Abstract: There is provided a method for determining presence of a person comprising a) receiving IR sensor data (50) during a first time period from a thermopile and using the IR sensor data to determine an IR background signal baseline (51) for the time period, and determining a variability of the IR sensor data (50), b) using the IR background signal baseline (51) and the variability of the IR background signal level to determine a threshold (52) with a value higher than the background signal baseline (51), and in such a way so that greater variability in the IR background signal (50) results in a higher threshold (52), then c) receiving further IR sensor data (50) during a second time period, which is after the first time period, and using the further IR sensor data (50), and the threshold (52) determined in step b) to determine that a person is present when the further IR sensor data (50) comprises a value that is higher than the threshold.

Abstract: There is provided a method for providing thermal image data using a device comprising an IR sensor arranged to receive IR radiation from the surroundings in a field of view, and positioning determining means able to determine a position and orientation of the IR sensor, where the thermal image data represents a plurality of pixels in a dot matrix, the method involving the steps a) the IR sensor determining an IR sensor value corresponding to a temperature with at least a predetermined frequency, b) sweeping the field of view over the area of interest for which the thermal image data is to be produced, c) the positioning determining means determining the respective current relative position and orientation of the device for each determination in step a), during the course of the field of view is being swept, d) using the determined IR sensor values, together with their respective detected positions and orientations, to determine the thermal image of the area, where an temperature for a pixel in the image is de

Abstract: There is provided a method for determining presence of a person comprising a) receiving IR sensor data (50) during a first time period from a thermopile and using the IR sensor data to determine an IR background signal baseline (51) for the time period, and determining a variability of the IR sensor data (50), b) using the IR background signal baseline (51) and the variability of the IR background signal level to determine a threshold (52) with a value higher than the background signal baseline (51), and in such a way so that greater variability in the IR background signal (50) results in a higher threshold (52), then c) receiving further IR sensor data (50) during a second time period, which is after the first time period, and using the further IR sensor data (50), and the threshold (52) determined in step b) to determine that a person is present when the further IR sensor data (50) comprises a value that is higher than the threshold.

Abstract: A state machine for controlling a sensor including a chip package coupled with photo-emitters and photo-detectors mounted in a device, and with a host processor, including an emitter driver, a detector driver, a signal processor for generating signals representing amounts of light detected by the detectors, and a scan controller for controlling the emitter and detector drivers to activate an automated sequence of emitter-detector pairs, the scan controller including registers for storing parameters designating emitter-detector pairs that are to be activated during the automated sequence, and for storing the signals generated by the signal processor for the emitter-detector pair activations, and at least one input/output pin for receiving parameters from the host processor to be loaded into the registers, and for outputting the stored signals in the registers to the host processor, for the host processor to identify therefrom location coordinates of an object near or touching the device.

Abstract: A touch screen including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in the housing along two opposite edges of the display and arranged along the two edges so as to be shift-aligned relative to one another, a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in the housing that are spaced apart from and transmit light pulses through the collimating lenses of one of the two edges over the display, a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in the housing that are spaced apart from and receive the light pulses through the collimating lenses of the opposite of the two edges, and a calculating unit, mounted in the housing and connected to the receivers, that determines a location of a pointer on the display that partially blocks the light pulses transmitted by the emitters, based on outputs of the receivers.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A touch screen including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in the housing and arranged along a first edge of the display, a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in the housing that are spaced apart from and serially transmit light pulses through the collimating lenses over the display, a light guide mounted in the housing along the edge of the display opposite the first edge, for receiving the light pulses, the light guide including a reflective strip that reflects light pulses to one end of the light guide, a light pulse receiver mounted in the housing near the one end of the light guide, for receiving the reflected light pulses, and a calculating unit, mounted in the housing and connected to the receiver, for determining a location of a pointer on the display that partially blocks light pulses transmitted by the emitters, based on outputs of the receiver.

Abstract: A light guide for a light-based touch-sensitive surface, including first and second curved panels having substantially similar curvatures, wherein light undergoes a first refraction by the first curved panel as it enters the light guide, and undergoes a second refraction by the second curved panel as it exits the light guide, the second refraction being the inverse of the first refraction, and wherein one of the panels is curved in a horizontal plane parallel to the surface and forms a curved rim for the surface.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device that includes a touch sensitive and pressure sensitive display, cause the processor to enable a user interface of the electronic device, by which a glide gesture along the display and an amount of pressure applied to the display both generate the same user interface command.

