Touchless Display Optical Sensor Field Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interactive display systems face issues with mechanical damage, sanitation concerns, and increased costs due to the use of touchscreens and multiple cameras, which are not hygienic and inefficient in covering large display areas without blind spots.
Innovation Solution
A touchless interactive display system utilizing a single optical sensor, such as a three-dimensional depth camera, with a reflective surface to expand its field of view, allowing for non-contact interaction and covering the entire display area without physical contact, enabling single or multi-touch gestures and mouse interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touchscreen is used to enable user interactivity, then user interaction capability is improved, but sanitation conditions deteriorate due to physical contact by multiple individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical touchscreen interface with an optical sensing system using depth cameras and image processing. Users interact through hand gestures captured by the camera, eliminating the need for physical contact with the display surface while maintaining full interactivity. This substitutes mechanical touch input with optical field detection.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple depth cameras are used to cover the entire display screen, then blind spots are eliminated, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the depth camera laterally adjacent to the display rather than centrally in front of it. This lateral positioning combined with the camera's conical field of view allows a single camera to cover the entire display area without blind spots, eliminating the need for multiple cameras while maintaining full coverage.
3Device complexity
If a single depth camera is used to reduce hardware complexity, then device cost is reduced, but blind spots are created in the field of view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the single depth camera from a central position in front of the display to a lateral position adjacent to the display edge. This dimensional change in camera placement allows the conical field of view to encompass the entire display area, eliminating blind spots while maintaining single-camera simplicity.
4Measurement precision
If the depth camera is positioned close to the display to improve locationing accuracy, then positioning precision is improved, but the field of view cannot cover the entire display area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the depth camera laterally adjacent to the display rather than centrally in front of it. This lateral placement optimizes the balance between proximity for accuracy and field of view coverage, allowing the camera to be close to the display surface while its conical view naturally encompasses the entire display area without blind spots.
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
Provides a robust, low-cost, and hygienic interaction method that resembles touchscreen experiences without physical contact, eliminating blind spots and reducing hardware and maintenance costs, while allowing use with gloved hands.
Implementation Method 1
a reflective surface positioned along a portion of the boundary of the display area and perpendicular to a surface of the display area, and an optical sensor disposed opposing the reflective surface, wherein the optical sensor has a first field of view towards the reflective surface and a second field of view reflected back from the reflective surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A touchless interactive display system includes a display (202) with a display area (204) bounding the display. A reflective surface (300) is located along an edge of the display. One optical sensor (100) opposes and faces the reflective surface so that the optical sensor has a primary, non-reflected field of view and a secondary, reflected field of view that is reflected back from the reflective surface. The primary field of view covers a first portion of the display area that is less than the whole display area, and the reflected field of view covers a second portion of the display area, such that the first and second portions of the display area cover the entire display area. The optical sensor and a processor (206) are operable to detect an object (110) placed within at least one of its first and second fields of view without having the object touch the display.