Subin S B(Virtual Keyboard)

CONTENTS

1. Abstract …………………………………………. 1

2. Introduction ……………………………….…….2

3. Keyboard………………………………………..3

4. Virtual Key board………………….……………7

5. Technologies used ……………………..………..8

6. Senseboard Keyboardless Keyboard ……….…10

7. SCURRY – The SAMSUNG Product .…….…...12

8. The CANESTA Keyboard…………………..….13

9. Technology …………..……………….……….16

10. VKEY – From Virtual Devices………………...21

11. NO-Keys -- The Software ………………….....23

12.Application………………………………………25

13. Conclusion ……………………………………...27

14. Appendix ……………………………………….28

15. References ……………………………………..35

VIRTUAL KEYBOARD SEMINAR 2004

ABSTRACT

A virtual keyboard is actually a key-in device, roughly a size of a

fountain pen, which uses highly advanced laser technology, to project a full sized

keyboard on to a flat surface. Since the invention of computers they had

undergone rapid miniaturization. Disks and components grew smaller in size, but

only component remained same for decades –its keyboard. Since miniaturization

of a traditional keyboard is very difficult we go for virtual keyboard. Here, a

camera tracks the finger movements of the typist to get the correct keystroke.A

virtual keyboard is a keyboard that a user operates by typing on or within a

wireless or optical –dectable surface or area rather than by depressing physical

keys.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR 1


INTRODUCTION

Since their invention, computers have undergone rapid

miniaturization from being a ‘space saver’ to ‘as tiny as your palm’. Disks

and components grew smaller in size, but one component still remained the

same for decades – it’s the keyboard.

Miniaturisation of keyboard had proved nightmare for users. Users of

PDAs and smart phones are annoyed by the tiny size of the keys. The new

innovation Virtual Keyboard uses advanced technologies to project a full-

sized computing key-board to any surface. This device has become the

solution for mobile computer users who prefer to do touch-typing than

cramping over tiny keys.

Typing information into mobile devices usually feels about as natural as

a linebacker riding a Big Wheel. Virtual Keyboard is a way to eliminate

finger cramping.

All that's needed to use the keyboard is a flat surface. Using laser

technology, a bright red image of a keyboard is projected from a device

such as a handheld. Detection technology based on optical recognition

allows users to tap the images of the keys so the virtual keyboard behaves

like a real one. It's designed to support any typing speed.



KEYBOARD

The part of the computer (also that of PDAs, smart phones etc.) that

we come into most contact with is probably the piece that we think about

the least. But the keyboard is an amazing piece of technology. For

instance, did you know that the keyboard on a typical computer system is

actually a computer itself?

Windows keyboard

At its essence, a keyboard is a series of switches connected to a

microprocessor that monitors the state of each switch and initiates a specific

response to a change in that state.

Types of Keyboards

Keyboards have changed very little in layout since their introduction. In

fact, the most common change has simply been the natural evolution of

adding more keys that provide additional functionality.



The most common keyboards are:

101-key Enhanced keyboard

104-key Windows keyboard

82-key Apple standard keyboard

108-key Apple Extended keyboard

Portable computers such as laptops quite often have custom keyboards

that have slightly different key arrangements than a standard keyboard.

Also, many system manufacturers add specialty buttons to the standard

layout. A typical keyboard has four basic types of keys:

Typing keys

Numeric keypad

Function keys

Control keys

The typing keys are the section of the keyboard that contain the letter

keys, generally laid out in the same style that was common for typewriters.

This layout, known as QWERTY for the first six letters in the layout, was

originally designed to slow down fast typists by making the arrangement of

the keys somewhat awkward! The reason that typewriter manufacturers did

this was because the mechanical arms that imprinted each character on the

paper could jam together if the keys were pressed too rapidly. Because it

has been long established as a standard, and people have become

accustomed to the QWERTY configuration, manufacturers developed

keyboards for computers using the same layout, even though jamming is no

longer an issue. Critics of the QWERTY layout have adopted another

layout; Dvorak that places the most commonly used letters in the most

convenient arrangement.



An Apple Extended keyboard.

The numeric keypad is a part of the natural evolution mentioned

previously. As the use of computers in business environments increased, so

did the need for speedy data entry. Since a large part of the data was

numbers, a set of 17 keys was added to the keyboard. These keys are laid

out in the same configuration used by most adding machines and

calculators, to facilitate the transition to computer for clerks accustomed to

these other machines.

In 1986, IBM extended the basic keyboard with the addition of function

and control keys. The function keys, arranged in a line across the top of the

keyboard, could be assigned specific commands by the current application

or the operating system. Control keys provided cursor and screen control.

