyboard having a plurality of keys, to cause the computing device to support human-computer interaction by causing the computing device to:

illuminate, by light sources of the computing device, wherein the light sources are between the keys of the keyboard and emit light in a vertical illumination direction, objects of a user placed in front of the display such that the illuminated objects can be detected by a camera of the computing device located in the display;

capture, by the camera of the computing device, one or more images of the illuminated objects in synchronization with illumination of individual light sources of the light sources in an image capture direction that is substantially normal to the display such that respective captured images are associated with different respective distances from the display; and

determine, based on the captured images, one or more positions of the objects in a three-dimensional (3-D) interaction region defined in front of the display, including determine distances of the objects based on the distances associated with the captured images.

10. An apparatus for supporting human-computer interaction, the apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying text and/or graphics to a user, the means for displaying text and/or graphics defining a plane;

keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys;

means for illuminating objects of a user placed in front of the display means at different distances from the display means such that the illuminated objects can be detected by means for capturing one or more images located at or near the display means, wherein means for illuminating objects comprises light sources between the keys of the keyboard means, wherein the light sources emit light in a vertical illumination direction;

the means for capturing one or more images, wherein the means for capturing one or more images comprises means for capturing one or more images of the illuminated objects in an image capture direction that is substantially normal to the display means such that respective captured images are associated with different respective distances from the display means; and

means for determining, based on the captured images, one or more positions of the objects in a three-dimensional (3-D) interaction region defined in front of the display means substantially along an axis defined by the image capture direction based on one or more images captured by a camera and synchronized with illumination of individual light sources of the light sources, wherein the determining includes determining distances of the objects based on the distances associated with the captured images.