Portable device

• US 10,061,393 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Inventors: Skogoe, Marten, Elvesjoe, John, Lundkvist, Jan-Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam, Abbas
• Application Number:
  US15/684,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20180032143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

A portable device, e.g. a laptop, includes a first part (110), e.g. a base element, and a second part (120), e.g. a lid element. The second part (120) contains an optical remote sensing system (300). The second part (120) is pivotably attached to the first part (110) via a hinge means (115), such that the portable device may be arranged in an open and a closed position respectively. The optical remote sensing system (300) is configured to track at least one distinctive feature of a user of the portable device when arranged in the open position. The first and second parts (110; 120) have a respective essentially flat inner surface (111; 121), which when the portable device is arranged in the closed position are parallel and face one another. The first part (110) further includes a recess (112a) which is arranged relative to a position of the optical remote sensing system (300) such that, in the closed position, the optical remote sensing system (300) is at least partly contained in the recess (112a).

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a first part (110); and

a second part (120) comprising an optical remote sensing system (300),

wherein;

the second part (120) is pivotably attached to the first part (110) via a hinge means (115) such that the portable device may be arranged in an open and a closed position respectively;

the optical remote sensing system (300) is configured to determine an identity of a user of the portable device when the device is arranged in the open position;

the first and second parts (110;

120) have respective essentially flat inner surfaces (111;

121), which when the portable device is arranged in the closed position are parallel and face one another; and

the first part (110) comprises a recess (112a;

112b), which is arranged relative to a position of the optical remote sensing system (300) such that, in the closed position, the optical remote sensing system (300) is at least partly contained in the recess (112a;

112b).

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) is configured to determine the identity of the user of the portable device at least based on iris recognition.

3. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) is configured to determine the identity of the user of the portable device at least based on remote gesture recognition.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the recess (112a) is co-located with a first piece of the hinge means (115) and the optical remote sensing system (300) is disposed in a projection (125a) of the second part (120) where a second piece of the hinge means (115) is located, the first and second pieces defining a pivot axis of the hinge means (115) via which the first and second parts (110;

120) of the portable device are interconnected.

5. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and second parts (110;

120) of the portable device are interconnected via the hinge means (115) along a proximal side of the second part (120); and

the optical remote sensing system (300) is disposed in a projection (125b) extending along a distal side of the second part (120), the distal side being opposite to the proximal side.

6. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the second essentially flat surface (121) of the second part (120) includes a display unit (122) configured to present information to the user.

7. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) is arranged such that a view angle thereof has a fixed spatial relation to the display unit (122) irrespective of an orientation of the second part (120) relative to the first part (110).

8. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the first essentially flat surface (111) of the first part (110) includes a keyboard configured to receive input commands from the user.

9. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the first part (110) is a base element and the second part (120) is a lid element, and during operation, the base element is configured to be placed on an essentially flat supporting surface while the lid element is positioned so that its essentially flat inner surface (121) is visible to the user.

10. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises an image registering unit configured to register image data representing the user.

11. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator configured to illuminate the user with structured light, which when registered by the image registering unit, creates resulting data adapted for generating a depth map of the user.

12. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator configured to produce near-infrared light.

13. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator configured to produce a light beam whose direction is controllable to track a varying position of the user.

14. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator which is based on LED technology.

15. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator which is configured to produce coherent light.

16. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the portable device is at least one electronic device selected from a group consisting of:

a laptop, a note book, an ultrabook, a tablet with a keyboard, a personal digital assistant, and a smartphone.

17. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises an eye tracker configured to at least one of repeatedly determine a position of at least one eye of the user or repeatedly determine a point of regard of the user relative to the portable device.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable device comprising first and second parts (110;

120), the second part (120) comprising an optical remote sensing system (300), and the second part (120) being pivotably attached to the first part (110) via a hinge means (115) such that the portable device may be arranged in an open and a closed position respectively, the first and second parts (110;

120) having respective essentially flat inner surfaces (111;

121), which when the portable device is arranged in the closed position are parallel and face one another; and

the first part (110) comprising a recess (112a;

112b), which is arranged relative to a position of the optical remote sensing system (300) such that, in the closed position, the optical remote sensing system (300) is at least partly contained in the recess (112a;

112b); and

determining an identity of a user of the portable device, via the optical remote sensing system (300), when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the identity of the user of the portable device is determined via iris recognition.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the identity of the user of the portable device is determined via remote gesture recognition.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

the second essentially flat surface (121) of the second part (120) includes a display unit (122); and

the method further comprises the step of presenting information to the user via display unit (122) when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein:

the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator; and

when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the method further comprises the steps of;

illuminating the user with structured light from the at least one illuminator;

registering image data via the image registering unit; and

based upon the registered image data; and

creating resulting data configured for generating a depth map of the user.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein:

the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator; and

when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the method further comprises the step of illuminating the user with near-infrared light from the at least one illuminator.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein:

the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises at least one illuminator; and

when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the method further comprises the step of producing a light beam whose direction is controllable to track a varying position of the user.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

the first essentially flat surface (111) of the first part (110) includes a keyboard; and

the method further comprises the step of receiving input commands from the user via the keyboard when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises an image registering unit; and

the method further comprises the step of registering image data representing the user via the image registering unit when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises an eye tracker; and

when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the method further comprises the steps of determining, repeatedly, a position of at least one eye of the user.

28. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

the optical remote sensing system (300) comprises an eye tracker; and

when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the method further comprises the steps of determining, repeatedly, a point of regard of the user relative to the portable device.