Enhanced light-generated interface for use with electronic devices

An electronic input device comprising:

• a sensor system capable of providing information for approximating a position of an object contacting a surface over an active sensing area;
• and
• a projector capable of displaying a keyboard onto a projection area on the surface, wherein the keyboard indicates a plurality of keys where placement of an object is to have a corresponding input;
• and
• wherein at least one of the sensor system and the projector are oriented so that the keyboard appears within an intersection of the active sensing area and the projection area.

A method for providing an input interface for an electronic device, the method comprising:

• identifying a projection area of a projector on a surface, the projection area corresponding to where an image provided by the projector of an input interface with one or more input areas can be displayed;
• identifying an active sensor area of a sensor system on the surface, the sensor system being in a cooperative relationship with the projector, the active sensor area corresponding to where a sensor system is capable of providing information for approximating a position of an object contacting the surface;
• and
• causing the image of the interface to be provided within a boundary of an intersection of the projection area and the active sensor area.

A method for providing a light-generated input interface, the method comprising:

• converting a representation of a specified configuration for the light-generated input interface into a first form for use by a projector;
• converting the representation of the configuration for the light-generated input interface into a second form for use by a sensor system;
• and
• causing the light-generated input interface to be projected onto a surface to have the specified configuration of the representation.

A method for providing a light-generated input interface, the light-generated input interface including a projector for projecting an image of the input interface, and a sensor system to detect user interaction with the input interface, the method comprising:

• receiving an output file from a diffractive optical element of the projector, the output file providing information about an image of the input interface that is to appear on a surface;
• creating a simulated image of the input interface based on the information provided by the output file;
• editing the simulated image;
• and
• converting the edited simulated image into a form for configuring the projector.