Four keys arranged in an inverted T formation between the typing keys and

numeric keypad allow the user to move the cursor on the display in small

increments. The control keys allow the user to make large jumps in most

applications. Common control keys include:

Home



End

Insert

Delete

Page Up

Page Down

Control (Ctrl)

Alternate (Alt)

Escape (Esc)

The Windows keyboard adds some extra control keys: two Windows or

Start keys, and an Application key.

Keyboards use a variety of switch technologies. It is interesting to note

that we generally like to have some audible and tactile response to our

typing on a keyboard. We want to hear the keys "click" as we type, and we

want the keys to feel firm and spring back quickly as we press them.

As you type, the processor in the keyboard is analyzing the key

matrix and determining what characters to send to the computer. It

maintains these characters in a buffer of memory that is usually about 16

bytes large. It then sends the data in a stream to the computer via some type

of connection.



VIRTUAL KEYBOARD

A virtual keyboard is a keyboard that a user operates by typing

(moving fingers) on or within a wireless or optical-detectable surface or

area rather than by depressing physical keys. In one technology, the

keyboard is projected optically on a flat surface and, as the user touches the

image of a key, the optical device detects the stroke and sends it to the

computer. In another technology, the keyboard is projected on an area and

selected keys are transmitted as wireless signals using the short-range

Bluetooth technology. With either approach, a virtual keyboard makes it

possible for the user of a very small smart phone or a wearable computer to

have full keyboard capability. Theoretically, with either approach, the

keyboard can be in space and the user can type by moving fingers through

the air! The regular QWERTY keyboard layout is provided.

All that's needed to use the keyboard is a flat surface. Using laser

technology, a bright red image of a keyboard is projected from a device

such as a handheld. Detection technology based on optical recognition

allows users to tap the images of the keys so the virtual keyboard behaves

like a real one. It's designed to support any typing speed.

Several products have been developed that use virtual keyboard to

mean a keyboard that has been put on a display screen as an image map. In

some cases, the keyboard can be customized. Depending on the product, the

user (who may be someone unable to use a regular keyboard) can use a

touch screen or a mouse to select the keys.



We simply take our PDA and put it onto the table. It shines a

keyboard onto the table and we just type on the table as if it were a

keyboard.

The only drawback for the touch typist is that we can't rest our

fingers on the keyboard as we would normally. But the manufacturers say

that 10-15 minutes of practice makes perfect.

ADVANTAGES OF VIRTURAL KEYBOARD

Portability

Accuracy

Speed of text entry

Lack of need for flat or large typing surface

Ability to minimize the risk for repetitive strain injuries

Flexibility

Keyboard layouts can be changed by software allowing for foreign or

alternative keyboard layouts

TECHNOLOGIES USED

Several products have been developed by different manufacturers

that use different technologies. In one technology, the keyboard is

projected optically on a flat surface and, as the user touches the image of a

key, the optical device detects the stroke and sends it to the computer. In

another technology, the keyboard is projected on an area and selected keys

are transmitted as wireless signals using the short-range Bluetooth

technology. Both approaches make it possible for the user to work with the

device with much ease.



Some products use infrared camera to project the picture of the

keyboard on a surface, while some others use laser beam. Optical

recognition techniques like laser technology are used to translate finger

movements.

In another product sensors are attached to the palm of users. Here

sensor technology combined with artificial intelligence is used to let the

user type in a virtual key environment. This is utilized in the Sense board

models. Two hand-mounted devices connect to the target computing

device with the help of Bluetooth wireless networking technology. The user

can type on a hard surface like a desk or table, or into the air. Through the

use of Bluetooth technology, the "typed" information is transferred

wirelessly to the computer, where a word processing program analyzes and

interprets the signals into readable text.

One product works by attaching motion sensors to each finger. It

doesn't detect muscle movement, but rather uses gyroscopic technology to

detect angular movements of fingers through space. This is applied in the

Samsung models.

The Integrated Canesta Keyboard is based on a controller and two

optical components that project the image of a keyboard onto any flat

surface and use a light source to track the movement of fingers on that

image. It uses the Electronic Perception Technology. The information

picked up is formed into a 3D image with motion and translated into

standard keyboard input data. Canesta's advantage is the fact that as far as

the user is concerned there's no new hardware to buy or install. But PDA

manufacturers are under pressure to add a raft of new features to their

devices, all of which require extra components that take up valuable space

and add to the always sensitive bill of materials. Canesta's advantage is the

fact that as far as the user is concerned there's no new hardware to buy or



install. But PDA manufacturers are under pressure to add a raft of new

features to their devices.

