Neonode Inc.
CONTACTLESS CONTROL PANEL

Abstract:

A contactless input method for an electronic device or other equipment, including projecting focused light beams from a series of locations along an edge of a control panel including a matrix of controls for an electronic device or other equipment, across a plane in an airspace in front of the controls, whereby the projected light beams traverse an area equal in size to the area of the matrix, detecting reflections of the projected light beams reflected by an object inserted into the plane, identifying which light beams are reflected, further identifying an angle at which the detected light beams are reflected, calculating a location in the plane at which the object is inserted based on the detecting, identifying and further identifying, and outputting the calculated location from the sensor to the electronic device or other equipment as an actuated corresponding location on the control panel.