Virtual Touch Interface
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsFeng-Hsiung Hsu, Chunhui Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A user may issue commands to a computing device by moving a pointer within a light field. Sensors may capture light reflected from the moving pointer. A virtual touch engine may analyze the reflected light captured as light portions in a sequence of images by the sensors to issue a command to a computing device in response to the movements. Analyzing the sequence of images may include finding the light portions in the sequence of images, determining a size of the light portions, and determining a location of the light portions.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method comprising:
- emitting light from a source to generate a light field parallel to a work surface;
- capturing light at one or more sensors positioned outside the light field as a sequence of images, the light reflected from a pointer positioned within the light field;
- analyzing the reflected light captured in the sequence of images to track a movement of the pointer;
- and
- analyzing the tracked movement to issue a command to a computing device.
One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
- receiving a sequence of images that capture a movement of a pointer in a light field as one or more light portions, the light portions indicative of a command issued to a computing device;
- finding the one or more light portions in each image of the sequence of images;
- determining a size of each of the one or more light portions in each image of the sequence of images;
- determining a location of each of the one or more light portions in each image of the sequence of images to track the movement of the pointer;
- translating the tracked movement to the command issued to the computing device;
- and
- issuing the command to the computing device.
A virtual touch interface system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory to store modules executable by the one or more processors, the modules comprising:
- an interface module to generate an infrared light field;
- a tracking module to analyze a moving pointer within a light field captured in a sequence of images by a sensor positioned outside the light field, the tracking module analyzing the moving pointer to:
- (1) locate one or more light portions in each image of the sequence of images, (2) track a movement of the moving pointer based on the located one or more light portions, and (3) translate the tracked movement to a command;
- and
- a command module to issue the command to the computing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.