VKB has developed a highly efficient method for projecting an

optical image of a keyboard onto a surface. In addition, VKB has developed

a detection method through several proprietary developments for the

accurate and reliable detection of user interaction, such as typing or cursor

control functions (e.g. mouse or touch-pad controls). VKB has resolved all

the technological hurdles required to make a practical virtual interface.

There are some products which are meant for the disabled lot. It is

visible on the screen and typing can be done by clicking with mouse or by

touch-screen method.

SENSEBOARD KEYBOARDLESS KEYBOARD

To use the Senseboard device, we simply slip a soft rubber pad onto

each palm and start typing as if a keyboard was in front of us. A demo of

the product didn't work so well, however, and produced the gibberish

"DNiSP" when the tester was asked to type "Comdex." The Sense board

product clearly needs work. Representatives say the poor performance

demonstrated for show attendees is not typical. Sense board works by

DEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR

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tracking the muscle movements in the palm of the hand. When we

extendyour left pinky finger in midair and strike it down as if we were

going to strike the "Q" key Senseboard displays the letter "Q" on the

monitor.

Two hand-mounted devices connect to the target computing device

with the help of Bluetooth wireless networking technology. The user can

type on a hard surface like a desk or table, or into the air. The hand-mounts

measure finger movements and tell the handheld what keys the user intends

to press, based on the ubiquitous QWERTY keyboard layout. There's also a

pause function.

Sensors made of a combination of rubber and plastic are attached to

the user's palms in such a way that they do not interfere with finger

motions. Through the use of Bluetooth technology, the "typed" information

is transferred wirelessly to the computer, where a word processing program

analyzes and interprets the signals into readable text.

The device is currently usable via existing ports on personal digital

assistants (PDAs) from Palm and other manufacturers. Senseboard officials

say it eventually will be compatible with most brands of pocket PCs,

mobile phones and laptop computers.

No visual mapping, recognition not recalls, easy to make errors.

Only for expert touch typists. Also the product requires specialized

software for handheld devices. For example, Senseboard software includes

a dictionary program that predicts words based on common grammatical

sentence structures to boost keying accuracy.


11


SCURRY – THE SAMSUNG PRODUCT

Samsung's Scurry is also a wearable keyboard. It works by attaching

motion sensors to each finger. It doesn't detect muscle movement, but

rather uses gyroscopic technology to detect angular movements of fingers

through space. This approach works better: Demonstrations on the show

floor were far more impressive than its competitor's performance in terms

of accuracy. However the device is too bulky. Nonfunctional prototypes of

the final product are much smaller.

The model demonstrated is wired. The manufacturers say, by the time

their products become commercially available they will support the

wireless Bluetooth protocol. Also the product requires specialized software

for handheld devices.


12


THE CANESTA KEYBOARD

In 1998 two inventors, Nazim Kareemi and Cyrus Bamji, struck up a

conversation with an informal gathering of alumni from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology in Santa Clara, Calif. Bamji mentioned his concept

for controlling electronic devices from a distance--in essence, a new form

of remote control. "This idea was humming in my head for some time," he

says, "but it didn't gel."

Kareemi, an electrical engineer who had founded PenWare (now

owned by Symbol Technologies), a producer of machines that record

signatures electronically, took a pragmatic interest in the problem. His

experience in the technology business complemented Bamji's ongoing

supply of ideas, making the two an ideal team. For his part, Bamji is a jack-

of-all-trades and an expert at most. He earned a collection of degrees, from

math to computer science, plus a doctoral degree in electrical engineering

and computer science, from M.I.T. Then he worked as an architect of

electronic devices and systems at Cadence Design Systems in San Jose,

Calif.


13


The two men followed up on their original discussion by starting to

think about developing a low-cost gadget that could make a three-

dimensional map of its surroundings. After pondering that problem for half

a year, they decided that an ideal application would be a virtual keyboard:

an image of "q," "w," "e," "r," "t," "y" and the other keys projected on a

desktop, where someone could press down fingers. The sequence of

keystrokes would be recorded by a nearby personal electronic device or a

cellular phone equipped to send electronic mail. The apparatus would

register which key had been pressed by using a three-dimensional depth

map, which provides information about where a particular key is located.

This invention was conceived early in 1999, but financial backing

for their brainchild did not come readily. "We presented the keyboard idea

to a couple of venture capitalists," Bamji says. "My recollection is that they

merely smiled." Yet Kareemi and Bamji believed in their invention, and by

April they and an engineer colleague, Abbas Rafii, launched a company

called Canesta, based in San Jose, Calif. (The company name is an acronym

made from the given names of the founders, plus a few added letters to give

it a ring.) They funded the company themselves for a year and then, in

2000, went after their initial round of venture capital and raised $3 million.

