WO2004079707A1

WO2004079707A1 - Photographic type pointer postioning device

Info

Publication number: WO2004079707A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/003127
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chiu-Hao Cheng; Ming-Gwo Cheng; Chun-Feng Tzu
Original assignee: Zeroplus Technology Co., Ltd.; Chen, Chung-Chin
Priority date: 2003-02-25
Filing date: 2003-02-25
Publication date: 2004-09-16
Also published as: AU2003223166A8; AU2003223166A1; JP4047862B2; JP2006515090A; CN1754200A

Abstract

A photographic type pointer positioning control device (200)for controlling the positioning of a pointer on a display (100)screen by means of photographing the display screen (100)with a video camera (230)and then processing the video signal thus obtained through an image out-line and recognition processing process and then computing the processed data through a computing unit into (240)a coordinate value corresponding to the aimed point of the video camera (230)at the display screen (100).

Description

PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE POINTER POSITIONING DEVICE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to a pointer positioning

device adapted to control the positioning of a pointer on a display

screen and, more particularly, to a photographic type pointer

positioning device that can be used instead of a mouse or remote

controller to control the positioning of the pointer on a display

screen. The photographic type pointer positioning device uses a

video camera to photograph the display zone of the display screen

so as to obtain the actual coordinate value of the aimed point of the

video camera at the display zone of the display screen through the

processing of an image processing circuit and the computing of a

computing unit.

Description of the Related Art:

In recent years, various television sets of high-fidelity and

high picture quality with surround sound effect have been

developed to satisfy consumers ' visual and audio quality

requirements. According to conventional TV broadcasting methods,

the television companies control the broadcasting time and contents

no matter consumers like or not like. Following the coming of

digital and network era, an advanced TV set is not simply an

apparatus to receive audio and video signals provided by TV companies. A user can use an advanced TV set to selectively

receive the desired information and to store or edit received

information. A digital TV set provides the aforesaid functions and,

can be connected to the Internet to receive any of a variety of

interactive services. Further, a digital TV allows the user to edit the

broadcasting of a TV program, to decide the broadcasting time and

content. It is inevitable that the next generation of broadcasting

technology involves digital TV.

Unlike the analog type of conventional TV sets, a digital

TV set processes signal digitally. Conventional analog TV sets

cannot receive digital TV signal directly. However, conventional

analog TV sets can still be used to receive digital TV signal by

means of a set-top box. There are three measures to receive digital

TV signal as follows:

1. Install a set-top box in a conventional analog TV set to convert a

cable signal to an input signal to the TV set. A set-top box can

also be used to access the Word Wide Web.

2. Use a digital TV set to directly receive digital TV programs.

Because a digital TV set has a built-in digital converter, it

receives digital TV signal directly.

3. Install a DTV card in a personal computer. By means of a DTV

card, a personal computer can receive digital TV signal.

However, a user needs to use a remote controller to select the channel and a mouse to click the menu when watching a digital

TV set. This operation procedure is complicated and inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the

circumstances in view. It is therefore the main obj ect of the present

invention to provide a photographic type pointer positioning

control device, which enables the user to select the channel and

click the menu with one single control device when watching a

digital TV set. It is another object of the present invention to

provide a photographic type pointer positioning control device,

which obtains the actual coordinate value of the pointer by means

of the photographing of a video camera and the computing of a

computing unit. According to the present invention, the

photographic type pointer positioning control device is used with

an information apparatus, for example, a digital TV, computer, or

set-top box for analog TV, to produce a pointer coordinate value

and to output the pointer coordinate value to the information

apparatus for display on a display screen being connected to the

information apparatus. The photographic type pointer positioning

control device comprises a control circuit; a video camera

controlled by the control circuit to photograph the display zone of

the display screen and to send the photographed video signal back

to the control circuit; an image processing circuit controlled by the control circuit to process the photographed video signal received

by the control circuit from the video camera through an image

out-line and recognition processing process and then to feed the

processed data back to the control circuit; a computing unit

controlled by the control unit to compute the actual coordinate

value of the pointer on the display zone of the display screen and

the actual coordinate value of the aimed point of the video camera

at the display zone of the display screen subject to the processed

data obtained from the image processing circuit through the control

circuit, and then to send the computed coordinate values back to the

control circuit; a set of buttons for enabling the user to input

commands to control the aimed point of the video camera on the

display zone of the display screen; an image synthesizing circuit

linked to the display screen and controlled by the control circuit to

synthesize the image of the actual coordinate value of the pointer

and then to output the synthesized signal to the display screen for

display on the display zone of the display screen; and a

communication interface electrically connected to the control

circuit for communication with the information apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of a photographic type

