3D Motion Tracking Input System for Extended Range Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch screens have limited operational range, are inaccurate for fine object recognition, and cannot track three-dimensional (3D) motion or interaction with surfaces, making them unsuitable for larger computers and requiring a more advanced human-computer interaction system.
Innovation Solution
A sensing device and method that monitor object movement over time, generate time-dependent velocity, detect tapping events, and determine 3D positions, enabling accurate tracking of 3D motion and interaction with surfaces, including virtual touch surfaces, using multiple imaging sensors and illumination sources to differentiate between foreground and background.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional touch screen technology (capacitive sensing or electric-field sensing) is used, then the device can track objects near the screen, but the operational range is limited to a short distance and cannot recognize 3D structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D touch screen sensing to 3D motion tracking by detecting objects in three-dimensional space. The system captures 3D position data (x, y, z coordinates) and 3D orientation information, enabling tracking beyond the limited plane of conventional touch screens while maintaining measurement precision through spatial analysis of captured images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional capacitive or electric-field sensing mechanisms with an imaging-based detection system. By using cameras or image sensors to capture visual data and process it through image recognition algorithms, the system achieves both extended operational range and accurate 3D structure recognition without relying on electromagnetic field interactions limited to near-field operation.
2Area of stationary object
If conventional touch screens are used in larger computers (desktop or workstation), then the computer size increases, but it becomes inconvenient for the user to reach to the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables interaction in 3D space rather than requiring physical contact with a 2D screen surface. Users can interact with virtual objects and interfaces by making gestures in the air within the detection range, eliminating the need to reach forward to touch the screen while maintaining ease of operation through natural hand and finger movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary detection system that captures and processes visual information about user gestures, translating physical hand movements in 3D space into digital input signals. This intermediary imaging and processing system bridges the gap between user intent and computer response without requiring direct screen contact, making large computers equally accessible.
3Device complexity
If conventional touch screens are used, then the device structure is simple, but the system cannot track 3D motion or interaction with surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances system capability by adding 3D spatial tracking functionality through image capture and processing. By analyzing multiple image frames and extracting 3D position and orientation data, the system gains the ability to track 3D motion and detect surface interactions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure based on standard imaging components and processing algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for human-machine interaction includes monitoring a movement of an object by a sensor that detects positions of the object over time, generating a time-dependent velocity of the object based on the movement of the object, detecting a tapping event of the object tapping on a surface by detecting a sudden change of the time-dependent velocity, and determining a position of the object at a time when the tapping event occurs as a tapping position of the object.