By that fall they had gone as far as to concoct a working version of the

keyboard.

To devise a way for electronics to see in three dimensions, the team

wanted to avoid mistakes made by others who had pursued similar

technologies. Earlier researchers who had attempted to create 3-D images

had relied on dual cameras and compared images pixel by pixel, a method

that demands considerable computer processing. "We took a step back,"

Bamji explains, "and tried to have a more holistic approach. We needed a

3-D sensor to get away from problems with interpreting light from dark."

Just such a sensing apparatus was incorporated in a product, the

Integrated Canesta Keyboard, and introduced in September at a mobile and DEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR

14


wireless conference. The product became one of several virtual keyboards

that are entering the market.

The Integrated Canesta Keyboard is based on a controller and two

optical components that project the image of a keyboard onto any flat

surface and use a light source to track the movement of fingers on that

image. It uses the Electronic Perception Technology.

It is made up of three components.

· Pattern Projector

is used to project light onto a flat surface, forming a standard QWERTY

keyboard layout or a custom layout of your choosing.

· IR light source

Bathes the keyboard in an infrared light.

· Sensory module

Picks up finger movements over the keys.

The information picked up is formed into a 3D image with motion

and translated into standard keyboard input data. Canesta's advantage is the

fact that as far as the user is concerned there's no new hardware to buy or

install. But PDA manufacturers are under pressure to add a raft of new

features to their devices, all of which require extra components that take up

valuable space and add to the always sensitive bill of materials. Canesta's

advantage is the fact that as far as the user is concerned there's no new

hardware to buy or install. But PDA manufacturers are under pressure to

add a raft of new features to their devices, all of which require extra

components that take up valuable space and add to the always sensitive bill

of materials.


15


TECHNOLOGY

Uses low-cost semiconductor-based sensors.

The resolution of the chip also was not disclosed, although

van Burden said that the sensor chip would recognize images up to

about 30 centimeters away from the camera, in a field of view about

the size of an airplane's seatback tray table. The chip can process up

to 50 frames per second of information, he said. Future versions of

the chip will improve the resolution of the device and the distance at

which it can distinguish objects, van Burden said.

Ideally, the chipset will reduce a PDA's battery life by about

ten percent, a target Spare said the company hasn't quite met.

However, Taiwan chip foundry UMC is fabricating the chipset on

0.25-micron silicon, leaving plenty of room for a power-reducing

process shrink. The pattern projector uses the most power, requiring

about 60 mW to operate and project the image. The company built in

power-saving modes into the chipset, set to wake up the device at the

wave of a finger.

The chipset simply outputs RS232 serial keystrokes, and

does not require a specific CPU, Spare said.

Tricky Placement: Size and proper orientation of the three

Canesta components is likely to be the biggest hurdle for handheld

system makers looking to use the technology. The 0.25-micron

sensor chip at the heart of the solution includes a barrel lens that

senses the light bouncing off a finger. The chip and lens together

measure 8 x 8 x 8 mm. The infrared light source is in a separate 6.4-DEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR

16


mm diameter x 12-mm module. And the pattern projector measures

9 x 9 x 12 mm. All three devices need to point outward from the

system in a similar orientation — a tricky placement and integration

challenge for a PDA and one currently not feasible for the next-

generation of relatively thin 2.5G cell phones.

The company is already working on a so-called LP-2

version of the components that would shrink the controller module

to 6 x 6 x 6 mm and shave size off the optical components as well.

Machine Vision: According to van Burden, the EPT chip

includes finely tuned timing circuits that can be used to measure

each individual pixel's worth of reflected light, calculating the

distance of the object away from the camera. The reflected waves

can be used to reconstruct the image of the object, complete with

what van Burden called a "depth map" to extend the two-

dimensional image into the third dimension.

EPT, in fact, does not use visible light at all. Instead, a beam

of infrared light—similar to that emitted by the auto focus

mechanism of a camera—"paints" the object. The EPT sensor

receives the light and reconstructs the image using built-in software.

The EPT system consists of the infrared light source and a slightly

modified conventional CMOS imaging chip, similar to those used in

digital cameras. Canesta has built in the software inside the imaging

chip, eliminating the need for a separate microcontroller.

Total maximum power consumption for the three modules

currently stands at 105 mW.


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Canesta Keyboard™ Perception Chipset™

The Canesta Keyboard Perception Chipset is designed to meet the

stringent needs of manufacturers of portable devices. Their small size and

low power requirements make them ideally suited for integration into

portable devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and Tablet PCs. In addition,

each module is fully self-contained simplifying the process of integrating

them into an electronic device.

