Optical: systems and elements – Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels – By partial reflection at beam splitting or combining surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-20
2001-06-26
Epps, Georgia (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels
By partial reflection at beam splitting or combining surface
C359S637000, C359S630000, C434S085000, C108S010000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252720
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to systems and methods of remotely manipulating or interacting with graphical or interactive elements on television or similar video screens. It further concerns systems and methods whereby users interface to control interactive content on televisions. Additionally, the invention is directed to optical virtual touch pad systems.
Many systems for manipulating graphical and other user interface elements on television, computer, electronic or other display screens are known. Examples thereof include keyboards, mouses, remote control devices (such as handheld television remote controls and wired consoles), touch screens and voice controlled systems. In the interactive television field, the interface elements can include electronic program guides, web links, option menus and embedded video hot links.
One prior art system for manipulating interface elements is designed for use by animators and artists and keeps their hands and input devices in the actual workspace. This is the “ImaginEasel”, workstation at The Walt Disney Company. It is a direct manipulation interface system, allowing an artist to draw on a digitizing surface as if she were using paper and pencil. More specifically, the artist sits at the station, and instead of looking at the monitor, she looks at a superimposed image of the monitor on a digitizing surface. She draws on the digitizing surface as if she were drawing directly on the surface of the monitor.
The underlying concepts of the “ImaginEasel” workstation system are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,091 (Monroe, et al.), whose entire contents are hereby incorporated by reference. The '091 patent teaches a method of superimposing the image of a display onto the surface of a digitizing surface to allow artists to draw in a natural manner. It also describes methods for placing optical components between the display and the digitizing surface to compensate for differences in the sizes of the display and the digitizing surface. The image of the display is electronically inverted to correct for the mirror image reversal caused by a single beamsplitting element. The distances between the display and the beamsplitter and the beamsplitter and the digitizing surface in the '091 system are equal so that the virtual image can be superimposed onto the digitizing surface.
The '091 system, unfortunately, cannot be translated to consumer television and home computing applications. This is because for these applications the optical distances between the display and the digitizing surface to be registered with the display are not set distances, but rather are arbitrary. For example, chairs and couches in all living rooms are not the same fixed distances from their television sets. Another reason is that for these applications it is not generally feasible to electronically invert a displayed image. Since the electronic display on the home television will be viewed by others at the same time as the user, it is undesirable to invert the image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed herein is a low cost system for converting a television or other electronic display into a touch sensitive display, providing an intuitive user interface for games, remote control and other entertainment applications. Reflective optics are used to either superimpose a virtual image of the television (or rather the electronic display of the television screen) onto a touch-sensitive digitizing surface. Or conversely, reflective optics can be used to superimpose a virtual image of a digitizing surface onto the surface of a display, such as that on a television or computer screen. Multiple reflective surfaces rectify virtual image superimposed upon the digitizing surface or display surface. The virtual images of the display and the digitizing surface are registered in the same plane as the corresponding digitizing surface and display, respectively. They are registered using positive or negative optical elements (both refractive and reflective) introduced into an optical path between the display and the digitizing surface.
An underlying idea of this invention is to create a user interface that allows a user to directly manipulate an interactive screen by touching on a graphical or interactive element, but without actually touching a conventional touch screen. The invention can be used to convert an ordinary television so that it can be remotely controlled by a user. She can control it whereby it appears to her that she is actually physically touching the screen when in actuality she is sitting at a typical viewing distance from the television screen and optics are used to make it appear to her that she is actually touching the screen.
One embodiment of the invention uses a beamsplitter positioned in an optical path of a digitizing or touch sensitive surface to superimpose a virtual image of the digitizing surface on the television screen. The digitizing surface is operatively connected to the computer or set-top box that is driving the image on the television screen. The optical path also includes means for registering the virtual image on the television screen and optical (not electronic) means for reversing the reversed image of the beamsplitter.
As the user operatively contacts the digitizing surface with her finger, pen or other contact member, a virtual image of her hand and the contact member is superimposed on the television screen, either with a virtual image of the digitizing surface or without but with the virtual image of the hand being registered with the screen as it is with the surface. The user thereby touches a “perceived” display surface without actually touching the display with her hands. A television (and computer) user can thus directly manipulate icons, controls and other interactive contacts by simply “touching ” a virtual image of the screen that she is viewing.
The beamsplitter used in the embodiments herein can be silvered (or aluminized vaporized coatings), partially reflective, that is, simply a piece of glass whose reflectance is controlled by the amount of silvering or deposit on it. It can, for example, have a reflectance on the order of twenty percent and a transmission on the order of about eighty percent. If the light in the room is dim or not sufficient, a separate light to illuminate the user's hand on the digitizing surface may be used.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Darrow Christopher
Epps Georgia
Larson Douglas
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly
Thompson Tim
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