pointer positioning control device according to the first

embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart explaining the operation of the first

embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of a photographic type

pointer positioning control device according to the second

embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart explaining the operation of the

second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 , a photographic type pointer

positioning control device 200 according to the first embodiment of

the present invention is connected to an information apparatus 300

through a communication interface 220. The photographic type

pointer positioning control device 200 comprises a control circuit

210, a video camera 230, a computing unit 240, an image

processing unit 250, an image synthesizing circuit 260, and a set of

buttons 270. The buttons 270 are electrically connected to the

control circuit 210 for enabling the user to input commands to

control the pointer on a display screen 100. The image synthesizing

circuit 260 is electrically connected to the display screen 100, and

adapted to map a particular mark, i.e., a pointer on the display

screen 100 and then to transmit the coordinate data of the pointer to

the information apparatus 300.

The video camera 230, the computing unit 240, the image processing circuit 250, and the image synthesizing circuit 260 are

electrically connected to the control circuit 210. The control circuit

210 controls the video camera 230 to photograph the display zone

of the display screen 100 and the pointer, and to transmit

photographed video signal to the control circuit 210. Upon receipt

of photographed video signal from the video camera 230, the

control circuit 210 sends the signal to the image processing circuit

250 for image out-line and recognition processing. The processed

data thus obtained is then sent back to the control circuit 210 by the

image processing circuit 250, so that the control circuit 210 inputs

the processed video signal into the computing unit 240, enabling

the computing unit 240 to compute the actual value of the

coordinates of the aiming point of the video camera 230 and the

pointer on the display screen 100. The computing unit 240 outputs

the computed coordinate values to the control circuit 210, and the

control circuit 210 outputs the actual coordinate value of the

pointer to the image synthesizing circuit 260, enabling the image

synthesizing circuit 260 to synthesize the coordinate value of the

pointer into the video signal being transmitted to the display screen

100 for display on the display zone of the display screen 100. At

the same time the image synthesizing circuit 260 sends the

coordinate value of the mark (pointer) to the information apparatus

300, enabling the information apparatus 300 to run the related mark (pointer) control operations.

The control circuit 210, image processing circuit 250 and

computing unit 240 of the aforesaid photographic type pointer

positioning control device 200 can be integrated into a single chip.

Alternatively, the control circuit 210 and the computing unit 240

can be integrated into a single chip and then electrically connected

to the image processing circuit 250. It is also practical to integrate

the control circuit 210 and the image processing circuit 250 into a

single chip and then electrically, connected to the computing unit

240, or to make the control circuit 210 in the form of a single chip

and then to connect this single chip to the image processing circuit

250 and the computing unit 240 electrically.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 1 again, when the user using

the photographic type pointer positioning device 200 to control the

mark (pointer) on the display screen 100, the control circuit 210

proceeds subject to the following coordinate value computing and

judging procedure:

600 Start;

610 Drive the image synthesizing circuit 260 to synthesize the

mark (pointer) onto the display zone of the display screen

100 subject to the command given by the user through the

buttons 270;

620 Drive the video camera 230 to photograph the display zone of the display screen 100, and then drive the video camera

230 to transmit photographed video signal to the control

circuit 210;

Transmit the video signal received from the video camera

230 to the image processing circuit 250 for image out-line

and recognition processing, and then drive the image

processing circuit 250 to transmit processed video signal to

the control circuit 210;

Judge if the video camera 230 photographed the image of

the mark (pointer) or not? Proceed to step (650) if positive,

or return to step (620) if negative.