Canesta Keyboard Sensor Module

The Canesta Keyboard Sensor Module (SM-CK100) serves as the

eyes of the Canesta Keyboard Perception Chipset and features Canesta's

patent-pending electronic perception technology. It includes an integrated

lens that performs all necessary filtering and focusing functions, making it

easy to integrate the module into a final product. Working in conjunction

with the Canesta Keyboard Light Source, the SM-CK100 enables both

keyboard data input and mouse functionality without the confining

limitations of a physical form factor.


18


The Canesta Keyboard Sensor Module operates by locating the user's

fingers in 3-D space and tracking the intended keystrokes. Tracking and

keystroke information is processed onboard the SM-CK100 without

assistance from the device processor. Keystroke information can then be

output to the device via an RS232 or USB interface.

Canesta Keyboard IR Light Source

The Canesta Keyboard Light Source (IR-CK100) plays a critical role

in any Canesta Keyboard Perception Chipset implementation by enabling

Canesta's patented electronic perception technology. The module collects

the IR laser diode and all the associated optics into a single concise

package, making it easy to integrate into a final product. The IR Light

Source operates by emitting a beam of infrared light. This light beam is

designed to overlap the area on which the Canesta Keyboard Pattern

Projector (PP-CK100) displays the keyboard layout so that the user's

fingers are illuminated by the infrared light beam. The Canesta Keyboard

Sensor Module (SM-CK100) detects the finger movement and the typing

activity is resolved into the appropriate keystrokes or mouse actions.


19


Canesta Keyboard Pattern Projector

The Canesta

Keyboard Pattern Projector (PP-CK100) presents the image of the Canesta

Keyboard. The Projector features a wide-angle lens so that a large pattern

can be projected from the relatively low elevations associated with mobile

devices. When activated, the Pattern Projector displays a standard

QWERTY keyboard layout onto a flat surface such as a desk, or the side of

a briefcase. The projected keyboard image can then be used to enter data

into the device, such as a cell phone or a PDA, in an efficient and familiar

way.

The default projected keyboard pattern has been optimized to improve

typing accuracy and include shortcut keys for popular applications.

Interested manufacturers can have custom layouts incorporated into the

Canesta Keyboard Pattern Projector to meet the unique needs of their target

market. To further improve usability, the Canesta Pattern Projector features

adjustable brightness levels so that both manufacturers and end users can

configure the Pattern Projector to best meet the unique requirements of the

application environment and their individual preferences.DEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR

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VKEY – FROM VIRTUAL DEVICES

Pennsylvania-BASED virtual Devices has introduced a

revolutionary keyboard, called the Vkey, for next-generation handheld

devices. The ides behind the camera is use of an infrared camera that

projects the picture of a keyboard on a surface while the camera tracks the

movement of our fingers on the surface and structured light to interpret and

analyse keystrokes and mouse functions, enabling us to compose e-mails or

interact with wordprocessors and spreadsheets.

The keyboard translates finger movements to keystrokes with a high

degree of precision and may be a viable replacement for standard

keyboards. The technology will let businessmen carry a fully functional

computer in their pockets.


21


Virtual Devices (VDI) is not only looking at the PDA market,

however - they also want to try and crack the wireless desktop workstation

market, as well as the cellular market, which has experienced a phenomenal

boom in short message services (sms). It also has potential in the wearable

personal computer market (which so far has proved a huge disappointment,

mainly because no one wants to become the ultimate geek by actually

wearing their computer - do they?), as well as for industrial applications

like ATM machines and pay telephones. "VDI believes that the virtual

keyboard is the last piece in the evolving convergence of personal

computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the

internet.

VIRTUAL KEYBOARD FROM VKB

A full-size fully functional virtual keyboard that can be projected and

touchedon any surface is shown by Siemens Procurement Logistics

Services at the CeBIT fair in Hanover, northern Germany, on Monday,

March 18, 2002. The virtual interface from Developer VKB Inc. from

Jerusalem in Israel can be integrated in mobile phones, laptops, tablet PCs,

or clean, sterile and medical environments and could be a revolution for the

data entry of any mini computer. The mini projector that detects user

interaction with the surface also simulates a mousepad.

VKB has developed a highly efficient method for projecting an optical

image of a keyboard onto a surface. In addition, VKB has developed a

detection method through several proprietary developments for the accurate

and reliable detection of user interaction, such as typing or cursor control

functions (e.g. mouse or touch-pad controls). VKB has resolved all the

technological hurdles required to make a practical virtual interface. Include

minimizing the power consumption, minimal component size, simple


22


processing, high accuracy and ease of use. VKB has filed numerous patents

on its core technology and related applications.

