Monday 12 December 2011

Projection keyboard

A bump keyboard is a anatomy of computer ascribe accessory whereby the angel of a basic keyboard is projected assimilate surface: back a user's fingers are placed on the projected "keys", the accessory translates them into keystrokes.

History

An optical basic keyboard1 was invented and patented by IBM engineers in 1992. It optically detects and analyses animal duke and feel motions and interprets them as operations on a physically non-existent ascribe accessory like a apparent accepting corrective or projected keys. In that way it allows to challenge absolute types of manually operated ascribe accessories (such as a mouse, keyboard, and added devices). All automated ascribe units can be replaced by such basic devices, optimized for the accepted appliance and for the user's analysis advancement speed, artlessness and accuracy of chiral abstracts input.

In 2002, the start-up aggregation Canesta developed a bump keyboard application their proprietary "electronic acumen technology".234 The aggregation after accountant the technology to Celluon of Korea.5

A proposed arrangement alleged the P-ISM will amalgamate the technology with a baby video projector to actualize a carriageable computer the admeasurement of a bubbler pen

Design

A bump keyboard about works by:

A laser or beamer projects arresting basic keyboard assimilate akin surface

A sensor or camera in the projector picks up feel movements1

detected co-ordinates actuate accomplishments or characters to be generated

Some accessories use a additional (invisible infrared) beam:

An airy bittersweet axle is projected aloft the basic keyboard

Feel makes keystroke on basic keyboard. This break bittersweet axle and bittersweet ablaze is reflected aback to projector

Reflected bittersweet axle passes through bittersweet clarify to camera

Camera photographs bend of admission bittersweet light

Sensor dent determines area bittersweet axle was broken

detected coordinates actuate accomplishments or characters to be generated

The laser keyboards use laser and infra-red technology to actualize the basic keyboard and to activity the hologram of a keyboard on a collapsed surface.

The bump is accomplished in four capital accomplish and via three modules: bump module, sensor bore and beam module. The capital accessories and technologies acclimated to activity the hologram are a diffractive optical element, red laser diode, CMOS camera and sensor dent and an bittersweet (IR) laser diode.

Template bump (Projection module)

A arrangement produced by a distinctively advised and awful able holographic aspect with a red diode laser is projected assimilate the adjoining interface surface. 7 The arrangement is not about complex in the apprehension action and it is alone acclimated as a advertence for the user. In a anchored environment, the arrangement can aloof as calmly be printed assimilate the interface surface.

Reference even beam (Micro-illumination ModuleTM)

An infra-red even of ablaze is generated on the interface surface. The even is about anchored aloof aloft and alongside to the surface. The ablaze is airy to the user and hovers a few millimeters aloft the surface. When a key position is affected on the apparent interface, the ablaze is reflected from the infra-red even in the around of the key and directed appear the sensor module.

Map absorption coordinates (Sensor Module)

The reflected ablaze user interactions with the interface apparent is anesthetized through an infra-red clarify and beheld on to a CMOS angel sensor in the sensor module. The sensor dent has a custom accouterments anchored such as the Basic Interface Processing CoreTM and it is able of authoritative a real-time assurance of the area from area the ablaze was reflected. The processing amount may clue not alone one, but assorted ablaze reflections at the aforementioned time and it can abutment assorted keystrokes and overlapping cursor ascendancy inputs.

Interpretation and advice (Sensor module)

The micro-controller in the sensor bore receives the positional advice agnate to the ablaze flashes from the sensor processing core, interprets the contest and again communicates them through the adapted interface to alien devices. By contest it is accepted any key stroke, abrasion or touchpad control.

Most bump keyboards use a red diode laser as a ablaze antecedent and may activity a abounding admeasurement QWERTY blueprint keyboard. The activity keyboard admeasurement is usually 295 mm x 95 mm and it is projected at a ambit of 60 mm from the basic keyboard unit. The bump keyboard may ascertain up to 400 characters per minute and it may be affiliated by application either USB ports or Bluetooth.

The bump keyboard assemblage works on lithium-ion batteries and it has a accommodation of at atomic 120 account of connected typing. The bump assemblage sizes alter on the architect but commonly it is not bigger than 35 mm x 92 mm x 25 mm

Connectivity

Projection keyboards affix to the accessories they are acclimated for either through Bluetooth or USB.

The Bluetooth bump keyboard is a wireless basic keyboard, a pocket-size accessory that projects a full-size keyboard through bittersweet technology assimilate any collapsed surface.8

Bluetooth dongle technology enables the bump keyboard for point to multi-point affable connectivity with added Bluetooth devices, such as PCs, PDAs and adaptable phone. Bluetooth is an accessible blueprint for wireless abstracts manual which operates on the globally accessible 2.4GHz radio frequency.9

The way the Bluetooth bump keyboard is affiliated to a accessory varies depending on the specific laptop, buzz or computer that the user intends to use it for. All the connectivity instructions commonly appear with the artefact and they basically abide in axis on the Bluetooth affiliation on one's accessory and again axis on the keyboard.

The USB bump keyboard works like a approved USB keyboard. The affiliation amid the basic keyboard and the accessory is fabricated through a USB port, which is accessible on every computer, laptop and added accessories that are accordant with the bump keyboard. Affiliation instructions appear as able-bodied with the artefact and with the manufacturer's blueprint but it mainly consists in Plug and Play the devices