Proximity aware content switching user interface

• US 10,019,055 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Miller, Kerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarma, Abhishek
• Application Number:
  US15/029,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern

Abstract

A distance between a user and a user interface is detected to permit modification of the user interface to accommodate the user being located some distance from the user interface. A sensor detects a distance of the user from the user interface. The detected distance can be used to modify a display or presentation provided by the user interface so that the user can more easily interact with the user interface at a distance. The scope of user interaction with the user interface can also be made contingent upon the distance between a user and the user interface. Further, context modulation with user distance can result in an automatic change in the class of information displayed. The changes to the user interface output can be configured in accordance with a profile that may include priority for user interface items as well as customization for an environment or particular user.

Claims

1. A system for managing a user interface based on user distance, comprising:

a distance measurement unit for detecting a distance of a user from the user interface;

a controller, communicatively coupled to the distance measurement unit, for receiving an input of a distance measurement from the distance measurement unit;

a memory, accessible by the controller, for storing data correlating input from the distance measurement unit indicative of the distance of a user from the user interface with control signal modulation data; and

a presentation device communicatively coupled to the controller for receiving control signals therefrom to cause the presentation device to present information in accordance with the control signals;

the controller being responsive to the control signal modulation data to modulate the control signals to at least one of

cause the presentation device to modify the information content presented by the presentation device, and

selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance measurement unit comprises an optical image capture device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the distance measurement unit further comprises a face detection engine for detecting a face in an image captured by the optical image capture device and the distance measurement unit is operative to generate the input based on a determination of a size of a detected face in the image captured by the optical image capture device.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a motion detection engine for detecting motion based on images captured by the optical image capture device and for providing a signal in response thereto, the controller being configured to enable or disable presentations on the presentation device in response to the motion detection engine signal.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data correlating input from the distance measurement unit with control signal modulation data stored in the memory includes at least one threshold distance.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

the controller being configured, when the distance measurement input is greater than the at least one threshold distance, to at least one of increase a dimension of elements presented by the presentation device and decrease the number of elements presented by the presentation device; and

the controller being configured, when the distance measurement input is less than the at least one threshold distance, to at least one of decrease a dimension of the elements of the presentation and increase the number of elements presented by the presentation device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is responsive to the control signal modulation data to modulate the control signals to selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device from restricted information to one of no information, information requiring entry of one or more security credentials, and non-restricted information.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is responsive to the control signal modulation data to modulate the control signals to selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device from non-restricted information to restricted information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device from non-restricted information to restricted information only after having issued control signals to the presentation device to prompt a user to present at least one security credential and after having confirmed the authenticity of at least one security credential provided by the user.

10. The system of claim 1, the controller further comprising at least one user input device for enabling a user to provide user input to the controller, wherein the controller is further responsive to the control signal modulation data to control signals to selectively enable the at least one user input devices.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one user input device is selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen display, a microphone and associated voice command software, and an optical sensor and motion recognition software.

12. A computer implemented method for managing a user interface based on user distance, the user interface comprising a distance measurement unit for detecting a distance of a user from the user interface and providing a distance signal in response thereto, a controller communicatively coupled to the distance measurement unit to receive the distance signal and to provide control signals in response thereto, a memory communicatively coupled to the controller for storing data correlating the distance signal with control signal modulation data, and a presentation device communicatively coupled to the controller to receive the control signals therefrom to cause the presentation device to present information in accordance with the control signals as modulated by the control signal modulating data, the computer implemented method comprising:

detecting a distance of a user from the user interface with the distance measurement unit and generating the distance signal in response thereto;

receiving the distance signal at the controller;

correlating, by the controller, the distance signal with control signal modulation data in the memory; and

controlling the presentation device, via control signals from the controller modulated by the control signal modulation data, to at least one of

cause the presentation device to present information content that corresponds to the distance signal, and

selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of detecting the distance further comprises detecting the distance with an optical image capture device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of detecting the distance further comprises detecting a face in an image captured by the optical image capture device and determining a size of a detected face in the image captured by the optical image capture device.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising detecting motion based on images captured by the distance measurement unit and providing a signal to the controller in response thereto, the controller enabling or disabling presentations on the presentation device in response to the motion detection signal.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of correlating further comprises comparing the distance signal with at least one distance threshold stored in the memory and controlling the presentation device based on the result of the comparison.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the controller at least one of increasing a dimension of elements of the information and decreasing a number of elements in the information when the detected distance is greater than the at least one threshold; and

the controller at least one of decreasing a dimension of the elements of the information and increasing the number of elements in the information when the detected distance is less than the at least one threshold.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

modulating the control signals, by the controller in response to the control signal modulation data, to selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device from restricted information to one of no information, information requiring entry of one or more security credentials, and non-restricted information.

19. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

modulating the control signals, by the controller in response to the control signal modulation data, to selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device from non-restricted information to restricted information.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

modulating the control signals, by the controller in response to the control signal modulation data, to selectively change the context of the information presented by the presentation device from non-restricted information to restricted information only after issuing control signals to the presentation device to prompt a user to present at least one security credential and after confirming the authenticity of the at least one security credential provided by the user.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

detecting user activity or inactivity based upon input from the distance measurement unit; and

enabling or disabling information presentation on the presentation device in response to detecting the user activity or inactivity.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the user interface further comprises at least one user input device for receiving user input, and wherein the method further comprises selectively enabling the at least one user input device in response to control signals generated by the controller and modulated by the control signal modulation data.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one user input device is selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen display, a microphone, and associated voice command software, and an optical sensor and motion recognition software.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

detecting user activity or inactivity based upon input from the at least one user input device; and

enabling or disabling information presentation on the presentation device in response to detecting the user activity or inactivity.