Touchscreen display with plural cameras

• US 8,593,434 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Suggs, Bradley Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US13/056,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors

Abstract

A display system (AP1) has plural cameras (11L an d11R) having fields of view (31L and 31R) that extend more orthogonal to than parallel to a display screen (21) for viewing distal objects. Reflectors (33L and 33R) redirect touchscreen light (36) from a direction along the display screen to a direction toward the cameras. A video processor (19) locates a 2D position relative to the display screen of an object proximate to the display screen as a function of images generated by the cameras in response to the touchscreen light.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a planar display screen that extends in two dimensions;

plural cameras having fields of view that extend more orthogonal to than parallel to said display screen for viewing distal objects;

reflectors to redirect touchscreen light from a direction along said display screen to a direction toward said cameras, said reflectors having a touchscreen condition and a webcam condition, said reflectors directing said touchscreen light only in said touchscreen condition, said reflectors detecting object light from distal objects when in said webcam condition; and

a video processor to locate a 2D position relative to said display screen of an object proximate to said display screen as a function of images generated by said cameras in response to said touchscreen light.

2. A display system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said touchscreen condition involves touchscreen positions of said reflectors in which they occlude said fields of view; and

said webcam condition involves webcam positions of said reflectors in which they do not occlude said fields of view.

3. A display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said reflectors are movable so that a user can move them between said touchscreen positions and said webcam positions.

4. A display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said video processor provides for interpreting 3D gestures as commands.

5. A method comprising:

switching between a webcam mode and a touchscreen mode;

in said webcam mode,

imaging an object distal from a display screen using two or more cameras, and

generating a video image of said object; and

in said touchscreen mode,

reflecting light traveling more parallel to than orthogonal to said display screen so that it is redirected to be more orthogonal to than parallel to said display screen so that it impinges on said cameras, and

determining a position on a surface of said display screen contacted by an object as a function of said light impinging on said cameras.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said switching involves moving reflectors between:

a) positions at which they occlude fields of view of respective ones of said cameras; and

b) positions at which they do not occlude fields of view of respective ones of said cameras.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising, in said webcam mode, converting 3D gestures by said object into commands as a function of plural video images captured by said cameras.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

turning off infrared emitters when switching from said camera mode to said touchscreen mode; and

turning on said emitters when switching from said touchscreen mode to said camera mode.

9. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said cameras are located at opposite upper corners of said display screen.