Abstract: When an object touches a touch panel, a projection light source projects a predetermined image including image information and forms an object image having the image information on a surface of the object. An image sensor captures a reflection image including the object image. Then, an angle is calculated according to an image location of the object in the reflection image and a relative position of predetermined axis, and a distance between the object and the image sensor is calculated by comparing the predetermined image with the location, size and/or phase of the image information of the reflection image so as to determine a coordinate of the object on the touch panel according to the angle and the distance.

Abstract: An optical touch system, an apparatus and a method for calculating the position of an object are provided. The apparatus includes an image sensor and a processing circuit. The processing circuit selects at least one dot from a curve segment of a brightness distribution profile obtained from a background image, wherein the curve segment corresponds to an imaging range of an object. And the processing circuit regards the column pixel brightness value corresponding to the dot as a brightness reference value. Afterwards, the processing circuit calculates brightness difference between the brightness reference value and the column pixel brightness values corresponding to the dots of a curve segment of a brightness distribution profile obtained from a sensed image, so as to further calculate a gravity of the imaging range. After that, the processing circuit regards the gravity as a representative position of the object in the sensed image.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for acquiring object image of a pointer are provided. The apparatus is suitable for an optical touch system and is used for acquiring an object image of a pointer when the pointer interacts with a touch surface of the optical touch system. The apparatus includes an image sensor and a processing circuit. The image sensor is used for acquiring an image of the touch surface. When the pointer approaches the touch surface, the processing circuit compares at least a part of the information of a sensed image with a threshold value, so as to determine a comparison range. Then, the processing circuit determines another threshold value according to the image information in the comparison range. Afterwards, the processing circuit compares the image information in the comparison range with the aforementioned another threshold value, so as to acquire an object image of the pointer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positioning method for a touch system that obtains a pair of current correct positions according to the following steps: obtaining two pairs of possible positions from a current frame to be compared with a pair of previous correct positions obtained from a previous frame; or comparing four pairs of possible positions with each other obtained from the current frame. The present invention further provides a touch system.

Abstract: An optical sensing system includes a sensing area, a reflective mirror, a first image-sensing device, a second image-sensing device, and a processing circuit. The sensing area is an area in which a plurality of pointing objects may execute touch operation. The reflective mirror generates a mirror image of the sensing area. The first image-sensing device and the second image-sensing device respectively capture images including all or part of the pointing objects in the sensing area, and all or part of the pointing objects in the reflective mirror. The processing circuit generates candidate coordinates according to the images captured by the first and the second image-sensing devices, and obtains the locations of the pointing objects from the candidate coordinates by means of the symmetric relationship between the point objects and the corresponding mirror images with respect to the reflective mirror. In this way, the optical sensing system can perform multi-touch operation.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an exposure condition of an optical sensor module includes the following steps, (A) receiving reflected light reflected by a working surface; (B) generating an image signal by exposing the optical sensor module to the reflected light, in which the image signal includes a plurality of luminance signals and an image quality signal; (C) setting an exposure condition of the optical sensor module according to part of the luminance signals; (D) repeating Step (B) and Step (C) under different exposure conditions so that the optical sensor module generates a plurality of image quality signals; and (E) setting an optimal exposure condition corresponding to the working surface according to the image quality signals under the different exposure conditions. The optical sensor module is applicable to a pointing device.

Abstract: An image processing method is applicable to a pointing device. The pointing device generates a displacement signal by moving relative to a working surface and detecting an image of a part of the working surface. The method includes the following steps. A first original image is obtained. The first original image is uniformly divided into a plurality of blocks. A block brightness value of each block is adjusted. A complexity signal representing a plurality of gradient values of each block is generated. The blocks are sequentially adjusted according to the adjusted block brightness value and complexity signal, so as to generate a first adjusted image corresponding to the first original image.

Abstract: A gesture recognition method for an interactive system includes the steps of: capturing image windows with an image sensor; obtaining information of object images associated with at least one pointer in the image windows; calculating a position coordinate of the pointer relative to the interactive system according to the position of the object images in the image windows when a single pointer is identified according to the information of object images; and performing gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the image window when a plurality of pointers are identified according to the information of object images. The present invention further provides an interactive system.

