Free-space multi-dimensional absolute pointer using a projection marker system

• US 8,913,003 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkOptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ThinkOptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Grunnet-Jepsen, Anders, Sweetser, John, Salsman, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorad, Waseem
• Application Number:
  US11/777,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20080012824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,714 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for a free-space multi-dimensional absolute pointer using a projection marker system are described herein. In one embodiment, a presentation system includes, but is not limited to, a projection-based marker apparatus to project one or more optical spots on a display surface for displaying machine generated content capable of being manipulated via a cursor of a pointing device, a handheld device to wirelessly capture the projected optical spots from the display surface, and a control unit communicatively coupled to the projection-based marker apparatus and the handheld device to determine coordinates of the cursor based on characteristics of the captured light spots. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

capturing an image of two or more spatially fixed optical spots projected onto a display surface, the display surface displaying machine generated content capable of being manipulated via a cursor of a pointing device, wherein the images of the two or more optical spots is captured wirelessly using a handheld device representing the pointing device for which the optical spots serve as reference markers; and

generating in the handheld device separate image data for each of the two or more spots within the image;

processing in the handheld device the separate image data for each of the spots within the image to generate coordinate data for each of the spots within the image;

wherein processing the image data further comprises;

determining an intensity value for each of a plurality of pixels of the pixelated sensor;

identifying a set of pixels in which each pixel has an intensity value above a specified threshold;

generating coordinate data based on the intensity value and the location of each of the pixels in the set of pixels;

transmitting from the handheld device the coordinate data derived from the processing of the image data;

wherein a position of the cursor of the pointing device displayed on the display surface is determined and actively controlled based on the coordinate data transmitted from the handheld device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more optical spots are projected from an apparatus from which the machine generated content is projected.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising in response to the coordinate data of the handheld device in view of the captured images of the optical spots received from the handheld device, calculating the coordinates of the cursor based on the coordinate data of the handheld device in view of the position of the two or more optical spots.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying a cursor on the display surface at a position based on the calculated coordinates of the cursor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the projection apparatus is configured to wirelessly receive the coordinate data from the handheld device and to calculate the coordinates of the cursor.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the projection apparatus is physically separated from wireless receiving electronics that receive the coordinates of the handheld device and calculate the coordinates of the cursor such that the projection apparatus and receiving electronics may be housed in distinct locations from each other and the display surface.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the projection apparatus comprises one or more coherent sources of optical radiation.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the projection apparatus comprises one or more incoherent sources of optical radiation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more optical spots are displayed according to a predetermined optical frequency such that the two or more optical spots are invisible to a user looking at the display surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the two or more optical spots is captured using a camera embedded within the handheld device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating initial coordinates of the handheld device by pointing the handheld device to one or more predetermined locations within or near a display area in view of positions of the two or more optical spots.

12. A non-propagating machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

Capturing an image of two or more spatially fixed optical spots projected onto a display surface, the display surface displaying machine generated content capable of being manipulated via a cursor of a pointing device, wherein the images of the two or more optical spots is captured wirelessly using a handheld device representing the pointing device for which the optical spots serve as reference markers; and

generating in the handheld device separate image data for each of the two or more spots within the image;

processing in the handheld device the separate image data for each of the spots within the image to generate coordinate data for each of the spots within the image;

wherein processing the image data further comprises;

determining an intensity value for each of a plurality of pixels of the pixelated sensor;

identifying a set of pixels in which each pixel has an intensity value above a specified threshold;

generating coordinate data based on the intensity value and the location of each of the pixels in the set of pixels;

transmitting from the handheld device the coordinate data derived from the processing of the image data;

wherein a position of the cursor of the pointing device displayed on the display surface is determined and actively controlled based on the coordinate data transmitted from the handheld device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the two or more optical spots are projected from an apparatus from which the machine generated content is projected.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises in response to the coordinate data of the handheld device in view of the captured images of the optical spots received from the handheld device, calculating the coordinates of the cursor based on the coordinates data of the handheld device in view of the position of the two or more optical spots.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises displaying a cursor on the display surface at a position based on the calculated coordinates of the cursor.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the projection apparatus is configured to wirelessly receive the coordinate data from the handheld device and to calculate the coordinates of the cursor.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the projection apparatus is physically separated from wireless receiving electronics that receive the coordinates of the handheld device and calculate the coordinates of the cursor such that the projection apparatus and receiving electronics may be housed in distinct locations from each other and the display surface.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the projection apparatus comprises one or more coherent sources of optical radiation.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the projection apparatus comprises one or more incoherent sources of optical radiation.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the two or more optical spots are displayed according to a predetermined optical frequency such that the two or more optical spots are invisible to a user looking at the display surface.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the image of the two or more optical spots is captured using a camera embedded within the handheld device.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises calibrating initial coordinates of the handheld device by pointing the handheld device to one or more predetermined locations within a display area in view of positions of the two or more optical spots.

23. A presentation system comprising:

a projection apparatus to project two or more spatially fixed optical spots on a display surface for displaying machine generated content capable of being manipulated via a cursor of a pointing device;

a handheld device representing the pointing device to wirelessly capture an images of each of the two or more optical spots projected onto the display surface, the optical spots serving as reference markers for the pointing device;

the handheld device further adapted to generate separate image data for each of the two or more spots within the image, process the separate image data for each image to generate coordinate data for each spots within the image, and transmit from the handheld device the coordinate data derived from the processing of the image data;

wherein processing the image data for each image further comprises;

determining an intensity value for each of a plurality of pixels of the pixelated sensor;

identifying a set of pixels in which each pixel has an intensity value above a specified threshold; and

generating coordinate data based on the intensity value and the location of each of the pixels in the set of pixels; and

a control unit communicatively coupled to the projection apparatus and the handheld device to determine and actively control a position of the cursor based on the coordinate data transmitted from the handheld device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the two or more optical spots are projected in a predetermined optical frequency such that the two or more optical spots are invisible to a user of the display surface.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the handheld device comprises a camera to capture an image of each of the two or more optical spots.