Interactive control system, methods of making the same, and devices incorporating the same

• US 9,120,180 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries Incorporated (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries Incorporated (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reichenbach, Robert, Alpay, Mehmet, Darwin, Michael, Howerton, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US13/938,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20140016103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 353/38, 353/62, 353/79, 353/119, 353/122, 345156-173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0437 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/00 Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/46 Systems using spatial filters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

Numerous embodiments of interactive control systems, methods of making the same, and devices incorporating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a light-resistant material; light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material; and a lens disposed adjacent to the light-transmissive pattern.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a light-resistant material;

light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material;

a lens disposed adjacent to the light-transmissive pattern; and

a sensing system configured to detect light transmitted along an optical path extending through the lens and at least one of the light-transmissive holes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-resistant material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal, a ceramic, and a polymer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the light-transmissive holes are substantially invisible.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein all of the light-transmissive holes are substantially invisible.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens is disposed along the optical path between the light-transmissive pattern and the sensing system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing system is configured to detect the light reflected from a surface remotely located from the pattern.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a controller coupled to the sensing system, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the device based on the detected light.

8. A system, comprising:

a light-resistant material;

light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material;

a lens arranged adjacent to the light-transmissive pattern such that light transmitted through the lens is transmittable through the light-transmissive holes; and

a projection system operative to project an image through the lens, the projection system including;

a light source configured to generate light; and

a light-modification system configured to modify the generated light.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the light-resistant material at least partially defines an exterior surface of a device configured to perform at least one function.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a controller coupled to the projection system, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the projection system based on the at least one function supported by the device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the projection system is operative to project the image onto a target surface located at a distance in a range between one inch and five feet away from the pattern.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection system is operative to project the image onto a target surface located at a distance in a range between six inches and one foot away from the pattern.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising the device, wherein the device is at least one selected from the group consisting of a smartphone, laptop computer, a watch and a thermostat.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the system further comprises a controller coupled to the projection system, wherein the controller is configured to modify the image projected by the projection system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the light-modification system to modify the image projected by the projection system.

16. A system, comprising:

a light-resistant material;

light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material;

a sensing system having a field of view and operative to detect light transmitted through at least one of the light-transmissive holes from an image reflected by a surface; and

a controller coupled to the sensing system, the controller configured to determine a position of an object disposed within the field of view relative to the image.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the light-resistant material at least partially defines an exterior surface of a device operative to perform at least one function.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to control an operation of the device based on the determined position.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a projection system operative to project an image through at least one of the light-transmissive holes onto a target surface located remotely from the pattern.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to modify the image projected by the projection system based on the interaction of an object with the projected image.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the projection system and the sensing system are configured such that light projected by the projection system and light detected by the sensing system is transmitted through at least one common light-transmissive hole.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the projection system and the sensing system are configured such that light projected by the projection system and light detected by the sensing system is transmitted through different light-transmissive holes.