NO-KEYS -- THE SOFTWARE

No-Keys is a computer software program that displays a picture of a

computer keyboard on the screen. Users can "type" on this virtual keyboard

using a mouse, trackball, or similar pointing device. (A scan option is also

provided for people who cannot move any pointing device at all.) Whatever

keys are typed on the virtual keyboard are sent to another program (such as

a word processor, email program, text-to-speech program, etc.) selected by

the user. This allows you to operate the computer entirely with the mouse

or other pointing device. This is intended primarily for computer users who

have limited mobility, such as people suffering from MD, MS, stroke, or

similar handicaps or disabilities. It can also be used for touch screen

computers to eliminate the need for the keyboard.


23


The current version is version 5.0. This is a new and improved

version that allows the user to create custom keyboard configurations. You

can now put exactly the keys you want on the keyboard in whatever order

and arrangement you want.

The program is distributed as shareware. This means that you can

download the program and use it for 60 days without paying for it. If you

decide you want to continue using the program after 60 days, you must pay

the $30 registration fee.

CLICK-N-TYPE KEYBOARD

Click-N-Type is an on-screen virtual keyboard designed for anyone

with a disability that prevents him or her from typing on a physical

computer keyboard. As long as the person can control a mouse, trackball or

other pointing device, he or she can send keystrokes to virtually any

Windows application or DOS application that can run within a window.

Click-N-Type is a 32 bit application that requires Windows

95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP or later. There are other virtual keyboards around

but you'll find Click-N-Type the easiest to use for getting text into those

uncooperative places like browser URL "Address:" fields, Email "To:"

addresses, Email "Subject:" fields, dialog boxes like "Open" and "Save


24


As...", and many other problematic applications. You'll see they all work

fine while typing into Notepad or WordPad, but when you attempt to do

some real work, you'll get really annoyed really fast. Click-N-Type was

designed with ease of use foremost in mind.

The basic Click-N-Type keyboard could be completely visible on a

screen of any size or resolution. The Click-N-Type window is fully

resizable to our needs and can be repositioned to any place on our screen.

There are many options to modify its appearance. For example, the Speed

Keyboard option changes the alphabetic key layout based on the frequency

of letter usage in the English language. This keeps our mouse movement to

a minimum and speeds up typing. We can also customize our alphabet to

fit our needs. For more specialized needs, we can even build our own

keyboard. Of course, when not in use Click-N-Type may be minimized so

it's out of our way.

APPLICATIONS

Writing sentences on PDAs still requires a lot of patience and

practice. Some older models require people to enter data with a proprietary

scrawl, while newer models use tiny keyboards that require dexterous,

strong thumbs. And full-size keyboards just don't go well with the latest

svelte devices. Even though these (handheld) devices are capable of

sophisticated applications there's really no way to reasonably use those

applications, especially those that require entering data, like e-mail.

Virtual keyboards project an image of a full-size keyboard on any

flat surface. It also emits an infrared beam that detects the position and

motion of a typist's hands. Tapping on the image of a key produces the

corresponding character on the device.


25


In addition to small devices projection keyboards could be used to

create a control-panel projection that offers virtual knobs and switches for

use in hazardous environments, as well as in medical markets where sterile

data entry is a concern.Even though PDAs have capabilities like word

processing and spreadsheets, they’re generally not utilized because they

lack a practical keyboard. Virtual Keyboard provides a full-size computer

keyboard that disappears when not in use.

The keyboard will be convenient for people who travel so they can

easily access information through web pages. So when designing pages, it

will be important to make sure the pages include complete and updated

information.

This keyboard will be efficient for individuals that have physical

disabilities. This technology will provide a keyboard that does not require

force to activate the keys.Since a virtual keyboard does not violate the

sterile environment, this has wide applications in the medical field.

Moreover the technology will cause our laptops and palmhelds to shrink to

pocket computers.


26


CONCLUSION

Writing sentences on PDAs still requires a lot of patience and

practice. Some older models require people to enter data with a proprietary

scrawl, while newer models use tiny keyboards that require dexterous,

strong thumbs. And full-size keyboards just don't go well with the latest

svelte devices.

Virtual keyboards are projected images of the real thing that let

typists compose their sentences on any flat surface. They are inching closer

to store shelves. The keyboard will be convenient for people who travel so

they can easily access information through web pages. This will be efficient

for individuals that have physical disabilities. This technology will provide

a keyboard that does not require force to activate the keys. It will serve

disabled people better. Virtual keyboard is the last piece in the evolving

convergence of personal computers, mobile phones, personal digital

assistants (PDAs), and the internet. Hope soon the time will arrive when

the laptops shrink more to pocket devices and the now available pocket

devices still smaller.


