Method and apparatus for calibrating an interactive touch system

• US 7,372,456 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: McLintock, Kevin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE JR, KENNETH B
• Application Number:
  US10/885,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1811
• 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

A method of calibrating an interactive touch system includes moving a pointer along at least one path on a touch surface over a calibration image presented on the touch surface. Pointer coordinates are generated generally continuously during the tracing representing pointer contact locations on the touch surface. The coordinate system of the touch surface is mapped to the coordinate system of the calibration image using the pointer coordinates and the calibration image.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating an interactive touch system comprising:

moving a pointer along at least one path on a touch surface over a calibration image presented on said touch surface;

generating pointer coordinates generally continuously during pointer movement representing pointer contact locations on said touch surface; and

mapping the coordinate system of the touch surface to the coordinate system of the calibration image using said pointer coordinates and said calibration image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said calibration image includes at least one demarcation providing visual guidance with respect to said at least one path along which said pointer is to be moved.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said demarcation is at least one line to be traced using said pointer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said calibration image includes a plurality of straight lines visually identifying said at least one path to be traced using said pointer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said plurality of straight lines are joined to form at least one geometric shape.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said plurality of straight lines form a single geometric shape.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said straight lines follow the perimeter of said calibration image.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said at least one geometric shape is within the boundary of said calibration image.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of straight lines form multiple geometric shapes.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said multiple geometric shapes are concentric.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein at least some of said straight lines are isolated.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein all of said straight lines are isolated.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said straight lines are generally parallel.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein at least some of said straight lines intersect.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein all of said straight lines intersect.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein said at least one line is curved.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one curved line is within the boundary of said calibration image.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said at least one curved line forms at least one closed loop.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the entire curved line forms a closed loop.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one curved line forms a plurality of closed loops along its length.

21. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one tracing path is defined by the space between spaced lines.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said spaced lines form a maze, said at least one tracing path being defined by the solution to said maze.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said maze has a single solution.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said maze has multiple solutions.

25. The method of claim 2 wherein said demarcation is presented in said calibration image after pointer contact with said touch surface, said demarcation representing the end point of said at least one path.

26. The method of claim 2 further comprising generating a calibrated touch surface coordinate system using said mapping.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising storing said calibrated touch surface coordinate system in memory.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said at least one demarcation visually identifies at least one path to be traced using said pointer, the coordinates of the demarcation in the calibration image coordinate system being used during said mapping.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein pointer coordinates corresponding to at least one discrete point along said at least one tracing path is extracted and used to enhance said mapping.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said at least one discrete point includes at least one of the start and end points of the tracing path.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said at least one tracing path is shaped to define at least one discrete point intermediate the start and end points of the tracing path.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said at least one tracing path includes at least one intersection point defining said at least one intermediate discrete point.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said at least one tracing path includes at least one inflection point defining said at least one intermediate discrete point.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein said at least one tracing path is complex, during said mapping the slope of at least a portion of said traced path being calculated using said pointer coordinates to enhance said mapping.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein pointer coordinates corresponding to at least one discrete point along said at least one tracing path is extracted and used to enhance said mapping.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said at least one discrete point includes at least one of the start and end points of the tracing path.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said at least one tracing path is shaped to define at least one discrete point intermediate the start and end points of the tracing path.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said at least one tracing path includes at least one intersection point defining said at least one intermediate discrete point.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein said at least one tracing path includes at least one inflection point defining said at least one intermediate discrete point.

40. The method of claim 26 further comprising providing feedback during tracing indicating the degree of calibration of said calibrated touch surface coordinate system.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said feedback is visual.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said visual feedback is a highlighted path provided in said calibration image representing the perceived path of said pointer in said calibration image coordinate system.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said at least one tracing path is complex, during said mapping the slope of at least a portion of said traced path being calculated using said pointer coordinates to enhance said mapping.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein pointer coordinates corresponding to at least one discrete point along said at least one tracing path is extracted and used to enhance said mapping.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said at least one discrete point includes at least one of the start and end points of the tracing path.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said at least one tracing path is shaped to define at least one discrete point intermediate the start and end points of the tracing path.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said at least one tracing path includes at least one intersection point defining said at least one intermediate discrete point.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein said at least one tracing path includes at least one inflection point defining said at least one intermediate discrete point.

49. The method of claim 42 wherein said tracing continues until said highlighted path corresponds generally to the at least one demarcation.

50. The method of claim 28 further comprising displaying textual directions in said calibration image.

51. The method of claim 42 further comprising displaying textual directions in said calibration image.

52. A method of calibrating an interactive touch system comprising:

displaying a calibration image on a touch surface, said calibration image specifying at least one path to be traced using a pointer;

moving the pointer along the specified at least one tracing path;

generating pointer coordinates generally continuously during said tracing representing pointer contact locations on said touch surface;

mapping the coordinate system of the touch surface to the coordinate system of the calibration image using said pointer coordinates and said calibration image to calibrate the touch surface coordinate system; and

providing feedback indicating the degree of calibration between the touch surface coordinate system and the calibration image coordinate system.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein said feedback is visual.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein during said feedback providing, a highlighted path is provided in said calibration image representing the perceived path of said pointer in said calibration image coordinate system.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein said moving continues until said highlighted path corresponds generally to the specified at least one path in said calibration image.

56. The method of claim 54 further comprising displaying textual directions in said calibration image.

57. A touch system comprising:

a touch screen having a surface on which pointer contacts are made, said touch screen generating pointer coordinates in response to pointer contacts thereon;

a computing device coupled to said touch screen and receiving pointer coordinates generated thereby; and

a projection device coupled to said computing device, said projection device receiving display output from said computing device and projecting an image that is presented on said surface, wherein said computing device is operable to perform a calibration process, during said calibration process said computing device;

providing display output to said projection device causing said projection device to project a calibration image on said surface, said calibration image being within the boundary of said surface and including at least one visual demarcation providing a guide with respect to at least one path a pointer is to be moved across said surface;

receiving the pointer coordinates during movement of said pointer along said at least one path; and

processing the pointer coordinates using the calibration image to map the touch screen coordinate system to the display output coordinate system thereby to calibrate said touch system.

58. A touch system according to claim 57 wherein said computing device updates the calibration image to provide visual feedback of the perceived path of said pointer in the display output coordinate system.

59. A touch system according to claim 57 wherein said calibration image specifies at least one line to be traced using said pointer.

60. A touch system according to claim 59 wherein said at least one line undergoes at least one change in direction.

61. A touch system according to claim 60 wherein said at least one line is complex.

62. A touch system according to claim 57 wherein said surface is generally planar.

63. A touch system according to claim 57 wherein said surface is non-planar.

64. A touch system according to claim 57 wherein said surface is irregular.