Viewing aid with tracking system, and method of use

摘要

A viewing aid includes a camera, a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera, a memory, a display, and software programmed to track a tracking element within the field of view. Viewing material is placed on the viewing surface. The camera, viewing surface, and material all remain substantially stationary. The camera captures and stores an initial image of the material in the memory. The software then tracks the location of a tracking element within the field of view then maps the location to a portion of the initial image in memory using an X-Y coordinate system, and/or identifies character elements of the material adjacent the tracking element then maps the character elements to corresponding character elements of the initial image in memory. An enhanced image is then displayed on the display corresponding to the mapped portion of the initial image.

主权项

1. A viewing aid comprising:
a camera; a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera, and substantially fixed relative to the camera; a memory in data communication with the camera; and a display in data communication with the memory; wherein the camera is configured to capture an initial image of viewing material on the viewing surface and to store the initial image in the memory; the viewing aid further comprising software programmed to 1) determine a first location of a tracking element within the field of view by identifying X-Y coordinates of the location based on an X-Y reference frame associated with the field of view, 2) map the location to a corresponding first mapped portion of the initial image in the memory which is less than the full initial image, 3) display on the display a first magnified image generated from the initial image stored in the memory, the first magnified image corresponding only to the first mapped portion of the initial image, 4) continuously track a motion of the tracking element to successive locations within the field of view different than the first location using the camera, 5) map the successive locations to corresponding successive mapped portions of the initial image in the memory which is less than the full initial image, and 6) display on the display successive magnified images generated from the initial image stored in the memory, the successive magnified images corresponding only to respective successive mapped portions of the initial image thereby panning the initial image to correspond to the motion of the tracking element.