Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02773398 2012-03-07
Flexible and portable multiple passive writing instruments detection system
Inventor-David H. Chan, Application #PCT/C A2009/001258, Filing Date-
09/16/2009
Voluntary Amendment Following PCT National Entry (27 Feb 2012)
1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
Many inventions of digitize hand writing for many years already, but have many
disadvantages. The inven-
tions are based on one or more of technologies of "infrared light transmitter
and receiver", "Ultrasonic
transmitter and receiver", "CMOS image sensor with IR transmitter", "touch
screen", "camera" and
"electromagnetic". Electronics pen is necessary in most of the cases and cost
of large touch screen is high
and there are no existing product can truly identify and detect'Multiple
passive writing instrument' work-
ing at the same time. To explain this more in details, here is an example, one
passive writing instrument
write on area and the system identified it as a "Red" pen because of pre-
programmed to identify the first
writing instrument seen as "Red", while the "Red" pen is writing , another
writing instrument pop in and
writing also, the system identified it as "Blue" pen, now the "Red" pen leave
and the "Blue" pen still writ-
ing and the system still identified it as "Blue" pen, then the "Blue" pen
leave and pop in again and the sys-
tem identify it as "Red" pen but not "Blue" because the system has no way to
identify it as "Blue" pen and
the system is pre-programmed to identify the first writing instrument seen as
"Red". Existing multi-touch
systems has same problem. More than one method are used in some inventions to
make the system to per-
form better but still cannot. All the existing products are designed for fixed
writing area including white-
board. Touch panel is installed in front of video display unit to form an
interactive writing device. All the
existing methods have some or all disadvantages as follows: (1) High cost (2)
Electronics writing instru-
ment (3) High cost touch screen for passive writing instrument identification
(4) Must use particular writ-
ing instruments (5) Cannot truly identify multiple passive writing instruments
which are working at the
same time (6) Cannot work with existing projector screen (7) NOT flexible and
NOT portable. (8) Sensors
are installed at corner of writing area and reduced the effective writing area
(9) Linear distortion of wide
angle lens and pin hole camera. All these disadvantages limit the function of
"multiple passive writing in-
strument detection", "flexibility", "portability" and "affordability". These
limitations drawn forward my
new invention.
1
CA 02773398 2012-03-07
Flexible and portable multiple passive writing instruments detection system
Inventor-David H. Chan, Application #PCT/C A2009/001258, Filing Date-
09/16/2009
Voluntary Amendment Following PCT National Entry (27 Feb 2012)
2. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
According to an aspect of an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a
method and system includ-
ing (1) Mirrors, (2) Battery and charging, (3) Electronics, (4) Rods, (5)
Light subsystem, (6) Laser subsys-
tem, (7) Label/Object, (8) Transparent reflection layer, to form an invented
"flexible and portable multiple
passive writing instruments detection system"; the invented system effectively
detect multiple passive writ-
ing instruments by identify quantity of 2nd material of the invented
"label/object" which represent passive
writing instrument in method of quantity of 2nd material; no label/object and
2nd material means number 0
(zero), one 2nd material is identified as number 1 (one) and two 2nd material
is identified as number 2
(two) and quantity of 2nd material on label/object is to be identified
effectively by image sensors based on
different temperature coefficient and light reflection factor of the 2nd
material against with the label/object
body and writing instrument and is an effective detection method of multiple
passive writing instrument
without using costly electronics writing instrument and the invented
"label/object with coded 2nd material"
is in at least one form which is including label, ring, sleeve, dot, strip,
bar and line; images are captured via
the invented reflection "mirrors" which are installed in front of the image
sensors to reflect the image of
the passive writing instruments in the monitored area to the image sensors and
identify the related angle
and then calculate the intersection of two projection lines to locate the
location of writing instrument by
simple trigonometry method and further calculate the movement of the passive
writing instruments; image
sensors monitor the writing instruments' movement within the monitored area
via invented "mirrors"
which have curved surface in combination of X, Y and Z axis and is an angle
amplifier to widen the view-
ing angle of image sensor without using wide angle lens which has linearity
distortion issue and the in-
vented "mirrors" are adjustable and flexible to match with the monitored area
and is detachable to form an
invented "flexible and portable" system; the system is operated by internal
battery which is including dis-
posable and rechargeable batteries and the system is self powered system and
is "portable detection sys-
tem"; the electronics collect image information from the image sensors,
process and deliver to other proc-
essing unit, personal computer and electronics devices via serial
communication which is including wired
and wireless communication; "Rods" are used to hold mirrors via mirror holder
and is in telescopic form,
detachable from the system and has at least one section and the mirror holders
are detachable and adjust-
able on the rods and is part of the flexible and portable system; the image of
the monitored passive writing
instrument and area are light up and heat up by the "light and filter
subsystem" which provides heat and
light to the writing instruments and monitored area and is controlled by the
electronics to have steady,
pulsed, free running and synchronized operating modes; an invented "laser
light with calibration mirrors
subsystem" are included and integrated with the system in the form of closed
loop system; the laser light
sub-system emits light to light sensor via invented mirrors, calibration
mirror in form of a closed loop for
calibration of the location and position of invented mirrors, image sensors of
the system to cover the moni-
tored area correctly and easily and work as light and heat source and is
controlled by the electronics to have
steady, pulsed, free running and synchronized operating modes; transparent
reflection layer is integrated
with the monitored area and space to reflect light to sideway for detection
and light beam reach the surface
and hit the bubble shapes and the bubble shapes reflect the light to all
directions and to be captured by the
image sensors via the invented reflection mirrors and the location of light
beam is identified; hooks are
used to hold the rods and the system to form an invented "detachable portable
system".
