Method for locating an object associated with a device to be controlled and a method for controlling the device
The invention describes a method for locating an object (B 1 , B 1 ′, B 2 , B 3 ) associated with a device (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ) to be controlled, which method comprises aiming a pointing device ( 1 ) comprising a camera ( 2 ) at a target area (A), generating an image ( 3 ) of the target area (A) aimed at by the pointing device ( 1 ) and analysing the target area image ( 3 ) to determine a property of the object (B 1 , B 1 ′, B 2 , B 3 ). A feedback signal ( 4 ), regarding the property of the object (B 1 , B 1 ′, B 2 , B 3 ), is generated based on analysis of the images ( 3 ) and reported to the user by rendering the feedback signal ( 4 ) into a tactile indication generated in at least part of the pointing device ( 1 ). The invention also describes a pointing device ( 1 ), a device control interface ( 8, 8 ′) and a system comprising such a pointing device ( 1 ) and device control interface ( 8, 8 ′) suitable for applying this method. Furthermore, the invention describes a method and a system ( 15 ) for controlling a device (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ) using such a method for locating an object (B 1 , B 1 ′, B 2 , B 3 ) associated with the device (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ).
1. A method for locating and controlling an object associated with a device to be controlled, the method comprising:
aiming a pointing device comprising a camera at a target area;
generating an image of the target area aimed at by the pointing device;
analyzing the target area image to determine a current property of the object, wherein said current property is changeable and uncorrelated to all previous and future determined properties of the object over time;
generating a feedback signal regarding the current property of the object, based on analysis of the images;
and reporting this feedback signal to the user by rendering the feedback signal into a tactile indication generated in at least part of the pointing device,
wherein the tactile indication indicates to the user a direction in which the user should move the pointing device relative to a current target area.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tactile indication indicates to the user of the pointing device whether an object being pointed at allows interaction with the pointing device.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tactile indication indicates to the user of the pointing device when the target area of the pointing device traverses an edge of an object associated with a device.
4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the tactile indication indicates to the user the nearness of the current target area of the pointing device to an object.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tactile indication is generated by causing a part of the pointing device to vibrate.
6. A system for locating an object associated with a device to be controlled, comprising:
a pointing device comprising a camera for generating images of a target area in the direction in which the pointing device is aimed;
an image analysis unit for analyzing the images to determine a current property of the object, wherein said current property is changeable and uncorrelated to all previous and future determined properties of the object over time;
a feedback signal generation unit for generating a feedback signal, regarding the current property of the object, based on analysis of the images,
a tactile indication unit of the pointing device for rendering the feedback signal into a tactile indication for a user of the pointing device,
wherein the tactile indication indicates a direction relative to a current target area of the pointing device in which the object is located.
7. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a control signal generation unit for generating a control signal for the device to be controlled, based on analysis of an image of a target area encompassing at least part of the object; and a communication interface for communicating the control signal to the device to be controlled.
8. A pointing device, comprising:
a camera for generating an image of a target area in the direction in which the pointing device is aimed and
a tactile indication unit for rendering a feedback signal, generated on the basis of an image analysis of the target area image, into a tactile indication generated in at least part of the pointing device,
wherein the tactile indication indicates a direction relative to a current target area of the pointing device in which the object is located; and
a device control interface comprising an image analysis unit for analyzing target area images generated by a camera of the pointing device to determine a current property of an object associated with a device to be controlled,
wherein said current property is changeable and uncorrelated to all previous and future determined properties of the object over time, and a feedback signal generation unit for generating a feedback signal regarding the current property of the object, based on analysis of the images.
9. The pointing device according to claim 8 , further comprising a sending unit for sending images to a device control interface; a receiving unit for receiving a feedback signal from a device control interface.
10. A device control interface, comprising:
a receiving unit for receiving images from a pointing device;
an image analysis unit for analyzing the images;
a feedback signal generation unit for generating a feedback signal corresponding to a current property of an object, associated with a device to be controlled, based on analysis of the images, wherein said current property is changeable and uncorrelated to all previous and future determined properties of the object over time;
a sending unit for sending the feedback signal to the pointing device;
wherein the feedback signal indicates a direction relative to a current target area of the pointing device in which the object is located.
11. The device control interface according to claim 10 , further comprising a control signal generation unit for generating a control signal for the device to be controlled, based on analysis of an image of a target area encompassing at least part of the object; and a communication interface for communicating the control signal to the device to be controlled.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of generating a feedback signal regarding the current property of the object, based on analysis of the images further comprises detecting distinctive points in the target image and determining corresponding points in a template and developing a transformation for mapping the points in the target image to the corresponding points in the template.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of generating a feedback signal regarding the current property of the object, based on analysis of the images further comprises directly comparing the received target area image, centred around the target point, with a pre-defined template to locate the point targeted in the object using methods such as pattern-matching.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the changeable current property is a visibility or lack of visibility of the object in the target area.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the changeable current property is a distance between the object and a reference point.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the changeable current property is a property to be calculated.
17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the changeable current property is a property to be identified.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the changeable current property is a the controllability of a device associated with the object.
19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the changeable current property comprises the identification of the object and thereafter a set of commands for interaction with a device associated with the object.
20. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling a device with which the object is associated upon the object becoming visible in the target area.