Apparatus for object information detection and methods of using same

• US 8,931,780 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: N-Trig Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zachut, Rafi, Perski, Haim, Rimon, Ori, Kaplan, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/463,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20070062852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,078 Days
• Field of Search: 273237-243
• US Class Current: 273/237
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/3611 with a playing surface playable on both sides
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/265 by skin resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/06 Games simulating outdoor ball games, e.g. hockey or football if physically beneficial for the human body A63B67/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/068 using magnetic power magnetic toys A63H33/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0692 Kicking
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A system for determining information regarding at least one object, comprising: a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling; at least one object adapted to create a capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor; a detector adapted to measure at least one output signal of said sensor associated with the at least one object, wherein the output signal associated with the at least one object is an object information code.

Claims

1. A system for determining information regarding at least one object comprising:

a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling, wherein the sensor includes a first and a second array of electrodes forming a grid;

an object configured to create a capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor such that output signals are produced on a plurality of electrodes of the sensor, a spatial pattern formed with a distribution of the output signals among the plurality of electrodes is an object information code; and

a detector configured to measure said output signals and to determine from the spatial pattern, the object information code, said code providing information regarding a position of the object and information regarding identification or orientation of the object.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the object includes a plurality of conductive areas.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive areas includes at least two conductive areas spaced apart.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the object includes conductive and non-conductive areas to provide a binary object information code.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive areas is comprised of differently sized conductive areas such that some areas cause a different capacitive coupling than other areas.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive areas is comprised of conductive areas, of which at least a first conductive area is located a first distance from a second conductive area which is located a second distance from at least a third conductive area.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the first and second distances are selected from a set of predefined distances.

8. A system according to claim 2, wherein at least two of the conductive areas are selectively in conductive connection with each other.

9. A system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive areas forms at least one of a plurality of rows, a plurality of columns or a geometric shape.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of said output signals is at least one of voltage, amplitude, phase, frequency, or correlation.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a source of the input signal adapted to input the at least one signal to the first set of electrodes; and

,

wherein the input signal is transferred to the second set of electrodes by the object capacitively coupled to at least one of the second set of electrodes.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the object is one of a plurality of objects, each with a different object information code.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the object is a game piece.

14. A system according to claim 1, further operable to detect a body part of a user.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the object comprises several surfaces, and wherein each surface comprises a different object information code.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the object is a gaming die.

17. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a display having an image that can be changed electronically displayed thereon.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the display underlies the sensor and wherein the sensor is substantially transparent.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the system is a personal computer.

20. A system according to claim 2 wherein the detector is operative to identify output signals associated with each of the plurality of conductive areas.

21. A system according to claim 20 comprising circuitry configured to determine the object information code based on the output signals associated with each of the plurality of conductive areas.

22. A system according to claim 2 wherein the detector is operative to determine a position of each of the plurality of conductive areas relative to the sensor.

23. A system according claim 22 comprising circuitry configured to determine the object information code based on the determined position of each of the plurality of conductive areas on the sensor.

24. A system for determining information regarding at least one object, comprising:

a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling;

an object including a plurality of conductive areas spaced apart configured to create a capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor, such that a plurality of output signals are produced in response to the capacitive coupling to different parts of the sensor, a spatial pattern formed from a distribution of the plurality of output signals on the sensor is an object information code; and

a detector configured to measure the plurality of output signals on the sensor, and to determine from the spatial pattern, the object information code, and wherein the object information code provides information for determining a position of the at least one object.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the object information code provides information regarding identification or orientation of the at least one object.

26. A system according to claim 24 wherein the detector is operative to determine a position of each of the plurality of conductive areas on the sensor.

27. A system according claim 26 comprising circuitry configured to determine orientation of the object based on the position of each of the plurality of conductive areas on the sensor.

28. A system according to claim 24 wherein the detector is operative to determine output signals associated with each of the plurality of conductive areas.

29. A system according to claim 28 comprising circuitry configured to determine the object information code based on the output signals associated with each of the plurality of conductive areas.

30. A system according to claim 24, wherein the object is one of a plurality of objects, each with a different object information code.

31. A method for determining information regarding at least one object, the method comprising:

providing a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling;

providing an object including a plurality of conductive areas spaced apart configured to create capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor, such that a plurality of output signals are produced from different portions of the sensor in response to the capacitive coupling;

measuring the plurality of output signals of the sensor associated with the plurality of conductive areas; and

determining from a spatial pattern formed from a distribution of the plurality of output signals from the different portions of the sensor an object information code and information for determining the position of the at least one object.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the sensor is comprised of two arrays of electrodes, a first array comprising a first set of electrodes and a second array comprising a second set of electrodes.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the object information code includes information regarding the identification of the object.

34. A method according to claim 31 comprising identifying the object based on the object information code.

35. A method according to claim 31 comprising determining an orientation of the object based on the spatial pattern.

36. A method according to claim 31 comprising determining position of each of the conductive areas on the sensor from the measured signal outputs.

37. A system for determining information regarding a plurality of objects, comprising:

a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling, said sensor including a plurality of electrodes;

a plurality of objects, wherein at least one object of the plurality includes a pattern of conductive areas that is other than a pattern included on at least one other object of the plurality, the pattern configured to create a capacitive coupling with more than one electrode of the plurality of electrodes when at least one signal is input to the sensor; and

a detector configured to measure output signals from the more than one electrode associated with the pattern and to determine an object information code from a spatial pattern formed from a distribution of the output signals among the more than one electrode, and wherein the object information code provides the information regarding the object.

38. A system according to claim 37, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects includes a plurality of conductive areas.

39. A system according to claim 38, wherein the plurality of conductive areas includes at least two conductive areas spaced apart.

40. A system according to claim 37, wherein the pattern of conductive areas provides the object information code.