INTERACTIVE INPUT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080129700A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: MORRISON, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 9,442,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

An interactive input system comprises imaging devices with different viewpoints and having at least partially overlapping fields of view encompassing a region of interest. At least two of the imaging devices have different focal lengths. Processing structure processes image data acquired by the imaging devices to detect the existence of a pointer and determine the location of the pointer within the region of interest.

Claims

1. An interactive input system comprising:

imaging devices with different viewpoints and having at least partially overlapping fields of view encompassing a region of interest, at least two of the imaging devices having different focal lengths; and

processing structure processing image data acquired by the imaging devices to detect the existence of a pointer and determine the location of the pointer within the region of interest.

2. An interactive input system according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said imaging devices are arranged in pairs, one imaging device of each pair having a wide field of view and the other imaging device of each pair having a narrow field of view.

3. An interactive input system according to claim 2 wherein the wide field of view fully encompasses the narrow field of view.

4. An interactive input system according to claim 2 wherein all imaging devices are arranged in pairs.

5. An interactive input system according to claim 4 wherein the imaging devices of each pair are vertically stacked.

6. An interactive input system according to claim 4 wherein the imaging devices of each pair are side-by-side.

7. An interactive input system according to claim 4 further comprising a touch surface associated with said region of interest.

8. An interactive input system according to claim 7 wherein the pairs of imaging devices are positioned adjacent corners of the touch surface, the imaging devices of each pair looking generally across said touch surface.

9. An interactive input system according to claim 8 wherein for each imaging device pair, said processing structure processes image data acquired by each imaging device of the pair to determine if a pointer is believed to exist in the image data with a desired level of confidence, and further processes that image data to determine the location of the pointer.

10. An interactive input system according to claim 9 wherein said desired level of confidence is existence of a pointer beyond a threshold size.

11. An interactive input system according to claim 9 wherein said processing structure processes the image data acquired by the imaging devices of each pair to verify at least one of pointer existence and pointer location.

12. A touch system comprising:

a touch surface on which an image is visible;

imaging assemblies about the periphery of said touch surface, said imaging assemblies having at least partially overlapping fields of view encompassing said touch surface, each imaging assembly comprising at least two imaging devices with each imaging device having a different focal length; and

processing structure processing data generated by the imaging assemblies to determine the location of at least one pointer relative to the touch surface.

13. A touch system according to claim 12 wherein one imaging device of each imaging assembly has a wide field of view generally encompassing the entire touch surface and the other imaging device of each imaging assembly has a narrow field of view.

14. A touch system according to claim 13 wherein the imaging devices of each imaging assembly are vertically stacked.

15. A touch system according to claim 14 wherein the imaging devices of each pair are side-by-side.

16. A touch system according to claim 12 wherein each imaging assembly processes acquired image data to detect the existence of a pointer, image data acquired by the imaging device of each imaging assembly that best sees the pointer, being processed by said processing structure.

17. A touch system according to claim 16 wherein the imaging devices of each imaging assembly use the image data acquired thereby to verify pointer existence.

18. A touch system according to claim 16 wherein said touch surface is rectangular and wherein imaging device assemblies are positioned at least adjacent two opposite corners thereof.

19. An interactive input system comprising:

camera assemblies with different viewpoints and having fields of view encompassing a region of interest, each camera assembly comprising at least two image sensors with the image sensors having different focal lengths; and

processing structure processing image data acquired by said camera assemblies to detect one or more pointers in said region of interest.

20. An interactive input system according to claim 19 wherein for each camera assembly, said processing structure processes image data acquired by each image sensor thereof to determine if a pointer is believed to exist in the image data with a desired level of confidence, and further processes that image data to determine the location of the pointer.

21. An interactive input system according to claim 20 wherein said desired level of confidence is existence of a pointer beyond a threshold size.

22. An interactive input system according to claim 20 wherein said processing structure processes the image data acquired by the image sensors to verify at least one of pointer existence and pointer location.

23. An interactive input system according to claim 19 wherein the image sensors of each camera assembly are vertically stacked.

24. An interactive input system according to claim 19 wherein the image sensors of each camera assembly are side-by-side.

25. An interactive input system according to claim 19 wherein each camera assembly comprises a pair of image sensors, one image sensor of each pair having a wide field of view and the other image sensor of each pair having a narrow field of view.

26. An interactive input system according to claim 25 wherein for each camera assembly, said processing structure processes image data acquired by each image sensor thereof to determine if a pointer is believed to exist in the image data with a desired level of confidence, and further processes that image data to determine the location of the pointer.

27. An interactive input system according to claim 26 wherein said desired level of confidence is existence of a pointer beyond a threshold size.

28. An interactive input system according to claim 26 wherein said processing structure processes the image data acquired by the image sensors to verify at least one of pointer existence and pointer location.

29. An interactive input system according to claim 25 further comprising a touch surface associated with said region of interest.

30. An interactive input system according to claim 29 wherein the camera assemblies are positioned adjacent corners of the touch surface, the imaging devices of each camera assembly looking generally across said touch surface.