Holographic control arrangement
OwnerRobert Douglas McPhetersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Operator input into one or more devices to be controlled by the operator is provided through a holographic image of the keys or other input devices customarily actuated to provide input data to the system wherein actuation of the holographic image of the input devices is detected optically without tangible physical contact by the operator with a solid control object or control surface.
Claims33
A control arrangement for allowing an operator to control an electronic or electro-mechanical device of the type conventionally controlled by a tangible control mechanism having at least one customarily touch-activated tangible input object, physical contact with which produces a response by said device;
- said control arrangement allowing such control without the operator touching any solid object and comprising:
- an image generator for generating a holographic image of at least the one tangible input object of the tangible control mechanism for the device, with said generated holographic image for producing a response by said device corresponding to that produced conventionally by the one tangible input object of the tangible control mechanism;
- said image generator generating said holographic image of said one tangible input object such that it is larger than the one tangible input object of the tangible control mechanism;
- an actuation detector for determining selection by the operator of said holographic image of said one tangible input object;
- and
- a signal generator for receiving the determination of said actuation detector and providing an input signal to the device thereby to produce the response.
A control arrangement for allowing an operator to control an electronic or electromechanical device of the type conventionally controlled by a tangible control mechanism having at least one customarily touch-activated tangible input object, physical contact with which produces a response by said device;
- said control arrangement allowing such control without the operator touching a solid object and comprising:
- an image generator for generating a holographic image of the tangible control mechanism for the device, said generated holographic image including at least one image of at least one tangible input object corresponding to the one tangible input object of the tangible control mechanism and for producing a corresponding response by said device;
- said image generator comprising a physical structure, a hologram of the tangible control mechanism supported by said physical structure, and means for illuminating said hologram to project the holographic image at a predetermined location spaced from and independent of said physical structure, whereby the holographic image is free-floating from said physical structure;
- an actuation detector for determining selection by the operator of said holographic image of said one tangible input object;
- and
- a signal generator for receiving the determination of said actuation detector and providing an input signal to the electronic or electromechanical device thereby to produce the response.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.