Compare the data obtained from the image processing

circuit 250 with the pixels of the video camera 230 so as to

obtain the coordinate value of the mark (pointer) on the

display screen 100 and the image coordinate value of the

aimed point of the video camera 230 at the display screen

100;

Send the coordinate value of the mark (pointer) on the

display screen 100 and the coordinate value of the aimed

point of the video camera 230 at the display screen 100 to

the computing unit 240, and drive the computing unit 240 to

put the coordinate values thus obtained into a distance

formula respectively, so as to obtain the amount of displacement required for the mark (pointer) for enabling

the mark (pointer) to be overlapped on the aimed point of

the video camera 230 at the display screen 100;

670 Drive the computing unit 240 to compute the actual

coordinate value of the mark (pointer) and to send the

computed coordinate value back to the control circuit 210,

enabling the control circuit 210 to transmit the actual

coordinate value of the mark (pointer) to the image

synthesizing circuit 260;

680 Drive the image synthesizing circuit 260 to synthesize the

mark (pointer) into the video signal subj ect to the actual

coordinate value obtained;

690 Drive the image processing circuit 260 to output the

synthesized video signal to the display zone of the display

screen 100 for display;

700 Check if the mark (pointer) and the aimed point of the video

camera 230 are overlapped on the display zone of the

display screen 100 or not? Proceed to step (710) if positive,

or return to step (620) if negative; and

710 Send the coordinate value of the mark (pointer) to the

information apparatus 300, for enabling the information

apparatus 300 to run the related mark (pointer) control

operations. FIG. 3 shows a photographic type pointer positioning

control device 400 according to the second embodiment of the

present invention. This second embodiment is similar to the

aforesaid first embodiment with the exception of the processing of

the video signal from the video camera. According to the first

embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2, the actual

coordinate value of the aimed point of the video camera 230 at the

display screen 100 and the actual coordinate value of the mark

(pointer) on the display screen 100 are computed directly in the

photographic type pointer positioning control device 200.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the

video signal is directly sent to the information apparatus 500

before processing, letting the information apparatus 500 to

compute the actual coordinate value of the aimed point of the video

camera 430 at the display screen 100.

Referring to FIG. 3 again, the photographic type pointer

positioning control device 400 comprises a communication

interface 420 connected to the information apparatus 500, a control

circuit 410, a video camera 430, and a set of buttons 440. The

control circuit 410 is respectively electrically connected to the

video camera 430 and the buttons 440. The user can operate the

buttons 440 to control the mark (pointer) on the display screen 100

of the information apparatus 500. The control circuit 410 can be formed of a single chip.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 3 again, when the user using

the photographic type pointer positioning control device 400 and

the information apparatus 500 to control the mark (pointer) on the

display screen 100, the control circuit 410 and the information

apparatus 500 run subject to the following coordinate value

computing and recognition procedure:

800 Start;

810 Operate the buttons 440 to drive the information apparatus

500 to output the mark (pointer) to the display zone of the

display screen 100;

820 Drive the video camera 430 to photograph the display zone

of the display screen 100 and then to send the photographed

video signal to the control circuit 410;

830 Drive the control circuit 410 to send the received video

signal to the information apparatus 500 through the

communication interface 420;

840 Drive the information apparatus 500 to processes the video

signal received from the control circuit 410 through an

image out-line and recognition processing procedure;

850 Judge if the video camera 430 has photographed the image

of the mark (pointer) or not? And proceed to step (860) if

positive, or return to step (820) if negative; 860 Drive the information apparatus 500 to compare the pixels

of the video camera 430 so as to obtain the coordinate value

of the aimed point of the video camera 430 at the display

screen 100;

870 Drive the information apparatus 500 to compute the

coordinate value of the aimed point of the video camera 430

at the display screen 100, and then to put the computed

coordinate value into a distance formula so as to obtain the

actual coordinate value of the aimed point of the video

camera 430;

880 Drive the information apparatus 500 to position the mark

(pointer) on the display zone of the display screen 100

subject to the actual coordinate value of the aimed point of

the video camera 430 thus obtained;

890 Drive the information apparatus 500 to send the video signal

to the display screen 100;

900 Check if the mark (pointer) and the aimed point of the video

camera 430 are overlapped on the display zone of the

display screen 100 or not? And proceed to step (910) if

positive, or return to step (820) if negative; and

910 Obtain the coordinate value of the mark (pointer).

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 again, the information apparatus

300 or 500 can be a computer, digital TV, Set-Top Box (STB or IRD) for analog TV. The photographic type pointer positioning control

device 200 or 400 can be used to replace a mouse, a tablet, or a

light-gun.

