PROJECTION OF GRAPHICAL OBJECTS ON INTERACTIVE IRREGULAR DISPLAYS

• US 20090189917A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Andrew, Benko, Hrvoje
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/647
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

A method for displaying images on a curved display surface is described herein. The method includes receiving a graphical object and distorting the graphical object at run-time such that an appearance of the graphical object on the curved display surface will be substantially similar regardless of a position of the graphical object on the curved display surface when viewed at a viewing axis that is approximately orthogonal to a plane that is tangential to the curved display surface at a center of the graphical object. The method may further include displaying the graphical object on the curved display surface.

Claims

1. A method for displaying images on a curved display surface, comprising:

receiving a graphical object;

at run time, distorting the graphical object such that an appearance of the graphical object on the curved display surface will be substantially similar regardless of a position of the graphical object on the curved display surface when viewed at a viewing axis that is approximately orthogonal to a plane that is tangential to the curved display surface at a center of the graphical object; and

displaying the graphical object on the curved display surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical object is rectangular, and wherein the graphical object is distorted such that lines of the graphical object appear to be straight on the curved display surface at a when viewed at a viewing axis that is approximately orthogonal to a plane that is tangential to the curved display surface at the center of the graphical object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical object is tessellated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical object comprises text.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the curved display surface is a substantially spherical display surface, and wherein the act of distorting comprises:

determining a scale of the graphical object with respect to a representation of a sphere;

determining a desired orientation of the graphical object with respect to the representation of the sphere;

determining a desired position of the graphical object with respect to the representation of the sphere;

orienting the graphical object with respect to the representation of the sphere such that a center of the graphical object corresponds to a pole of the representation of the sphere;

projecting the graphical object onto the representation of the sphere;

rotating the representation of the sphere such that the graphical object is positioned in accordance with the desired position; and

flattening the spherical representation and the graphical object onto a disk that is to be projected onto the substantially spherical display surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acts are performed in an interactive touch-screen environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the acts are performed in an interactive multi-touch environment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input by way of a member coming into physical contact with the curved display surface; and

displaying the graphical object based at least in part upon the user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical object is a portion of a larger graphical object that includes several other graphical objects, and wherein the acts of distorting and displaying are performed for each of the graphical objects in the larger graphical object.

10. A system that facilitates projecting images onto a curved display surface, comprising:

a receiver component that receives a graphical object that is to be displayed on the curved display surface in a multi-touch interactive environment; and

a distorter component that distorts the graphical object at run-time of an application that uses the graphical object.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a projector that projects the at least one graphical object onto the curved display surface.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the curved display surface is a substantially spherical display.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical object is one of a planar graphical object or a three-dimensional graphical object.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the curved display surface is substantially spherical, and further comprising:

a scaler component that determines a desired scale of the graphical object with respect to a representation of a sphere;

an orientor component that determines a desired orientation of the graphical object with respect to the representation of the sphere; and

a position determiner component that determines a position on the representation of the sphere that corresponds to where the graphical object is desirably displayed on the curved display surface, wherein the distorter component distorts the graphical object at run-time of an application that uses the graphical object based at least in part upon the determined scale, the determined orientation, and the determined position.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an illuminator component that orients the graphical object in accordance with the desired orientation of the graphical object on the representation of the sphere;

a projector component that projects the graphical object onto the representation of the sphere;

a rotator component that rotates the representation of the sphere until the graphical object is at the desired position; and

a flattener component that flattens the computer-implemented display surface onto a projection disk that is to be projected on the curved display surface by a projector.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a detector component that detects a position on the curved display surface that a member is in physical contact with the curved display surface, wherein the distorter component distorts the graphical object based at least in part upon the detected position.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the detector component detects multiple positions of multiple members in physical contact with the curved display surface.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the curved display surface is a substantially spherical display surface, and further comprising an illuminator component that automatically orients the graphical object such that the graphical object is oriented in a substantially similar manner with respect to a pole of the spherical display surface regardless of position of the graphical object on the spherical display surface.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical object is a portion of a larger graphical object that includes multiple graphical objects, and wherein the distorter component distorts each of the graphical objects in the larger graphical object at runtime of the application.

20. A system that facilitates projection of images in an interactive multi-touch environment, comprising:

a substantially spherical display, wherein the substantially spherical display includes an aperture, an interior, and an exterior;

a wide angle lens positioned in the aperture;

a data store that includes a graphical object, wherein the graphical object includes at least one line that is desirably viewed as a straight line on the substantially spherical display;

a distorter component that distorts the graphical object at run-time of an application that uses the object, wherein the distorter component distorts the graphical object such that the at least one line will be displayed on the substantially spherical display as a substantially straight line when viewed at an approximately 90 degree angle from a center of the graphical object; and

a projector that projects the at least one graphical object on the substantially spherical display such that the at least one line of the graphical object is displayed as a substantially straight line when viewed at an approximately 90 degree angle from a center of the graphical object.