Information-inputting device inputting contact point of object on recording surfaces as information

• US RE42,794 E1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujioka, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian; Seyed
• Application Number:
  US12/788,822
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/106, 382/107, 382/123, 382/128, 382/159, 382/168, 382/180, 382/181, 382/188, 382190-195, 382/201, 382/214, 382/218, 382/243, 382/282, 382/274, 382291-299, 382/305, 382/312, 382/318, 340/435, 370/329, 715/251, 356/608, 356/622, 702/43, 702/153
• US Class Current: 382/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 9/20 Image acquisition

Abstract

An information-inputting device is provided, which includes a plurality of photographing units photographing an area on a plane. An object located on the plane is then extracted from an image that includes the plane and the object, and it is determined whether the object is a specific object. If the object is the specific object, a position of a contact point between the specific object and the plane is calculated.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of inputting information comprising the steps of:

extracting an object located on a plane from an image that includes the plane and the object;

determining whether the object is a writing implement;

calculating, with at least one processor, a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane as information to be input if the object has been determined as the writing implement; and

inputting the information representing a position on the plane indicated by the object,

wherein when a plurality of objects are extracted from the image, one of the plurality of objects that satisfies a prescribed condition is determined as the writing implement, and the contact position of the writing implement is input as the information.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of:

observing movement of the writing implement approaching the plane if the object has been recognized as the writing implement; and

inputting the contact position of the writing implement on the plane as the information when the writing implement has stopped in a perpendicular direction to the plane.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of recognizing whether the object is the writing implement by comparing a shape of the object with a specific shape that has been selected from a plurality of specific shapes in advance.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of recognizing whether the object is the writing implement by comparing a shape of the object with a registered shape of the object.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact position that satisfies the prescribed condition is the contact position located at a shortest distance from a fixed point on the plane among distances from the fixed point to each of the plurality of the contact positions.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of inputting the contact position as valid information if the contact position is located in a fixed area on the plane.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fixed area is an area selected from a plurality of areas whose shapes and sizes are different from each other.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fixed area is an area that can be set to a fixed shape.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said area is one of a closed area formed by a track of the contact position of the writing implement on the plane and an area formed by said track and a width of a predetermined area.

10. The method as claimed claim 1, comprising the step of defining the contact position as invalid information as well as notifying of the invalid information if the contact position is not located in a fixed area.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the image based on the information.

11. A processor-implemented method of inputting information comprising:

extracting an object located on a plane from an image that includes the plane and the object;

determining whether the objected is a writing implement; and

calculating and inputting a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane as position information representing a designated position on the plane and represented by two-dimensional coordinates if the object is recognized as the writing implement,

wherein when a plurality of objects are extracted from the image, one of the plurality of objects that satisfies a prescribed condition is determined, with at least one processor, as the writing implement, and the contact position of the writing implement is input as the position information.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the image based on the locus information.

14. A processor-implemented method of inputting information comprising the steps of:

extracting an object located on a plane from an image that includes the plane and the object;

recognizing whether the object is a writing implement; and

calculating, with at least one processor, a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane as information to be input and representing an indicated position on the plane using two-dimensional coordinates if the object has been recognized as the writing implement,

wherein when a plurality of objects are extracted from the image, one of the plurality of objects that satisfies a prescribed condition is determined as the writing implement, and the contact position of the writing implement is input as the position information.

15. An information-inputting device comprising:

a plurality of photographing units configured to photograph an area on a plane;

an object-recognizing unit configured to extract an object located on the plane from a photographed image and to recognize whether the extracted object is a writing implement; and

a location-calculating processing unit configured to calculate a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane from the photographed image if the object has been recognized as the writing implement,

wherein when a plurality of objects are extracted from the image, one of the plurality of objects that satisfies a prescribed condition is determined as the writing implement, and the contact position of the writing implement is calculated by the location-calculating processing unit as the contact point.

16. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information, comprising:

a display device having at least one camera in a corner thereof; and

at least one computer readable medium having program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to;

extract an object located on a plane of the display device from an image that includes said plane and the object;

determine whether the object is a writing implement by determining, when a plurality of objects are extracted from the image, that one of the plurality of objects that satisfies a prescribed condition is the writing implement;

calculate a position of a contact point between the writing implement and said plane as information to be input if the object has been determined as the writing implement; and

input the information representing a position on said plane indicated by the object.

17. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

observe movement of the writing implement approaching the plane if the object has been recognized as the writing implement; and

input the contact position of the writing implement on the plane as the information when the writing implement has stopped in a perpendicular direction to the plane.

18. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

recognize whether the object is the writing implement by comparing a shape of the object with a specific shape that has been selected in advance from a plurality of specific shapes.

19. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

recognize whether the object is the writing implement by comparing a shape of the object with a registered shape of the object.

20. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

determine that the contact position that satisfies the prescribed condition is the contact position located at a shortest distance from a fixed point on the plane among distances from the fixed point to each of the plurality of the contact positions.

21. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

input the contact position as valid information if the contact position is located in a fixed area on the plane.

22. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 20, wherein the fixed area comprises an area selected from a plurality of areas whose shapes and sizes are different from each other.

23. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 20, wherein the fixed area comprises an area that can be set to a fixed shape.

24. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 23, wherein the fixed area comprises one of (i) a closed area formed by a track of the contact position of the writing implement on the plane and (ii) an area formed by said track and a width of a predetermined area.

25. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

define the contact position as invalid information as well as signaling the invalid information if the contact position is not located in a fixed area.

26. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 16, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

display the image based on the position information.

28. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information according to claim 26, wherein the at least one computer readable medium has program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to:

display the image based on the position information.

27. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information, comprising:

a display having at least one camera at a corner thereof; and

at least one computer readable medium having program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to;

extract a plurality of objects located on a plane of the display device from an image that includes the plane and the objects;

determine whether the object is a writing implement by determining that one of the plurality of objects that satisfies a prescribed condition is the writing implement; and

calculate and input as position information a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane as position information representing a designated position on the plane and represented by two-dimensional coordinates if the object is recognized as the writing implement.

29. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information, comprising:

a display having at least one camera at a corners thereof; and

at least one computer readable medium having program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to;

extract a plurality of objects located on a plane of the display device from an image that includes the plane and the object;

recognize whether one of the objects comprises a writing implement by determining that the one object satisfies a prescribed condition; and

calculate a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane as position information to be input and representing an indicated position on the plane using two-dimensional coordinates if the object has been recognized as the writing implement.

30. Apparatus usable with at least one processing structure for inputting information, comprising:

a display having a plurality of photographing units configured to photograph an area on a plane of the display device; and

at least one computer readable medium having program instructions configured to cause the at least one processing structure to;

extract an object located on the plane from a photographed image and to recognize whether the extracted object is a writing implement;

calculate a position of a contact point between the writing implement and the plane from the photographed image if the object has been recognized as the writing implement;

when a plurality of objects are extracted from the image and one of the plurality of objects satisfies a prescribed condition, determine that (i) that object is the writing implement, and (ii) the contact position of the writing implement is the contact point.