Contactless control panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022326783-A1
Application number	US-202217835981-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2022
Priority date	Oct 14, 2012
Publication date	Oct 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method including providing a sensor including light emitters, photodiode detectors, and lenses arranged so as to direct light beams from light emitters exiting lenses along a detection plane, and so as to direct light beams entering lenses at a specific angle of incidence onto photodiode detectors, mounting the sensor on a display presenting virtual input controls for an electronic device, such that the detection plane resides in an airspace in front of the display, activating light emitters to project light beams through lenses along the detection plane, wherein at least one of the light beams is interrupted by a finger, detecting light reflected by the finger, identifying emitters that projected the light beam that was reflected and photodiode detectors that detected the reflected light, as emitter-detector pairs, calculating display coordinates based on target positions associated with the identified emitter-detector pairs, and transmitting the calculated display coordinates to the electronic device.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A contactless input method for operating an electronic device or other equipment, comprising:
providing a sensor comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB),
a processor mounted on the PCB,
light emitters mounted on the PCB,
photodiode detectors mounted on the PCB, and
lenses arranged so as to direct light beams from the light emitters exiting the lenses along a detection plane, and so as to direct light beams entering the lenses along the detection plane at a specific angle of incidence onto the photodiode detectors;
identifying, by the processor, two-dimensional target positions in the detection plane, associated with respective emitter-detector pairs, based on the specific angle of incidence; mounting the sensor on a display configured to present virtual input controls for an electronic device or other equipment, such that the detection plane resides in an airspace in front of the display; activating the light emitters to project light beams through the lenses along the detection plane, wherein at least one of the light beams is interrupted by a finger inserted in the detection plane; detecting light reflected by the finger and passing through the lenses onto the photodiode detectors; transmitting outputs from the photodiode detectors to the processor; identifying, by the processor, for each of the outputs, the emitter that projected the light beam that was reflected and the photodiode detector that detected the reflected light, as an emitter-detector pair; calculating, by the processor, display coordinates based on target positions associated with the identified emitter-detector pairs; transmitting, by the processor, the calculated display coordinates to the electronic device or other equipment; and causing the electronic device or other equipment to activate a function associated with that one of the virtual input controls that is positioned on the display at a location of the received display coordinates.

22 . The input method of claim 21 , wherein said calculating display coordinates comprises calculating a weighted average of target positions in the detection plane associated with the identified emitter-detector pairs, wherein each target position's weight in the average corresponds to output of the photodiode detector of the emitter-detector pair to which that target position is associated.

23 . The input method of claim 21 , wherein said calculating display coordinates is performed in accordance with a detection-location relationship that relates photodiode detector outputs for emitter-detector pairs to locations between neighboring target positions.

24 . The input method of claim 21 , wherein said light emitters and said lenses are positioned such that said activating projects light beams across an area equal in size to an area surrounding the virtual input controls on the display.

25 . The input method of claim 21 , further comprising calculating, by the processor, a size of the finger.

26 . The input method of claim 21 , wherein said mounting is performed such that the detection plane is parallel to an input surface of the display.

27 . The input method of claim 21 , wherein said mounting is performed such that the detection plane is not parallel to the display.

28 . A contactless input method for operating an electronic device or other equipment, comprising:
providing a sensor comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB),
a processor mounted on the PCB,
light emitters mounted on the PCB,
photodiode detectors mounted on the PCB, and
lenses arranged so as to direct light beams from the light emitters exiting the lenses along a detection plane, and so as to direct light beams entering the lenses along the detection plane at a specific angle of incidence onto the photodiode detectors;
identifying, by the processor, two-dimensional target positions in the detection plane, associated with respective emitter-detector pairs, based on the specific angle of incidence; mounting the sensor on an electronic device or other equipment, such that the detection plane is in an airspace in front of the electronic device or other equipment; activating the light emitters to project light beams through the lenses along the detection plane, wherein at least one of the light beams is interrupted by a finger inserted in the detection plane; detecting light reflected by the finger and passing through the lenses onto the photodiode detectors; transmitting outputs from the photodiode detectors to the processor; identifying, by the processor, for each of the outputs, the emitter that projected the light beam that was reflected and the photodiode detector that detected the reflected light, as an emitter-detector pair; calculating, by the processor, display coordinates based on target positions associated with the identified emitter-detector pairs; and transmitting, by the processor, the calculated display coordinates to the electronic device or other equipment.

29 . The input method of claim 28 , wherein said calculating display coordinates comprises calculating a weighted average of target positions in the detection plane associated with the identified emitter-detector pairs, wherein each target position's weight in the average corresponds to output of the photodiode detector of the emitter-detector pair to which that target position is associated.

30 . The input method of claim 28 , wherein said calculating display coordinates is performed in accordance with a detection-location relationship that relates photodiode detector outputs for emitter-detector pairs to locations between neighboring target positions.

31 . The input method of claim 28 , further comprising calculating, by the processor, a size of the finger.

32 . The input method of claim 28 , wherein said mounting is performed such that the detection plane is parallel to an outer surface of the electronic device or other equipment.

33 . The input method of claim 28 , wherein said mounting is performed such that the detection plane is perpendicular to an outer surface of the electronic device or other equipment.

34 . A contactless input method for operating an electronic device or other equipment, comprising:
providing a sensor comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB),
a processor mounted on the PCB,
light emitters mounted on the PCB,
photodiode detectors mounted on the PCB, and
lenses arranged so as to direct light beams from the light emitters exiting the lenses along a detection plane, and so as to direct light beams entering the lenses along the detection plane at a specific angle of incidence onto the photodiode detectors;
identifying, by the processor, two-dimensional target positions in the detection plane, associated with respective emitter-detector pairs, based on the specific angle of incidence; mounting the sensor on an electronic device or other equipment, such that the detection plane is in an airspace in front of an arrangement of buttons or keys, each of which when pressed, is actuated to provide input to the electronic device or other equipment; activating, by the processor, light emitters to project light beams through the lenses along the detection plane, wherein at least one of the light beams is interrupted by a finger in the detection plane; detecting reflections of light by the finger passing through the lenses, at the photodiode detectors; transmitting outputs from the photodiode detectors to the processor; for each of the outputs, identifying, by the processor, the emitter that projected the light beam that was reflected and the photodiode detector that detected th

Assignees

• Neonode Inc

Inventors

• Eriksson Björn Thomas
• Jubner Björn Alexander
• Teymourzadeh Rozita
• Andersson Håkan Sven Erik
• Rosengren Per Carl Sture
• Wang Xiatao
• Holmgren Stefan Johannes
• Fröjdh Gunnar Martin
• Hartman Jan Tomas
• Sverud Per Oscar
• Kim Sangtaek
• Dahl-Örn Rasmus
• Berglind Tom Richard
• Nordström Karl Erik Patrik
• Sparf Lars Bertil
• Rosengren Erik Anders Claes
• Karlsson John Elis Gösta
• Behdasht Remo
• Åman Robin Kjell
• Shain Joseph

Classifications

• G06F1/169

  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 title

• G06F3/0421

  by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0428

  by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual (sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421) · CPC title