27


Appendix I

Smart phone

The term smart phone is sometimes used to characterize a wireless

telephone set with special computer-enabled features not previously

associated with telephones.

In addition to functioning as an ordinary telephone, a smartphone's features

may include:

Wireless e-mail, Internet, Web browsing, and fax

Intercom function

Personal information management

Online banking

LAN connectivity

Graffiti style data entry

Local data transfer between phone set and computers

Remote data transfer between phone set and computers

Remote control of computers


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Remote control of home or business electronic systems

Wearable computers

Some inventors and other theorists not only believe you could wear a

computer; they believe there's no reason why you shouldn't. Assuming you

remembered to wear it, a wearable computer is always available. Currently,

several companies sell wearables and there is a considerable literature on

the subject. Some wearable computers are basically desktop or notebook

computers that have been scaled down for body-wear. Others employ brand

new technology. Both general and special purposes are envisioned. A

number of wearables have been designed for the disabled.

Among the challenges of wearable computers are: how to minimize

their weight and bulkiness, how and where to locate the display, and what

kind of data entry device to provide. Some of the applications envisioned

for wearable computers include:

Augmented memory, a concept originated by Thad Starner and being

developed by Bradley Rhodes at the MIT Media Lab, in which as you enter

a room, your wearable computer could sense the people present and remind

you of their names or personal history, or a scheduler could whisper the

time of an important meeting in your ear, or a "remembrance agent" could

look for related documents by observing the words you were typing

Immediate access to important data for anyone whose occupation

requires mobility, such as real estate agents, rural doctors, fire and police

professionals, lawyers in courtrooms, horse bettors, military personnel,

stock brokers, and many others

The ability to take notes immediately. For example, for reporters,

geologists, botanists, vendor show representatives, field service repair

personnel.

Wearable computersDEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR

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In Web page development, an image map is a graphic image defined

so that a user can click on different areas of the image and be linked to

different destinations. You make an image map by defining each of the

sensitive areas in terms of their x and y coordinates (that is, a certain

horizontal distance and a certain vertical distance from the left-hand corner

of the image). With each set of coordinates, you specify a Uniform

Resource Locator or Web address that will be linked to when the user clicks

on that area.

The X and Y coordinates are expressed in pixels either in a separate file

called a map file or in the same HTML file that contains the link to the

image map. Popular tools like MapEdit provide a graphical interface for

creating an image map (so that you don't have to figure out the X and Y

coordinate numbers yourself).

Originally, the map file had to be sent to the server. Now the creator

can place the map information either at the server or at the client (a "client-

side map"). Image maps are used widely on many Web sites as a more

adventuresome form of main menu.

TouchScreen

A touch screen is a computer display screen that is sensitive to

human touch, allowing a user to interact with the computer by touching

pictures or words on the screen. Touch screens are used with information

kiosks, computer-based training devices, and systems designed to help

individuals who have difficulty manipulating a mouse or keyboard. Touch

screen technology can be used as an alternative user interface with

applications that normally require a mouse, such as a Web browser. Some

applications are designed specifically for touch screen technology, often

having larger icons and links than the typical PC application. Monitors are

available with built-in touch screen technology or individuals can purchase

a touch screen kit.


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A touch screen kit includes a touch screen panel, a controller, and a

software driver. The touch screen panel is a clear panel attached externally

to the monitor that plugs into a serial or Universal Serial Bus (USB) port or

a bus card installed inside the computer. The touch screen panel registers

touch events and passes these signals to the controller. The controller then

processes the signals and sends the data to the processor. The software

driver translates touch events into mouse events. Drivers can be provided

for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Internal touch screen

kits are available but require professional installation because they must be

installed inside the monitor.

There are three types of touch screen technology:

Resistive: A resistive touch screen panel is coated with a thin metallic

electrically conductive and resistive layer that causes a change in the

electrical current which is registered as a touch event and sent to the

controller for processing. Resistive touch screen panels are generally more

affordable but offer only 75% clarity and the layer can be damaged by

sharp objects. Resistive touch screen panels are not affected by outside

elements such as dust or water.

Surface wave: Surface wave technology uses ultrasonic waves that pass

over the touch screen panel. When the panel is touched, a portion of the

wave is absorbed. This change in the ultrasonic waves registers the position

of the touch event and sends this information to the controller for

processing. Surface wave touch screen panels are the most advanced of the

three types, but they can be damaged by outside elements.

Capacitive: A capacitive touch screen panel is coated with a material that

stores electrical charges. When the panel is touched, a small amount of

charge is drawn to the point of contact. Circuits located at each corner of

the panel measure the charge and send the information to the controller for

processing. Capacitive touch screen panels must be touched with a finger


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unlike resistive and surface wave panels that can use fingers and stylus.

