Interactive Input System And Bezel Therefor

• US 20090277694A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wellington, Trevor R., Slevinsky, Mark, Hansen, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

An interactive input system comprises a bezel at least partially surrounding a region of interest. The bezel has a plurality of bands thereon with at least some adjacent bands having different optical properties. At least one imaging device looks into the region of interest and sees the at least one bezel so that acquired images comprise regions corresponding to the bands. Processing structure processes pixels of a plurality of the regions to detect the existence of a pointer in the region of interest

Claims

1. An interactive input system comprising:

a bezel at least partially surrounding a region of interest, said bezel having a plurality of bands thereon with at least some adjacent bands having different optical properties;

at least one imaging device looking into said region of interest and seeing said at least one bezel so that acquired images comprise regions corresponding to said bands; and

processing structure processing pixels of a plurality of said regions to detect the existence of a pointer in said region of interest.

2. An interactive input system according to claim 1 wherein said processing structure processes said pixels to detect discontinuities in said regions caused by the existence of said pointer.

3. An interactive input system according to claim 2 wherein all adjacent bands have different optical properties.

4. An interactive input system according to claim 3 wherein said bands are generally horizontal.

5. An interactive input system according to claim 4 wherein said bands comprise at least one band that reflects illumination and at least one band that absorbs illumination.

6. An interactive input system according to claim 5 wherein said at least one band that reflects illumination comprises a band of retro-reflective material.

7. An interactive input system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one band that absorbs illumination comprises a band of infrared light absorbing material.

8. An interactive input system according to claim 5 wherein said at least one band that absorbs illumination comprises a band of infrared light absorbing material.

9. An interactive input system according to claim 1 wherein said bezel at least partially surrounds a generally planar surface.

10. An interactive input system according to claim 9 wherein said generally planar surface is a display surface

11. An interactive input system according to claim 10 wherein said bezel comprises at least one generally planar surface on which said bands are provided, the plane of said at least one bezel surface being generally normal to the plane of said display surface.

12. An interactive input system according to claim 11 wherein said bands are generally horizontal.

13. An interactive input system according to claim 12 wherein said bands comprise at least one band that reflects illumination and at least one band that absorbs illumination.

14. An interactive input system according to claim 13 wherein said at least one band that reflects illumination comprises a band of retro-reflective material.

15. An interactive input system according to claim 13 wherein said at least one band that absorbs illumination comprises a band of infrared light absorbing material.

16. An interactive input system according to claim 9 wherein said bezel comprises at least one generally planar surface on which said bands are provided, the plane of said at least one bezel surface of said bezel being generally normal to the plane of said generally planar surface.

17. An interactive input system according to claim 9 wherein said processing structure processes said pixels to detect discontinuities in said regions caused by the existence of said pointer.

18. An interactive input system comprising:

a bezel at least partially surrounding a region of interest, said bezel having a plurality of bands thereon with at least some adjacent bands having different optical properties;

at least one imaging device looking into said region of interest and seeing said bezel; and

processing structure communicating with said at least one imaging device and processing image data corresponding to a plurality of said bands to detect the existence of a pointer in said region of interest irrespective of pointer type.

19. An interactive input system according to claim 18, wherein the optical properties of said bands are selected from (i) reflective, (ii) retro-reflective, and (iii) radiation absorbing.

20. An interactive input system according to claim 19 wherein said processing structure processes said image data to detect discontinuities caused by the existence of said pointer.

21. An interactive input system according to claim 20 wherein all adjacent bands have different optical properties.

22. An interactive input system according to claim 20 wherein said bands are generally horizontal.

23. An interactive input system according to claim 20 wherein said bezel at least partially surrounds a generally planar surface.

24. An interactive input system according to claim 23 wherein said generally planar surface is a display surface

25. An interactive input system according to claim 24 wherein said bezel comprises at least one generally planar surface on which said bands are provided, the plane of said at least one bezel surface being generally normal to the plane of said display surface.

26. An interactive input system according to claim 19 wherein said bezel comprises two bands.

27. An interactive input system according to claim 26 wherein said bezel comprises a retro-reflective band and a radiation absorbing band.

28. An interactive input system according to claim 27 wherein said processing structure processes said image data to detect discontinuities caused by the existence of said pointer.

30. An interactive input system according to claim 26 wherein said bezel comprises at least three bands.

31. An interactive input system according to claim 31 wherein said processing structure processes said image data to detect discontinuities caused by the existence of said pointer.