Patent Publication Number: US-2011063223-A1

Title: Display system for displaying virtual keyboard and display method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to display systems and, more particularly, to a display system for displaying a virtual keyboard and a display method used for the display system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Generally speaking, some electronic devices, such as mobile phones, computers, and the like, include two input manners. One input manner is displaying a soft keyboard on a touch screen for a user. However, the touch screen implementing the soft keyboard function is very expensive. The other one is providing a solid keyboard for a user to input data. However, the solid keyboard holds a lot of space and it is inconvenient to bring the solid keyboard at all time with the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the display system. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a project apparatus of a display system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a virtual keyboard projected in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the project apparatus of  FIG. 1  projecting the virtual keyboard of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a display system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a display method used for the display system of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a project apparatus of a display system in accordance with an embodiment. The project apparatus  1  is a rectanglar shape and composed of a plurality of grids  10 . In other embodiments, the project apparatus  1  can be in other shape, such as round, and so on. At one vertex of each grid  10  is positioned an infrared induction unit  11 . In another embodiment, the infrared induction unit  11  can be positioned on other appropriate position of the grid  10 , for example, at the center of the grid  10 . An interval between two adjacent infrared induction units  11  is labeled “L” and the interval “L” is greater than a preset distance, for example, a width of a finger of a user. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the project apparatus  1  projects a virtual keyboard  2  on a surface. The shape of the virtual keyboard  2  is similar with the project apparatus  1 . The infrared induction unit  11  on the vertex of each grid  10  projects infrared radio to the surface to obtain a virtual key point  20  on the virtual keyboard  2  and each virtual key point  20  is assigned corresponding display content. Because the interval between two adjacent virtual key points  20  is equal to “L”, which is greater than the width of a finger of the user, A mis-touch on the adjacent virtual key point  20  would be avoided when the user touches one virtual key point  20  of the virtual keyboard  2  on the surface. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the project apparatus of  FIG. 1  projecting the virtual keyboard of  FIG. 2 . A long arm  31  of the project apparatus  1  is extended through a hole  32  of the display apparatus  3 , and can slide in the hole  32 . The long arm  31  holds the project apparatus  1  substantially horizontal. Therefore, the project apparatus  1  vertically projects the virtual keyboard  2  on the surface. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a display system in accordance with an embodiment. The display system  4  includes the project apparatus  1  and the display apparatus  3 . The project apparatus  1  communicates with the display apparatus  3  via a wire or wireless manner. In this embodiment, the project apparatus  1  communicates with the display apparatus  3  via the wireless manner, such as Bluetooth. The project apparatus  1  includes at least one infrared induction unit  11 , a projection unit  12 , a first processing unit  13 , a real-time control (RTC) unit  14 , a storage unit  15 , and a first communication unit  16 . 
     The projection unit  12  is configured for projecting the virtual keyboard  2  on the surface vertically. Each infrared induction unit  11  has an ID, and is configured for transmitting infrared radio to the surface to generate the corresponding virtual key point  20  of the virtual keyboard  2  and receiving infrared radio reflected by the corresponding virtual key point  20  on the surface. At least one infrared induction unit  11  comprises a plurality of induction unit, in this embodiment, each infrared induction unit  11  includes an infrared transmitting module  111  and an infrared receiving module  112 . The storage unit  15  is configured for storing key content information corresponding to each infrared induction unit  11 , for example, the key content information of the first infrared induction unit  11  on the project apparatus  1  includes the digit “7” content. The RTC unit  14  is configured for calculating a time period between the time of transmitting the infrared radio to and the time of receiving the infrared radio from the virtual keyboard  2  in real time. The time period t=2s/v, s represents the distance from the infrared induction unit  11  to the corresponding virtual key point  20  and v represents a velocity of light. 
     When the virtual key point  20  is not touched, that means that the infrared radio from the corresponding infrared induction unit  11  is not baffled, the distance s is unchanged and the time period t is unchanged. When the virtual key point  20  is touched, that means that the infrared radio from the corresponding infrared induction unit  11  is baffled, the distance s becomes shorter and the time period t becomes smaller. 
     The first processing unit  13  is configured for judging whether the time period t of one infrared induction unit  11  becomes smaller. When the first processing unit  13  judges that the time period t of one infrared induction unit  11  is unchanged, the infrared radio from the infrared induction unit  11  is not baffled and the virtual key point  20  of the virtual keyboard  2  is not touched. When the first processing unit  13  judges that the time period t of one infrared induction unit  11  becomes smaller, that means that the infrared radio from the infrared induction unit  11  is baffled and the virtual key point  20  corresponding to the infrared induction unit  11  is touched, the first processing unit  13  acquires the key content information corresponding to the infrared induction unit  11  in the storage unit  15  and controls the first communication unit  16  to send a wireless signal of the key content information to the display apparatus  3 . 
     The display apparatus  3  further includes a second communication unit  17 , a second processing unit  18 , and a display unit  19 . The second communication unit  17  is configured for receiving the wireless signal of the key content information from the first communication unit  16  and transmitting the received wireless signal to the second processing unit  18 . The second processing unit  18  is configured for processing the wireless signal and performing a function corresponding to the key content information, or controlling the display unit  19  to display a key content corresponding to the key content information. 
     For example, when the digit “7” virtual key point  20  on the virtual keyboard  2  is touched, the distance s from the digit “7” virtual key point  20  to the corresponding infrared induction unit  11  becomes shorter and the time period t of the infrared induction unit  11  becomes smaller. The first processing unit  13  acquires the key content information corresponding to the infrared induction unit  11  in the storage unit  15  to the display apparatus  3 . The second processing unit  18  controls the display unit  19  to display the digit “7.” 
     Therefore, when one virtual key point  20  on the virtual keyboard  2  is touched, the project apparatus  1  acquires the key content information corresponding to the infrared induction unit  11  in the storage unit  15  and the display apparatus  3  performs a function or displays a key content corresponding to the key content information. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a display method adapted for the display system of  FIG. 4 . In step S 500 , the projection unit  12  of the project apparatus  1  vertically projects the virtual keyboard  2  on the surface. In step S 510 , each infrared induction unit  11  transmits the infrared radio to the surface to generate the virtual key point  20  and receives the infrared radio reflected by the virtual keyboard  2  in real time. In step S 520 , the RTC unit  14  calculates the time period between the time of transmitting the infrared radio to and the time of receiving the infrared radio from the virtual keyboard  2  in real time. In step S 530 , the first processing unit  13  of the project apparatus  1  judges whether the time period of one infrared induction unit  11  becomes smaller. 
     If the first processing unit  13  judges that the time period of each infrared induction unit  11  is unchanged, that means that the virtual keyboard  2  is not touched, the procedure returns to step S 520 . If the first processing unit  11  judges that the time period of one infrared induction unit  11  becomes smaller than the time period would otherwise be without the virtual keyboard  2  being touched, in step S 540 , the virtual key point  20  corresponding to the infrared induction unit  11  on the virtual keyboard  2  is touched and the first processing unit  13  acquires the key content information corresponding to the infrared induction unit  11  from the storage unit  15 . In step S 550 , the first communication unit  16  sends the wireless signal of the key content information to the display apparatus  3 . 
     In step S 560 , the second communication unit  17  receives the wireless signal of the key content information, and the second processing unit  18  processes the wireless signal and performs the function corresponding to the key content information, or controls the display unit  19  to display the key content corresponding to the key content information. 
     It is understood that the disclosure may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein.