Optical pointing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9323347-B2
Application number	US-201314094988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2013
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

There is provided an optical pointing system including at least one reference beacon, an image sensor, a storage unit and a processing unit. The image sensor is configured to capture an image frame containing a beacon image associated with the at least one reference beacon. The storage unit is configured to save image data of at least one object image in the image frame. The processing unit is configured to sequentially process every pixel of the image frame for identifying the object image and real-timely remove or merge the image data, saved in the storage unit, associated with two object images within a pixel range of the image frame thereby reducing the used memory space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical pointing system, comprising:
at least one reference beacon;
an image sensor configured to capture an image frame containing a beacon image associated with the at least one reference beacon;
a storage unit configured to save image data of at least one object image in the image frame; and
a processing unit configured to sequentially process every pixel of the image frame within a scan period for identifying the at least one object image, and when two object images simultaneously appear within a clearance range of the image frame within the scan period, remove image data, saved in the storage unit, associated with the two object images within the clearance range,
wherein the clearance range is a pixel region extending outward from an edge of the at least one object image to a pixel area smaller than the image frame, and the two object images are separated from each other in the image frame.

2. The optical pointing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one object image comprises the beacon image and an ambient light image.

3. The optical pointing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when at least one of
(i) an intensity of every pixel of a pixel region being larger than or equal to an intensity threshold,
(ii) an accumulated pixel area of a pixel region being larger than or equal to an area threshold, and
(iii) a pixel region matching a predetermined feature, is true
the processing unit is configured to identify the pixel region as the at least one object image.

4. The optical pointing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical pointing system comprises one reference beacon, and the clearance range is a fixed predetermined pixel range.

5. The optical pointing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical pointing system comprises two reference beacons, and the processing unit is configured to calculate the clearance range according to a disposed distance between the two reference beacons, an image capturing angle of the image sensor and an operable distance.

6. The optical pointing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when identifying the at least one object image within the scan period, the processing unit is configured to determine the clearance range in the image frame around the at least one object image.

7. An optical pointing system, comprising:
at least one reference beacon;
an image sensor configured to capture an image frame containing a beacon image associated with the at least one reference beacon;
a storage unit configured to store image data of at least one object image in the image frame; and
a processing unit configured to
sequentially process every pixel of the image frame within a scan period for identifying the at least one object image,
when a first object image is recognized in the image frame, determine a clearance region in the image frame surrounding the first object image, wherein the clearance region is a pixel region extending outward from an edge of the first object image to a pixel area smaller than the image frame, and
when a second object image is recognized within the clearance range of the image frame within the scan period, remove image data, which is stored in the storage unit, associated with the first and second object images within the clearance range, wherein the first and second object images are two object images in the image frame and separated from each other.

Assignees

• Pixart Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Liang Chia-Cheun

Classifications

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• G06F3/0325 Primary

  using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image · CPC title

• G06F3/0304 Primary

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06K9/46

  Physics · mapped topic