Abstract: A first image sensor captures a first image of a panel of a touch screen. The first image includes a first object, a second object, a first set of reference marks, a second set of reference marks, and a first boundary mark. The touch screen establishes relationships of relative positions among the first image sensor, the first object, the second object, and the reference marks according to positions of the first object, the second object, and the reference marks in the first image. And the touch screen calculates a relative position between the first image sensor and the panel according to the relationships of relative positions among the first image sensor, the first object, the second object, and the reference marks and relative positions among the first object, the second object, and the panel.

Abstract: At a first time, a first image sensor and a second image sensor capture a first image and a second image including images of an object respectively. At a second time, the first image sensor and the second image sensor capture a third image and a fourth image including images of the object respectively. A coordinate calculation device calculates a first coordinate of the object at the first time according to the first image and the second image, and a second coordinate of the object at the second time according to the third image and the fourth image. A coordinate correction device calculates a displacement between the first time and the second time according to the first coordinate and the second coordinate, and corrects an output coordinate of the object at the second time according to the displacement.

Abstract: An operating method of an optical displacement detecting device includes the steps of: capturing a plurality of images; obtaining a displacement according to the images; obtaining a characteristic variation of the images; and suppressing the output of the displacement when the characteristic variation matches a predetermined rule. The present invention further provides an optical displacement detecting device.

Abstract: An image processing method of a optical navigator includes the steps of: capturing a first image and calculating an average brightness of the first image; determining whether the average brightness is between a first threshold value and a second threshold value; when the average brightness is between the first and second threshold values, determining whether the first image is attenuated by an attenuation value; when the first image is not attenuated by the attenuation value, updating the attenuation value and a gain; attenuating the first image with the updated attenuation value and amplifying the attenuated first image with the gain; and comparing the attenuated and amplified first image with a reference image to obtain a displacement. The present invention further provides an optical navigator.

Abstract: A locus smoothing method processes a current estimated displacement according to a predetermined number of previous output smoothed displacements. The locus smoothing method includes the steps of: accumulating a predetermined number of previous output smoothed displacements to produce an accumulated displacement and recording a last output smoothed displacement; estimating a current estimated displacement; forming a digital filter according to the accumulated displacement, the last output smoothed displacement and the current estimated displacement; processing the current estimated displacement with the digital filter to produce a current smoothed displacement; and transmitting the current smoothed displacement to an image display. The present invention further provides a navigation device having smooth locus.

Abstract: A control device of a temperature controller, for adjusting the temperature of an environment having at least one active object, includes a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a process unit and a control unit. The first image sensor is for capturing a first image containing the image of the active object. The second image sensor is for capturing a second image containing the image of the active object. The process unit calculates a distance between the active object and the temperature controller according to the first and second images. The control unit controls an operational status of the temperature controller according to the distance calculated by the process unit.

Abstract: In a sensing system and a method for obtaining a position of a pointer, the sensing system includes a sensing area, a reflective mirror, an image sensor and a processing circuit. The reflective mirror is configured for generating a mirror image of a pointer when the pointer approaches the sensing area. The image sensor is configured for sensing the pointer and the mirror image thereof when the pointer approaches the sensing area. When the pointer approaches the sensing area, the processing circuit calculates a coordinate value of the pointer according to an image sensed by the image sensor and a predetermined size of the pointer. The pointer forms an imaginary orthographic projection in the sensing area, the processing circuit regards the imaginary orthographic projection as a round projection, and a radius of the round projection is the predetermined size.

Abstract: In a sensing system and a method for obtaining a location of a pointer, the sensing system includes a sensing area, a reflective mirror, a first image sensor and a second image sensor. The reflective mirror is configured for generating a mirror image of the sensing area. The sensing system utilizes the above two image sensors to sense the pointer disposed in the sensing area and a mirror image of the pointer for obtaining two coordinate values. And then the sensing system endues each of the two coordinate values with a weighting factor for calculating the location of the pointer.