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CA 02773398 2012-03-07
Flexible and portable multiple passive writing instruments detection system
Inventor-David H. Chan, Application #PCT/CA2009/001258, Filing Date-09/16/2009
Voluntary Amendment Following PCT National Entry (27 Feb 2012)
3. Description Of Drawings
Fig.l: depicts an invented system which is including image sensors, mirrors,
light shade, IR filters,
batteries, electronics board including micro-controller, rod, rod holder,
hooks and mirror holder.
Fig.2: depicts more detail sample view of the invented system which is
including components in fig. 1.
Specially designed light shade position and shape which has wide angle of
looking toward to
monitored writing area. The position of IR filters and the holder of rods.
Fig.3: depicts details of the special designed mirror which is special
designed curved mirror to cover any
angle of view by changing the curved shape of the mirror. The mirror holder is
specially designed to
have recessed mirror to reduce the effect of ambient light.
Fig.4: depicts details of the relationship between the invented system and
writing area to show how the
image sensors look at the monitored area and the relationship between the
system and the writing
object and the trigonometry relationship for writing instrument location
calculation.
Fig.5 and Fig.6: depicts details of the disadvantages of pin hole camera or
image sensor and regular cam
era or image sensor which are installed at the corner or side of writing area.
Both camera have mini
mum distance for taking image as well as other disadvantages shown.
Fig.7: depicts details of the disadvantages of pin hole camera and regular
camera to be installed at the
corner of writing area. These disadvantages are: (1) Difficult to have 90
degrees or larger of "field
of view" to cover the whole area. (2) Minimum object distance reduced and
limited the effective
monitored area. (3) The writing instrument blocked the field of view of camera
or image sensor
when the object is close to the camera because the pinhole and the lens are
small. (4) The object
reduced the viewed area very much even not too close to the camera or image
sensor because of the
size of pinhole and lens are much smaller in compare with the writing
instrument as well as a finger.
(5) Linear distortion of wide angle lens as well as pin hole.
Fig.8: depicts details of the difference between the invented system and the
camera which is to be installed
at the corner of the writing area. The writing object is much smaller than the
mirror, thus the
blocked area (shadow area) created by the writing object is much smaller in
compare with the pin
hole and regular camera which are installed at the corner. Detection of
multiple objects will be much
more easier and accurate. Minimum distance is moved away from the corner, thus
eliminate the
minimum distance limit and fully utilize the monitored area. When the object
comes in front of the
mirror, the object only blocks part of the mirror and thus the camera still
can see the area around the
writing instrument also.
Fig.9: depicts the usage of the invented system with curved surface. The
figure showed two invented
systems are used, however it can be more than one invented system and depends
on the shape of the
curved area.
Fig.10: depicts the details of the label/object which are used to identify
writing instruments including
finger. Strip or strips are on the label/object to help to be identified,
hence different writing
instruments can be identified as well as different fingers. Any materials can
be used as long as the
characteristic difference between the strip and label body is good enough for
identification by
camera or image sensor.
Fig.11: depicts the details of the invented system to works with projection
system, computer system, PDA
and other electronics systems via wired and/or wireless communication links.
Fig.12: depicts the details of the' Laser calibration sub-system' which is for
system setup purpose. The
laser sub-system help to setup and adjust the mirrors to project a correct
image to the image
sensors.
Fig.13: depicts the details of the 'LED light sub-system' which includes a
LEDs array and a light diffuser
which will diffuse the light of LEDs to form a patterned diffused light source
to light up the
monitored area and writing objects.
Fig.14: depicts the concept of the 'Light reflector ' which is using to
enhance the laser light beam spot pick
up if necessary. The special designed surface helps to reflect more light to
sideway, means more
reflection light to camera or image sensors.
Fig.15: depicts the concept of the '3D application' detection by using the X,
Y, Z axis mirror reflection
nature of the invented system.
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