US 12,353,664 B1
Registering selections of graphical elements on electronic displays using time-of-flight sensors
Miro Yakov Shverdin, Mountain View, CA (US); Omer Itzchak Wagner, Cambridge (GB); Mark Adcock, Cambridge (GB); Evangelos Pappas-Katsiafas, Cambridge (GB); and Vlastimil Pis, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Sep. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/955,020.
Int. Cl. G06F 3/042 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G06F 3/04842 (2022.01)
CPC G06F 3/0428 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4814 (2013.01); G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G06F 3/0421 (2013.01); G06F 3/04842 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer system, comprising:
an electronic display comprising a display surface that is represented by a two-dimensional plane defined on the display surface of the electronic display;
a first time-of-flight sensor mounted to the electronic display in a first orientation and configured to sense objects touching the display surface at the two-dimensional plane, the first time-of-flight sensor being characterized by a first field of view that is parallel to the two-dimensional plane;
a second time-of-flight sensor mounted to the electronic display in a second orientation and configured to sense objects touching the display surface at the two-dimensional plane, the second time-of-flight sensor being characterized by a second field of view that is parallel to the two-dimensional plane;
a light emitter mounted to the electronic display adjacent to a separate location from the first time-of-flight sensor and the second time-of-flight sensor, the light emitter being configured to emit light that is detectable by at least one of the first time-of-flight sensor or the second time-of-flight sensor;
a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:
receive first sensor data output by the first time-of-flight sensor responsive to detection of the light from the light emitter, the first sensor data representing a first distance between an object touching a surface of the electronic display and the first time-of-flight sensor;
receive second sensor data output by the second time-of-flight sensor responsive to detection of the light from the light emitter, the second sensor data representing a second distance between the object and the second time-of-flight sensor;
determine a position of the object touching the surface of the electronic display by triangulating the position of the object using the first distance and the second distance; and
register a user selection of a graphical element displayed on the electronic display at the determined position.