CN1237354C - Multi-user retroreflector data entry - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus uses retro-reflected light having a fixed component (41) and a variable component (37) that is varied by a user, to input data (37A) from a retro-reflector (31) connected to the user to an information system (13), the apparatus being usable by a plurality of users simultaneously during the same time interval.

Description

Multi-user retroreflector data entry

field of invention

The present invention uses retroreflected light from a retroreflector connected to the user to input data to the information system, the retroreflected light has a fixed component and a variable component changed by the user, and can be changed at the same time interval used by several people at the same time.

Background technique

As described in this application, this discovery overcomes the limitation of inputting data by retroreflecting light as described by Honey in US Patent 5,912,700 and Stuart in US Patent 4,998,441, where prior art cannot be used for input that is recognized as coming from a data of retroreflectors, said one retroreflector facing the other retroreflector. Prior art systems also have difficulty determining when data can and cannot be entered.

Contents of the invention

Retroreflected light from a retroreflector attached to the user has a fixed component and a variable component that can be detected by an imager that feeds data into an information system.

Other forms and objects of the present application can be understood through the drawings and description, and equivalents and objects obvious to those skilled in the art can be further realized.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 shows two users entering data into the information system.

Figure 2 shows the retroreflected light from the retroreflector in Figure 1.

FIG. 3 shows retroreflected light from subsequent retroreflectors in FIG. 1 .

Figure 4 shows the retroreflector on the card.

Figure 5 shows the finger used as a retroreflector and the portion of the retroreflector on the cylinder.

Detailed ways

The display device 13 shown in FIG. 1 is a data input device used in an information system. The data input device includes an imager shown as lens 11, a light source shown as ring light 12, and a retroreflector shown as retroreflector disk 31 on the user's finger.

Although the example shown in Figure 1 shows the retroreflector as being on the user, the retroreflector can also be attached to the user in a variety of ways, such as being held by the user, on clothing worn by the user, or on a vehicle such as an airplane. on the user's device. The meaning of "connected to a user" here is different from the meaning of being connected by a signal.

In order to be constantly available for data entry, the retroreflector must remain attached to the user at all times. This is different than when the retroreflector material is attached to an object such as a thrown ball, out of the user's motion.

An ideal retroreflective object reflects all incident light coaxially backwards along the path of the incident light. In this way, an imager adjacent to the light source can detect retroreflected light with a high noise ratio between the retroreflected light detected by the imager and any other light that is reflected back from the light source by the retroreflector. reflected to the imager. The signal-to-noise ratio becomes larger or smaller as retroreflective objects are more or less ideal.

By "adjacent" here is meant that the retroreflected light is within the field of view of the imager. The beam from the light source and the back-reflected beam incident on the imager can be precisely coaxial through the beam splitter, which is also included in the meaning of "proximity".

"Detecting" here means that the imager determines the position of the retroreflected light within the imager's field of view, eg, as exposing a particular pixel of the charge-coupled device.

The retroreflected light has a fixed component shown as 41 in FIG. 2, which is the retroreflected light visible to the imager. The retroreflected light also has a variable component that is changed by the user.

An example of a variable component is shown as path 37 along which the user moves the retroreflector. Another example of a variable component is shown by the second retroreflective portion 35, which is positioned initially 45 visible to the imager and later positioned not visible to the imager.

By changing the position of the retroreflector and varying the configuration of more than one retroreflector section by the user, a multiplicity of different variations of the variable section can be produced, constituting the data. This means that the variable part is different from the situation where the user moves the barcode object to cause the imager to read a fixed barcode.

When the imager detects a variable component during a time interval, the imager inputs a signal to the information system.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the variable components correspond to a series of positions making up the path 37 over a time interval, and the continuous signal includes data identifying the series of positions along the path 37.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the starting configuration of the variable component is the retroreflector 31 and the second retroreflector section 35 at the beginning of the path, and the ending configuration of the variable component is with a blurred first retroreflector at the end of the path. Two retroreflector sections. The start configuration can be mapped by the imager as a start signal causing the information system to start, relative to the start point 51 of the path's trace 37A, and the end configuration can be mapped by the imager as a termination signal causing the information system to stop, relative to the path's trace The termination point 52.