The communication interface 220 or 420 of the

photographic type pointer positioning control device 200 or 400

can be a USB (universal serial bus) interface, 1394 interface, PS2

interface, or any of a variety of suitable connecting interfaces

connectable to the information apparatus 300 or 500 through a

signal line for enabling the control circuit 210 or 410 to transmit

signal through a wired communication method.

According to the present invention, the communication

interface 220 or 420 is a wireless transmitting receiving interface

having radio transmitter receiver circuit means. The information

apparatus 300 or 500 has a corresponding radio transmitter receiver

circuit means for signal transmission with the control circuit 210 or

410 wirelessly.

A prototype of photographic type pointer positioning

control device has been constructed with the features of the

annexed drawings of FIGS. 1~4. The photographic type pointer

positioning control device functions smoothly to provide all of the

features discussed earlier.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have

been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the

invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

What the invention claimed is:

1. A photographic type pointer positioning control device

used with an information apparatus to produce a pointer coordinate

value and to output the pointer coordinate value to said information

apparatus for display on a display screen being connected to said

information apparatus, the photographic type pointer positioning

control device comprising:

a control circuit;

a video camera controlled by said control circuit to

photograph the display zone of said display screen and to send the

photographed video signal back to said control circuit;

an image processing circuit controlled by said control

circuit to process the photographed video signal received by said

control circuit from said video camera through an image out-line

and recognition processing process and then to feed the processed

data back to said control circuit;

a computing unit controlled by said control unit to compute

the actual coordinate value of the pointer on the display zone of

said display screen and the actual coordinate value of the aimed

point of said video camera at the display zone of said display

screen subject to the processed data obtained from said image

processing circuit through said control circuit, and then to send the

computed coordinate values back to said control circuit; a set of buttons for enabling the user to input commands to

control the aimed point of the video camera on the display zone of

said display screen;

an image synthesizing circuit linked to said display screen

and controlled by said control circuit to synthesize the image of the

actual coordinate value of the pointer and then to output the

synthesized signal to said display screen for display on the display

zone of said display screen; and

a communication interface electrically connected to said

control circuit for communication with said information apparatus.

2. The photographic type pointer positioning control device

as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control circuit, said image

processing circuit and said computing unit are integrated into a

single chip.

3. The photographic type pointer positioning control device

as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control circuit and said

computing unit are integrated into a single chip, which is

electrically connected to said image processing circuit.

4. The photographic type pointer positioning control device

as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control circuit and said image

processing circuit are integrated into a single chip, which is

electrically connected to said computing unit.

5. The photographic type pointer positioning control device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control circuit is formed of a

single chip, which is electrically connected to said image

processing circuit and said computing unit.

6. A photographic type pointer positioning control device

used with an information apparatus to produce a pointer coordinate

value and to output the pointer coordinate value to said information

apparatus for display on a display screen being connected to said

information apparatus, the photographic type pointer positioning

control device comprising:

a control circuit;

a video camera controlled by said control circuit to

photograph the display zone of said display screen and to send the

photographed video signal back to said control circuit;

a communication interface electrically connected to said

control circuit and adapted to transmit video signal obtained by

said video camera to said information apparatus;

a set of buttons for enabling the user to input commands to

control the aimed point of the video camera on the display zone of

said display screen;

wherein said control circuit drives said information

apparatus to process the video signal obtained by said control

circuit from said video camera through an image out-line and

recognition processing process and to compute the processed data into a coordinate value corresponding to the aimed point of said

video camera at the display zone of said display screen, and then

drives said information apparatus to position the pointer on the

display zone of said display screen subject to the actual coordinate

value of the aimed point of said video camera thus obtained.

7. The photographic type pointer positioning control device

as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control circuit is formed of a

single chip.

8. The photographic type pointer positioning control device

as claimed in claim 6, wherein said communication interface is

connected to said information apparatus through a signal line for

enabling said control circuit to transmit signal to said information

apparatus through said signal line.

9. The photographic type pointer positioning control device

as claimed in claim 6, wherein said communication interface is a

wireless communication interface adapted to transmit signal to said

information apparatus wirelessly.

10. The photographic type pointer positioning control

device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said information apparatus is

a set-top box.

1 1. The photographic type pointer positioning control

device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said information apparatus is

a computer.

12. The photographic type pointer positioning control

device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said information apparatus is

a digital TV.

13. The photographic type pointer positioning control

device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said information apparatus is

a TV game machine.