TOUCH DISCRIMINATION

• US 20100225595A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Butler, David Alexander, Sands, Ian M., Kunz, William Ben, Izadi, Shahram, Benko, Hrvoje, Hodges, Stephen E., Hinckley, Kenneth P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates distinguishing input among one or more users in a surface computing environment. A variety of information can be obtained and analyzed to infer an association between a particular input and a particular user. Touch point information can be acquired from a surface wherein the touch point information relates to a touch point. In addition, one or more environmental sensors can monitor the surface computing environment and provide environmental information. The touch point information and the environmental information can be analyzed to determine direction of inputs, location of users, and movement of users and so on. Individual analysis results can be correlated and/or aggregated to generate a inference of association between a touch point and user.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates distinguishing input among one or more users in a surface computing environment, comprising:

a touch input component that obtains touch point information from at least one surface in the surface computing environment;

one or more sensors that collect information related to a surrounding environment of the at least one surface; and

a touch discrimination component that infers an association between a user and a touch point based at least in part on the touch point information and environmental information.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a touch point analysis component that evaluates touch point information to determine a direction from which the touch point originated.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a threshold component that applies one or more thresholds to an image included in the touch point information to generate a binary image.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a connection component that utilized connected components analysis techniques to associate portions of the binary image.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vector analysis component that evaluates touch point information to ascertain a vector of incidence associated with a touch point.

6. The system of claim 1, the touch point information includes at least one of location of a touch point, size of a touch point, shape of a touch point, or incoming force of a touch point.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an environment analysis component that evaluates environmental information to determine at least one of location of users or movement of users.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a lateral sensor analysis component that evaluates environment information acquired by side-ways facing optical sensors, the lateral sensor analysis component determines a location of at least one user relative to the at least one surface.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an overhead sensor analysis component that employs computer vision techniques on environmental information acquired by overhead optical sensors, the overhead sensor analysis component to ascertain movements of or by one or more users.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a face analysis component that analyzes environmental information from one or more optical imaging sensors to determine a line of sight of one or more users.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a biometric analysis component that evaluates biometric data associated with touch points to facilitate distinguishing touch input among one or more users.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fusion component that applies weightings to the touch point information and environmental information based at least in part on a context of the surface.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a context determination component that ascertains a set of context parameters that specify the context of the surface.

14. The system of claim 13, the set of context parameters includes at least one of size of the surface, shape of the surface, number of users of the surface, or applications running on the surface.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a heuristic component that applies weightings to touch point information and environmental information in accordance with the set of context parameters.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising an aggregation component that generates a composite inference of association from individual evaluations on the touch point information and environmental information.

17. The system of claim 1, the touch discrimination component analyzes accelerometer information obtained from a user device to facilitate generation of an inference of association.

18. A method that facilitates associating touch inputs and users in a surface computing environment, comprising:

obtaining touch point information associated with a touch point generated by a user interacting with a surface;

collecting environmental information acquired by one or more environmental sensors that monitor the surface;

analyzing the touch point information and the environmental information; and

generating a inference of association between a touch point and a user based upon analysis of the touch point information and the environmental information.

19. The method of claim 18, analyzing the touch point and environmental information comprises applying weightings to the information in accordance with a context of the surface.

20. A system that enables discrimination of touch point in a surface computing environment, comprising:

means for obtaining touch point information related to a touch point originated by a user of a surface;

means for collecting environmental information from a one or more sensors that observe the surface computing environment;

means for evaluating the touch point information to ascertain a direction from which the touch point originates;

means for analyzing the environmental information to determine movement and location of the user;

means for correlating the ascertained direction and the determined movement and location of the user; and

means for inferring an association between the touch point and the user based upon the correlation.