Finger position sensing and display
First Claim
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1. A method for use with a data processing device to detect finger presence above a key, the method comprising:
- providing a first fan shaped beam of light above a working area at a first elevation, the working area including indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the first fan shaped beam of light can be used to detect a selected key;
providing a second fan shaped beam of light substantially parallel to and above the working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is larger than the first elevation, the second fan shaped beam of light is used to detect finger presence;
capturing images of the working area with an image capture device, the image capturing device is positioned above the second fan shaped beam of light and captures images of light from the second fan shaped beam of light;
detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s finger above a key of the plurality of keys from light measured during the capturing; and
outputting an identification of the key obtained during the detecting to the data processing device.
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a first sensor associated with a key location on a keyboard. The first sensor provides a finger presence signal when a user'"'"'s finger is over the key location. A method includes generating a finger presence signal when a user'"'"'s finger is over a key of a keyboard. The finger presence signal is received after it is generated. The finger presence signal is associated with a key of the keyboard to produce an association of the user'"'"'s finger and the key.
15 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for use with a data processing device to detect finger presence above a key, the method comprising:
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providing a first fan shaped beam of light above a working area at a first elevation, the working area including indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the first fan shaped beam of light can be used to detect a selected key; providing a second fan shaped beam of light substantially parallel to and above the working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is larger than the first elevation, the second fan shaped beam of light is used to detect finger presence; capturing images of the working area with an image capture device, the image capturing device is positioned above the second fan shaped beam of light and captures images of light from the second fan shaped beam of light; detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s finger above a key of the plurality of keys from light measured during the capturing; and outputting an identification of the key obtained during the detecting to the data processing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for use with a data processing device, the system comprising:
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indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the virtual keyboard defining a working area; a first light source and a second light source, the second light source is configured to provide a second fan shaped beam of light substantially parallel to and above the working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is greater than a first elevation, the first light source and the second light source to output pulses alternating in time between the first light source and the second light source; an image sensing system, the image sensing system to capture images of the working area responsive to light scattered from either the first fan shaped beam of light or the second fan shaded beam of light; a processor, the processor is configured to analyze the captured images for variations in light intensity within the working area from the second fan shaped beam of light, the processor is further configured to; generate a first histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of columns; determine a second number of columns corresponding to a portion of the first histogram that is above a first threshold light intensity value; generate a second histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of rows in the second number of columns, determine a second number of rows corresponding to a portion of the second histogram that is above a second threshold light intensity value; determine an identification of a key associated with finger presence based on the light intensity in the second number of rows and the second number of columns; and output the identification of the key to the data processing device. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for use with a data processing device to detect finger presence above a key, the apparatus method comprising:
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providing a second fan shaped beam of light substantially parallel to and above a working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is larger than a first elevation, the working area including indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the second fan shaded beam of light is used to detect finger presence above a key, the first elevation and a first fan shaped beam of light can be used to detect a selection of the key; capturing images of the working area with an image capture device positioned above the second fan shaded beam of light, the image capture device captures images of light from the second fan shaded beam of light; detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s finger above a key of the plurality of keys from light received during the capturing; and outputting an identification of the key obtained during the detecting to the data processing device. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method for use with a host device to detect finger presence above a key, the method comprising:
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providing a second fan shaded beam of light substantially parallel to and above a working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is larger than a first elevation, the working area including indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the second fan shaded beam of light is used to detect finger presence above a key and a first fan shaped beam of light projected substantially parallel to the working area at the first elevation can be used to detect a potential selection of the key; capturing images of the working area with an image capture device positioned above the second fan shaped beam of light; detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s finger above a key of the plurality of keys, the detecting further comprising; analyzing each of the captured images for variations in light intensity, the analyzing further comprising; generating a first histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of columns; determining a second number of columns corresponding to a portion of the first histogram that is above a first threshold light intensity value; generating a second histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of rows in the second number of columns, determining a second number of rows corresponding to a portion of the second histogram that is above a second threshold light intensity value; determining an identification of the key from the light intensity corresponding to the pixels in the second number of rows and the second number of columns; and outputting an identification of the key obtained during the detecting to a host device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for use with a data processing device to detect finger presence above a key, the system comprising:
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indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the virtual keyboard defining a working area; a first light source configured to provide a first fan shaped beam of light above the working are at a first elevation, the first fan shaped beam of light can be used to detect a selected key from the plurality; a second light source configured to provide a second fan shaped beam of light above the working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is greater than the first elevation, the first light source and the second light source to alternate in time a pulsed output, the second fan shaped beam of light is used to detect finger presence above a key; an optical sensing system, the optical sensing system to capture images of the working area responsive to light scattered from either the first fan shaped beam of light or the second fan shaped beam of light; a key selection module, the key selection module to analyze the captured images for variations in light intensity within the working area from the second fan shaped beam of light, the key selection module further configured to; generate a first histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of columns; determine a second number of columns corresponding to a portion of the first histogram that is above a first threshold light intensity value; generate a second histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of rows in the second number of columns, determine a second number of rows corresponding to a portion of the second histogram that is above a second threshold light intensity value; determine an identification of the key associated with finger presence based on the light intensity in the second number of rows and the second number of columns; and output the identification of the key as a finger presence signal to the data processing device. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A computer readable storage medium storing program code for causing a data processing device to perform the steps comprising:
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generating a second fan shaped beam of light substantially parallel to and above a working area at a second elevation, the second elevation is larger than a first elevation, the working area including indicia of a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys, the second fan shaped beam of light is used to detect finger presence above a key and a first fan shaped beam of light projected substantially parallel to the working area at the first elevation can be used to detect a potential selection of the key; capturing images of the working area with an image capture device positioned above the second fan shaped beam of light; detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s finger above a key of the plurality of keys, the detecting further comprising; analyzing each of the captured images for variations in light intensity, the analyzing further comprising; generating a first histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of columns; determining a second number of columns corresponding to a portion of the first histogram that is above a first threshold light intensity value; generating a second histogram by summing the light intensity in each of a first number of rows in the second number of columns, determining a second number of rows corresponding to a portion of the second histogram that is above a second threshold light intensity value; determining an identification of the key from the light intensity corresponding to the pixels in the second number of rows and the second number of columns; and outputting an identification of the key obtained during the detecting to the data processing device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification