Touchless Screen Interaction via Camera Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch screens are prone to fingerprinting and dirt accumulation, making them unsuitable for casual interactions like big-screen TV use without the need for remote controls or voice control, which can be inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A system using cameras to track objects in three dimensions in front of the screen, allowing users to interact without physically touching it, simulating mouse-like interactions like clicks and drags, thus maintaining the screen's cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch screen is used to allow direct finger interaction, then ease of operation is improved, but the screen becomes prone to fingerprinting and dirt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of cameras and image processing software that mediates between the user's finger and the screen. The camera captures images of the finger, and software processes these images to generate touch input signals, allowing the screen to remain physically untouched while still enabling direct interaction control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based touch screen system with an optical-based system. Instead of requiring physical contact between the finger and screen, the system uses camera imaging and optical processing to detect finger position and gestures, substituting mechanical interaction with optical measurement
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a remote control or voice control is used instead of touch screen, then the screen cleanliness is maintained, but convenience for casual interactions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system serves as an intermediary that enables touch-like interaction without requiring physical contact. Users can point their finger at the screen and the camera captures this gesture, providing the convenience of direct pointing interaction while maintaining screen cleanliness, unlike remote controls that require button pressing or voice commands
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cameras are used to track objects in front of the screen, then screen cleanliness is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera system multi-functional by using it for both its original purpose (capturing images/video) and for touchless interaction control. The same camera hardware serves dual purposes, reducing the need for additional specialized components and mitigating the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the device's existing camera infrastructure to serve the additional function of touchless control. Rather than requiring completely separate specialized hardware, the existing camera components are repurposed to provide both media capture and interaction control functions
Data Source
AI summary
A system may be controlled by directing at least a portion of a field-of-view of one or more cameras across a screen of a display for the system, using the one or more cameras to track in three dimensions an object moving in a space in front of the screen, and providing input to the system based on the tracking of the object. A system may also be controlled by directing a first portion of a field-of-view of a camera in a first direction, directing a second portion of the field-of-view of the camera in a second direction across a screen of a display for the system, tracking an object moving in front of the screen with the second portion of the field-of-view of the camera, and providing input to the system based on the tracking of the object.