Abstract: A touch screen system including a reflective display surface, a camera mounted so as to capture an image of (i) the reflective display surface, (ii) a pointer approaching the reflective display surface, and (iii) a reflection of the pointer on the reflective display surface, and a processor coupled with the camera that determines a three-dimensional location of the pointer relative to the reflective display surface, based on the positions of the pointer and the reflection of the pointer in the image captured by the camera.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device that includes a touch sensitive and pressure sensitive display, cause the processor to enable a user interface of the electronic device, by which a glide gesture along the display and an amount of pressure applied to the display both generate the same user interface command.

Abstract: A compound lens structure for placement along a common edge of a light-based touch screen, including first and second lenses separated by an air gap to provide four air-to-plastic interfaces for progressively collimating light directed through the lenses, each lens including a convex surface exposed to the air gap.

Abstract: A method of updating reference values for optical components of a light-based touch screen, including providing a display, a plurality of light emitters that sequentially transmit light over the display, and a plurality of light receivers that receive the emitted light and that output values representing the amount of light received, activating a sequence of emitter-receiver pairs, when an object touches the screen, identifying those emitter-receiver pairs (E, R) for which the light emitted by the emitter E is not blocked from reaching the receiver R of the pair, based on a comparison of the actual output value, OUT(E, R), of the receiver R, with a reference output value, REF(E, R), for the emitter-receiver pair, and setting REF(E, R)=OUT(E, R) for each of the thus-identified emitter-receiver pairs (E, R).

Abstract: A state machine for controlling a sensor including a chip package coupled with photo-emitters and photo-detectors mounted in a device, and with a host processor, including an emitter driver, a detector driver, a signal processor for generating signals representing amounts of light detected by the detectors, and a scan controller for controlling the emitter and detector drivers to activate an automated sequence of emitter-detector pairs, the scan controller including registers for storing parameters designating emitter-detector pairs that are to be activated during the automated sequence, and for storing the signals generated by the signal processor for the emitter-detector pair activations, and at least one input/output pin for receiving parameters from the host processor to be loaded into the registers, and for outputting the stored signals in the registers to the host processor, for the host processor to identify therefrom location coordinates of an object near or touching the device.

Abstract: A method of calibrating optical components in a light-based touch screen, including providing (i) a display, (ii) a row of light pulse emitters that sequentially transmit light pulses over the display according to calibrated pulse current and pulse duration controls, and (iii) a row of light pulse receivers that receive the light pulses and that output values representing the received light pulses, each receiver having expected values for emitter-receiver pairs when the light pulses are not blocked, determining if each receiver output value for a receiver-emitter pair is within a respective designated range from the corresponding receiver expected value, and when a receiver output value for a receiver-emitter pair is outside the designated range, recalibrating the emitter, including adjusting at least one of the emitter pulse current and pulse duration such that subsequent receiver output values are within the designated range, and updating the receiver expected value for the receiver-emitter pair based on su

Abstract: An optical element for a light based touch surface including a concatenated plurality of segments, wherein each segment is paired with a respective light emitter, each segment including an undulating series of pairs of reflective or refractive facets, wherein a first facet in each pair is oriented so as to collimate light emitted from a first light emitter associated with the segment and a second facet in each pair is oriented so as to collimate light emitted from a second light emitter associated with the segment, and wherein the first light emitter associated with the segment is the light emitter paired with the segment and the second light emitter associated with the segment is the light emitter paired with a neighboring segment.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A controller for a light-based touch screen including a chip package coupled with a light-based touch screen, emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating a plurality of photoemitters that are outside of the chip package, detector driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating a plurality of photo detectors that are outside of the chip package, detector signal processing circuitry for generating detection signals representing measured amounts of light detected on the plurality of photo detectors, a first plurality of signal conducting pins for connecting the plurality of photoemitters outside the chip package to the emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package, a second plurality of signal conducting pins for connecting the plurality of photo detectors outside the chip package to the detector driver circuitry and to the detector signal processing circuitry inside the chip package, controller circuitry inside the chip package for controlling the emitter d

Abstract: A user input device, including a user input area, light emitters arranged along a first edge of the input area so as to be evenly spaced, light receivers arranged along a second edge of the input area, a curved lens arranged in front of the emitters, such that light emitted by each of the emitters is refracted as it enters the curved lens, and is again refracted as it exits the curved lens, resulting in unevenly spaced collimated light exiting the curved lens and crossing the input area, the collimated light being shifted laterally by a non-zero offset along a direction parallel to the first edge, the offset being a characteristic of the arrangement of that emitter vis-à-vis the curved lens, and a calculating unit for determining location of an object inserted into the input area from outputs of the receivers, based on the characteristic offsets of the emitters.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.