Stereo Infrared Position Detection for Contact Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing position detection methods struggle to accurately determine whether a pointing element has contact with an operation surface, especially when using a laser pointer or finger, due to difficulties in distinguishing the pointing element from the background.
Innovation Solution
A position detection method utilizing infrared light and a stereo camera system with two imaging sections of different viewpoints to form difference images, remove noise based on luminance gradient coincidence, and extract candidate areas for pointing element detection, followed by determining the pointing position and contact status using a learned neural network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single imaging section is used to detect the pointing element, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of the pointing position and contact determination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is segmented into two separate imaging sections (first imaging section 121 and second imaging section 123) positioned at different locations. Each imaging section captures images from different viewpoints, enabling stereo vision-based depth perception and contact determination. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving measurement precision through multi-viewpoint imaging while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional image analysis to three-dimensional spatial understanding by utilizing the baseline distance between the two imaging sections. The disparity amount calculation leverages this spatial dimension to determine depth information and contact status, thereby improving measurement precision without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Loss of time
If noise components are not removed from the taken images, then the processing time is reduced, but the reliability of pointing element detection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary noise removal processing on the taken images before conducting disparity amount calculation and pointing element detection. By pre-processing the images to eliminate noise components that would interfere with subsequent analysis, the system ensures high detection reliability while managing processing time through efficient preprocessing algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The noise removal process extracts and eliminates unwanted noise components from the taken images, separating them from the valid signal. This extraction of harmful elements improves the signal-to-noise ratio, thereby enhancing the reliability of subsequent pointing element detection without requiring excessive processing time.
3Ease of operation
If the pointing element is not clearly distinguished from the background, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the measurement precision of contact determination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs infrared light irradiation and detection, utilizing the spectral difference between the infrared illumination and the visible background. This spectral separation allows the pointing element to be clearly distinguished from the background without requiring the user to change their natural pointing behavior, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving measurement precision for contact determination.
Solution Approach 2:
Infrared light serves as an intermediary that illuminates the pointing element without being visible to the user, creating a clear contrast between the pointing element and the background in the infrared camera images. This intermediary illumination method enables precise contact determination while keeping the operation simple and natural for the user.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the accuracy of detecting the pointing position and determining contact with the operation surface by effectively separating the pointing element from the background and suppressing noise, improving detection precision and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
perform irradiation with infrared light in a direction corresponding to the operation surface... make a first imaging section and a second imaging section different in imaging viewpoint from each other and configured to take an image with the infrared light image the operation surface
Implementation Method 2
form a difference image between the first taken image and the second taken image... extract an area in which a disparity amount between the first taken image and the second taken image is within a predetermined range
Data Source
AI summary
Position detection methods and systems are disclosed herein. The position detection method of detecting a position in an operation surface pointed by a pointing element includes obtaining a first taken image with the first infrared camera, obtaining a second taken image with the second infrared camera, removing a noise component from the first and second images converting the first and second taken into converted images without the noise component, forming a difference image between the first converted taken image and the second converted taken image, extracting a candidate area in which a disparity amount between the first converted taken image and the second converted taken image is within a predetermined range, detecting a tip position of the pointing element from the candidate area, and determining a pointing position of the pointing element and whether or not the pointing element had contact with the operation surface based on the detecting.