The start signal and stop signal of start trace and stop trace can also be entered by other methods, such as typing a keyboard, clicking a mouse or using voice.

The information system does not need to visually display the trace, as the trace can be data used or stored by the information system. Traces can be three-dimensional, real-time, and are data used or stored by information systems. A second imager or additional imagers with light sources can be used to generate 3D data. Three-dimensional data can also be generated using rod-shaped retroreflectors with two distal ends separated by a known distance.

As an example, when the imager detects a fixed component such as 41 during a time interval, the imager inputs an identity signal to the information system.

In the example shown in FIG. 1 there is also a subsequent retroreflector 61 connected to the subsequent user, and FIG. 3 shows a subsequent retroreflector with a subsequent fixed component 71 .

During a time interval, when the imager detects a subsequent fixed component 71, the imager inputs a subsequent identification signal to the information system. The fixed components 41 and 71 are different, so the subsequent identification signal is also different from the identification signal.

Subsequent retroreflected light also has subsequent variable components that are changed by subsequent users. An example of a subsequent variable component is shown as path 67 along which a subsequent user moves subsequent retroreflector 61 . Another example of a subsequent variable component is shown by the second subsequent retroreflective portion 65, which is positioned initially 75 visible to the imager and later positioned not visible to the imager.

During a time interval, when the imager detects subsequent variable components, the imager inputs subsequent signals to the information system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the subsequent variable components are relative to a series of positions making up the subsequent path 67, and the subsequent signal includes data identifying a series of positions along the subsequent path 67 over a time interval. Subsequent signals may cause information to trace path 67A.

The functions of the retroreflector and the subsequent retroreflector are interchangeable. Fixed components and subsequent fixed components are different. The variable components and subsequent variable components vary according to different users, and may also be different.

The imager can distinguish between the retroreflected light 45 and 41 produced by one user backreflection and the retroreflected light 75 and 71 produced by subsequent user backreflection because they have different fixed components and are produced by one user backreflection. The distance between the resulting retroreflected light such as 45 and 41 is smaller than the distance between the retroreflected light produced by different users such as 45 and 47.

71 is configured with a barcode as shown in the figure, and other attributes, such as shape and color, can also be used alone or in combination to form a fixed component.

The retroreflector shown in Figure 1 is a retroreflector disc attached to the fingertip. Retroreflective objects can be attached to each finger, as well as other parts of the hand such as the knuckles, or other parts of the body. A variety of commercially available retroreflective materials, such as microspheres or embossments, can produce a signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio, and can also be worn on the hand by various methods, such as using adhesives, rings, or thimble-like devices in hand.

Figure 4 shows the retroreflector on the card 87 held by the user. A variable composition is generated when the user covers one or more of the retroreflective portions 81, 82 or 83 with a finger. The fixed component includes a set of retroreflective portions 85 .

Retroreflectors can be attached to a user's clothing, such as headgear, which can image the user's location from above, identifying the user and tracking location. The information system may attach an identification tag to the displayed user image. When many users are imaged like this, only selected traces are displayed and color coded. It is also possible to track the routes of the players in the game.

The retroreflector can be attached to the first aircraft transporting the user, and the light source and imager on the second aircraft can detect the presence and movement of the first aircraft.

In cases where the signal-to-noise ratio of the light reflected from the light source back to the imager by multiple fingertips is greater than one, the poor signal-to-noise ratio retroreflector 31 can be replaced by a fingertip 31A as shown in FIG. 5, which will burden the imaging device. Attributes at the fingertip, such as color, can provide a fixed component, which further affects the imager. Stationary components, such as retroreflective stripes 85A around the cylinder shown in Figure 5, affect the imager less.

The signal-to-noise ratio provided by the retroreflector can be enhanced. For example, the retroreflector may reflect a greater portion of the first spectrum of electromagnetic radiation than other portions of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, and the imager may be more sensitive to portions of the first spectrum of electromagnetic radiation than other portions of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

The light source may also be modulated at a first frequency, the imager being more sensitive to light modulated at the first frequency than light modulated at other frequencies. With a modulated light source, the distance between the retroreflector and imager can be determined from time-of-flight measurements.

