Monocular Display Pointer Device for Hands-Free Cursor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional head-mounted displays limit situational awareness by obstructing the user's view of the surrounding environment, as they require both hands to interact with the display for tasks like deploying armament, which can be unsafe and inefficient, especially for military personnel.
Innovation Solution
A computer display pointer device with a monocular display and a video camera, where the image processor detects the position of a pointer element on the user's hand and moves a cursor on the display, allowing users to interact with the display without removing their hands from the environment, using a boresighted camera and image processor integrated into a helmet or headband.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a binocular display is used in a head-mounted display, then information display capability is improved, but situational awareness deteriorates because the display obstructs the user's view of the surrounding environment
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into a monocular display that covers only a portion of the user's field-of-view, leaving the rest of the visual field open for situational awareness. This partial coverage approach allows information display while maintaining environmental visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The display provides localized information presentation in a specific region of the user's field-of-view rather than attempting to cover the entire visual field. This local quality approach ensures that critical environmental information remains visible while delivering necessary display information in a dedicated area.
2Ease of operation
If both hands are used to interact with the display, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates because the user cannot monitor the surrounding environment
Solution Approach 1:
A pointer element worn on the user's hand serves as an intermediary between the user and the display interface. The image processor tracks this pointer element's position and uses it to control cursor movement, enabling hands-on interaction while keeping at least one hand visible for safety monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical interaction system is replaced with an optical tracking system. Instead of requiring direct manual manipulation of display controls, the image processor optically tracks the pointer element's position and automatically translates it to cursor movement, reducing the need for complex hand movements while maintaining interaction capability.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a computer display pointer device includes an image processor coupled to a display and a video camera. The display is configured to be worn by a user and display a computer image over a portion of the user's field-of-view. The video camera is operable to be worn by the user and boresighted to a field-of-view of the user. The image processor receives a video signal from the video camera that includes an image of a pointer element configured on a hand of the user, determines a position of the pointer element according to the received video image, and moves a cursor on the display according to the position of the pointer element.