Capacitive touch screens are not affected by outside elements and have high

clarity.

Sensor Chips

Most people understand that light takes a finite time to travel between

two points -- that photons of light from two different stars, for example,

may have started their journeys years, or even millennia apart. Since light

travels essentially at a constant speed, if you know the time, you can

calculate the distance.

The light illuminating each individual pixel in an image sensor comes

from a different feature in the scene being viewed. Canesta recognized that

if you could determine the amount of time that light takes to reach each

pixel, you then could calculate with certainty the exact distance to that

feature. In other words, you could develop a three-dimensional "relief" map

of the surfaces in the scene. In three dimensions, objects previously

indistinguishable from the background, for example, metaphorically "pop"

out. For a broad class of applications, this proves extremely helpful in

reducing the mathematical and physical complexity that has plagued

computer vision applications from the start.

In a recently-granted U.S. patent, Canesta describes several of its

inventions for "timing" the travel time of light to a unique, new class of

low-cost sensor chips.

Fundamentally, the chips work in a manner similar to radar, where the

distance to remote objects is calculated by measuring the time it takes an

electronic burst of radio waves to make the round trip from a transmitting

antenna to a reflective object (like a metal airplane) and back. In the case of

these chips, however, a burst of unobtrusive light is transmitted instead.DEPARTMENT OF ECE GEC THRISSUR

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The chips, which are not fooled by ambient light, either then time the

duration it takes the pulse to reflect back to each pixel, using high speed,

on-chip timers, in one method, or simply count the number of returning

photons -- an indirect measure of the distance, in another.

In either case, the result is an array of "distances" that provides a

mathematically accurate, dynamic "relief" map of the surfaces being

imaged. The image and distance information is then handed off to an on-

chip processor running Canesta's proprietary imaging software that further

refines the 3-D representation before sending it off chip to the OEM

application.

Image Precessing Software

The second component of Canesta's electronic perception technology

is a robust body of new, "industrial grade" software designed for real-world

applications.

Since Canesta's software starts with a three-dimensional view of the

world, provided "for free" by the hardware, it has a substantial advantage

over classical image processing software that struggles to construct three-

dimensional representations using complex mathematics, and using images

from multiple cameras or points of view. This significant reduction in

complexity makes it possible to embed the application-independent portion

of the processing software directly into the chips themselves so they may be

used in the most modestly-priced, and even pocket-sized, electronic

devices. In addition, it accounts for the remarkable ability of the technology

to compute 3-dimensional image maps at more than 50 frames per second;

remarkable compared to existing technology that can take from several

seconds to several minutes to generate a 3-dimensional representation of a

single, static frame.

Finally, with an expectation of its use not only in mission critical

applications such as medical instrumentation, automotive, or security, but


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in the notoriously unforgiving consumer products arena, Canesta's software

features tolerant, self calibrating algorithms, and is built using a layered

software model that features compact code, for ease of embedding in

modest applications.

Although the foregoing discussion has focused on two specific electronic

perception chip designs, Canesta, with over 20 hardware and software

patents filed, and with more on the way, has substantial research and

development initiatives underway that will result in future technology

disclosures, product announcements, and strategic alliances well beyond

what is discussed here.

Electronic Perception Technology

Electronic perception technology permits machines, consumer and

electronic devices, or virtually any other class of modern product to

perceive and react to objects and individuals in the nearby environment in

real time, particularly through the medium of "sight," utilizing low-cost,

high-performance, embedded sensors and software. What sets electronic

perception technology apart from classical "computer vision" applications,

is that for the first time, actionable information can be developed in real

time by observation of the nearby environment utilizing an ultra-low-cost

sensor technology that is a size comparable to that found in nature. And as

portable. The goal of electronic perception technology is to make it

possible for devices or applications of any complexity, from "lightweight"

appliances, PDAs, cell phones, or games, to heavyweight vehicle control,

airport security, or national security-class applications, to be able to

perceive objects and features in the nearby environment such that

identification and action are practical and possible.///Canesta has taken a

leadership role in defining and implementing practical electronic perception

technology with the development of low-cost, semiconductor-based image

sensor chip technology and powerful embedded image processing software.


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Canesta's technology provides actionable perceptions or identifications to

third-party applications that permit these applications embedding Canesta's

technology to react in a manner appropriate to their function.

REFERENCE

Websites :

www.pcworld.com

www.senseboard.com

www.canesta.com

www.ananova.com

www.virtual-keyboard.com

www.lakefolks.com

www.time.com

Other References :

Electronics for you

Scientific American


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