Managing inputs at an information handling system by adaptive infrared illumination and detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9791979-B2
Application number	US-201514691840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A single camera detects user interactions with separate infrared light sources, such as structured light for three dimensional detection and an infrared curtain surface touch interactions. A touch input module monitors user interactions with a desktop surface, such as at a projected or display mat user interface presentation, and selectively illuminates the separate infrared light sources to support camera detection based upon the user interactions. For example, separate infrared light sources illumination in an interleaved manned at variable rates based upon analysis of visible light or structured light images captured by the camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising:
a processor operable to process information for presentation to a user as visual images;
memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the information;
a graphics system interfaced with the processor and memory, the graphics system operable to generate the visual images at one or more display devices;
a display device interfaced with the graphics system and operable to present the visual images;
a camera aligned to capture an image proximate the visual images;
a first infrared light source operable to generate an infrared curtain along a surface proximate the visual images to aid surface touch input detection;
a second infrared light source operable to generate structured light above the infrared curtain to aid three dimensional object detection; and
a touch input module interfaced with the camera, the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source, the touch input module operable to analyze visual images captured by the camera and to selectively illuminate the first or second infrared light sources based upon the analyzing;
wherein the touch input module selectively interleaves illumination by the first and second infrared light sources based at least in part upon an end user hand position detected in a visual image captured by the camera.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the display device comprises a projector aligned to project the visual images at a desktop surface;
the first infrared light source is aligned to illuminate the infrared curtain proximate to and parallel above the desktop surface; and
the touch input module turns off the first infrared light source unless the visual images captured by the camera indicate an end user body portion situated to perform a touch input at the desktop surface.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the display device comprises a projector aligned to project the visual images at a desktop surface;
the second infrared light source is aligned to illuminate the structured light above the infrared curtain to detect objects disposed above the infrared curtain; and
the touch input module turns off the second infrared light source unless the visual images captured by the camera indicate an end user body portion situated above the desktop surface.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the touch input module selectively turns off the second infrared light source upon detection by the camera of an end user's hands arranged to type at the desktop surface.

5. An information handling system comprising:
a processor operable to process information for presentation to a user as visual images;
memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the information;
a graphics system interfaced with the processor and memory, the graphics system operable to generate the visual images at one or more display devices;
a display device interfaced with the graphics system and operable to present the visual images;
a camera aligned to capture an image proximate the visual images;
a first infrared light source operable to generate an infrared curtain along a surface proximate the visual images to aid surface touch input detection;
a second infrared light source operable to generate structured light above the infrared curtain to aid three dimensional object detection; and
a touch input module interfaced with the camera, the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source, the touch input module operable to analyze visual images captured by the camera and to selectively illuminate the first or second infrared light sources based upon the analyzing;
wherein the touch input module selectively illuminates the first or second infrared light sources by interleaving the first and second infrared light sources and coordinating the camera to provide touch input detection during illumination by the first infrared light source and to provide three dimensional object detection during illumination by the second infrared light source.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the touch input module illuminates the first and second infrared light sources at first and second rates based upon one or more predetermined conditions detected by the image captured by the camera.

7. An information handling system comprising:
a processor operable to process information for presentation to a user as visual images;
memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the information;
a graphics system interfaced with the processor and memory, the graphics system operable to generate the visual images at one or more display devices;
a display device interfaced with the graphics system and operable to present the visual images;
a camera aligned to capture an image proximate the visual images;
a first infrared light source operable to generate an infrared curtain along a surface proximate the visual images to aid surface touch input detection;
a second infrared light source operable to generate structured light above the infrared curtain to aid three dimensional object detection; and
a touch input module interfaced with the camera, the first infrared light source and the second infrared light source, the touch input module operable to analyze visual images captured by the camera and to selectively illuminate the first or second infrared light sources based upon the analyzing;
wherein the display device comprises a projector aligned to project the visual images at a desktop surface and a capacitive mat disposed on the desktop surface, the touch input module interleaving illumination of the first and second infrared light sources at first and second rates based upon a determination of touches by an end user at the capacitive mat or at the desktop surface external to the capacitive mat.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the touch input module further adjust the first and second rates based upon a determination that touches by the end user are performed with a finger with a writing instrument.

9. A method for adaptive infrared illumination to manage input detection at a user interface presented on a desktop surface, the method comprising:
presenting a user interface on at a desktop surface, the user interface accepting end user inputs detected by a camera;
capturing an image with the camera that includes at least a portion of the user interface;
analyzing the captured interface to determine a first or second condition associated with the user interface;
in response to determining the first condition, providing a first illumination setting for first and second infrared light sources; and
in response to determining the second condition, providing a second illumination setting for the first and second infrared light sources
wherein:
the first condition comprises motion detected proximate the desktop surface;
the first illumination setting comprises cycling on the first infrared light source aligned to illuminate an infrared curtain over the desktop surface at a first cycle rate; and
the second illumination setting comprises cycling on the second infrared light source aligned to track three dimensional objects over the desktop surface at a second cycle rate.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
the first condition comprises motion detected above the desktop surface;
the first illumination setting comprises turning off the first infrared light source aligned to illuminate an infrared curtain over the desktop surface; and
the second illumination setting comprises cycling on the second infrared light source aligned to track three dimensional objects over the desktop surfac

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Pacheco Roman J
• Ancona Rocco
• Sanaullah Abu S

Classifications

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F1/1639

  the display being based on projection · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title