A scanner can be added. The scanner can be an imager scanner, which scans the imager through an illumination source; the scanner can be an optical scanner, which scans the light source through a solid angle viewed by the imager; or it can be a combined scanner, which scans the imager and light source. Combinations of several signal-to-noise ratio improvement methods can be used.

The imager itself can be provided with the information processing capability to detect retroreflectors and generate input data so that the imager can input data to the information system in a manner similar to typing on a keyboard or mouse device. The information processing capability of the information system is used to detect the retroreflector and generate the input data, where the information system is part of the imager and helps to generate the input data.

Various variable components, such as range and speed of movement, relative configuration and movement of the retroreflector portion, can be defined as part of an itemized registry of signal components, as keystroke combinations are defined.

The device can be utilized interactively. For example, in response to an information system query, responses may be entered by multiple persons. For each of the multiple users who are active within the range, the information system may also notify each individual of a specific path from each individual's location to a part of each individual's search range.

The data processor can position the retroreflector relative to the target object. The position of the target object can be determined by another retroreflector data input device. The target object may be a game animal, which will allow for a bloodless hunt. The target object could also be another person, which would allow for bloodless combat training and exercise.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that imagers, light sources, retroreflectors, fixed components, variable components, identification signals and other equivalents of signals, and other equivalent methods of using retroreflectors to input data into information systems conceivable. The present application is therefore not limited to the particular examples described herein.

Claims (11)

1. A multi-user retroreflector data entry product wherein: an imager having a light source adjacent to the imager; the retro reflector is connected to the user; retroreflected light having a variable component that varies with the user, the retroreflected light being light reflected back from the light source by the retroreflector; When the imager detects variable components in the time interval, the imager outputs a signal into the information system; subsequent retroreflectors connected to the user and/or subsequent users; subsequent retroreflected light having a subsequently variable component that varies with the user and/or subsequent users, the subsequently retroreflected light being light reflected back from the light source by the subsequent retroreflector; and When the imager detects subsequent variable components in the time interval, the imager outputs the subsequent signal to the information system; This multi-user product includes: the fixed component of the retroreflected light; a subsequent fixed component of the subsequent retroreflected light, the subsequent fixed component being different from the fixed component; an identification signal output by the imager to the information system when the imager detects the fixed component during the time interval; and The subsequent identification signal output by the imager to the information system when the imager detects the subsequent fixed component in the time interval. 2. The product of claim 1, wherein the retroreflector reflects a greater portion of the first electromagnetic radiation spectrum than the other electromagnetic radiation spectrum, and the imager reflects the first electromagnetic radiation spectrum more than the other Parts of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum are more sensitive. 3. The product of claim 1, wherein the light source is modulated at a first frequency, the imaging modulator being more sensitive to light modulated at the first frequency than to light modulated at other frequencies. 4. The product of claim 1, further comprising a scanner selected from the group consisting of: imager scanner, a solid angle scanning imager illuminated by a light source; an optical scanner that scans the light source through a solid angle viewed by the imager; and Combination scanners scan the imager and light source together through a solid angle. 5. The product of claim 1, wherein the retroreflector is located on part of the user's hand. 6. The product of claim 1, wherein the retroreflector is located on an object held by the user. 7. The product of claim 1, wherein the retroreflector is located on clothing worn by a user. 8. The product of claim 1, wherein the retroreflector is located on a means of transporting the user. 9. A product as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises an information processor which processes changes in the variable composition of the retroreflected light, said changes being defined as signal components Multiple implementation sections of the registry. 10. The product according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a display device adjacent to the light source and visible to the user for displaying information related to the variable components. 11. Product according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the subsequent retroreflector is connected to the user, wherein the variable composition of the retroreflected light is changed by the second retroreflector, the The second retroreflector is located either at a position visible to the imager or at a position not visible to the imager.

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