Tracking approaching or hovering objects for user-interfaces

• US 10,114,511 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soo, Armstrong, Ku, Bernard, Brandt, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US15/602,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 345175, 345156, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

An architecture is described that can utilize photo-sensors embedded in a substantially transparent layer of a UI display for tracking objects that approach or hover over the UI display. The photo-sensors can be configured to detect light of certain wavelengths (e.g., visible light, infrared light) that are propagated toward the UI display, while ignoring light emanating from the UI display when displaying content. Accordingly, by examining various characteristics of the incoming light such as intensity, the architecture can identify a location of a shadow incident upon the display caused by an approaching or hovering selector object blocking portions of incoming light. Additionally or alternatively, the architecture can identify a location of higher intensity for light emanating from the selector object.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining angle data indicative of an angle of incidence of electromagnetic radiation from a remote source that intersects the device at the angle of incidence;

determining, as a function of intensity data indicative of an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation, shadow data indicative of a shadow cast on the device by an object that is proximal to the device;

determining, as a function of the shadow data and the angle data, location data indicative of a location of the object relative to the device; and

determining coordinate data indicative of a coordinate on the device that corresponds to the location of the object.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise updating the coordinate in response to a determination that the object has moved relative to the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting, by a graphical user interface device of the device, a cursor element at the coordinate.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise updating a position of the cursor element in response to the object moving relative to the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining, as a function of the angle data and the shadow data, distance data indicative of a distance of the object from the device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise determining selection data indicative of a selection of a graphical element presented by a graphical user interface device of the device in response to the distance being less than a defined threshold.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining that movement of the object relative to the device represents a defined pattern described by gesture data.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the gesture data indicates the defined pattern is indicative of a selection pattern representing an instruction to select a graphical element presented by a graphical user interface device of the device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the gesture data indicates the defined pattern is indicative of a magnification pattern representing of an instruction to change a magnification factor of graphical elements presented by a graphical user interface device of the device at an area proximal to the coordinate.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the gesture data indicates the defined pattern is indicative of a scroll pattern representing of an instruction to pan graphical elements presented by a graphical user interface device of the device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is visible light with a wavelength between approximately 300 nanometers and approximately 800 nanometers and the intensity of the visible light is determined to have a lower value at the shadow than at other portions of the device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared light with a wavelength between approximately 800 nanometers and approximately one millimeters and the intensity of the infrared light is determined to have a higher value at the shadow than at other portions of the device.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining angle data indicative of an angle of incidence of electromagnetic radiation from a remote source that intersects a user interface portion of a device at the angle of incidence;

determining, as a function of intensity data indicative of an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation that intersects the user interface portion of the device, shadow data indicative of a shadow on the user interface portion cast by an object that is remote from the device;

as a function of the shadow data and the angle data, determining location data indicative of a location of the object relative to the device; and

determining coordinate data indicative of a coordinate of the user interface portion that corresponds to the location of the object.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise facilitating presentation of a cursor element at the coordinate of the user interface portion.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise facilitating updating a position of the cursor element based on a corresponding update to the coordinate that occurs in response to a determination that the object has moved relative to the device.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining, as a function of the angle data and the shadow data, distance data indicative of a distance between the object and the user interface portion of the device.

17. A method, comprising:

determining, by a device comprising a processor, angle data and intensity data, wherein the angle data is indicative of an angle at which electromagnetic radiation from a remote source intersects a user interface portion of a device, and wherein the intensity data is indicative of an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation;

determining, by the device, intensity data indicative of an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation that intersects the user interface portion of the device;

determining, by the device, shadow data indicative of a shadow cast by an object on the user interface portion based on the intensity data and the angle data;

determining, by the device, location data indicative of a location of the object relative to the user interface portion of the device; and

determining, by the device, coordinate data indicative of a coordinate on the user interface portion of the device that corresponds to the location of the object relative to the user interface portion of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining, by the device, that movement of the object relative to the device represents a defined pattern described by gesture data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining, by the device, that the defined pattern is indicative of a selection pattern representing an instruction to select a graphical element presented by the user interface portion of the device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining, by the device, that the defined pattern is indicative of a magnify pattern representing of an instruction to change a magnification factor of graphical elements presented by the user interface portion of the device at an area encompassing the coordinate.