Method and wearable device for providing a virtual input interface

• US 10,168,792 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yun, In-kuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US15/782,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20180032146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886

Abstract

Provided is a wearable device including: an image sensor configured to sense a gesture image of a user setting a user input region; and a display configured to provide a virtual input interface corresponding to the set user input region.

Claims

1. A glass type wearable device comprising:

an image sensor;

a display; and

a controller configured to;

control the image sensor to capture one or more images to sense a gesture of a user drawing a line on a physical object by using an input tool;

determine a user input region based on the line drawn by using the input tool;

identify a type of the physical object via an image process; and

control the display to provide a virtual input interface based on the user input region and the type of the physical object.

2. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the gesture sensed from the one or more images corresponds to a figure formed by the line, and

the virtual input interface is displayed to correspond to the figure.

3. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual input interface is displayed to correspond to a size of the user input region.

4. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of an application being executed by the glass type wearable device.

5. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a transparent display configured to provide the virtual input interface on a region of the transparent display corresponding to the user input region as observed through the transparent display.

6. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture a first image of the user input region, and

the display is configured to display a second image of the virtual input interface over the user input region of the first image.

7. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

compare a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region with a threshold value, and

control the display, based on the distance being less than the threshold value, to provide a first type virtual input interface on the display in the determined user input region, and

control the display, based on the distance being greater than or equal to the threshold value, to provide a second type virtual input interface on the display in the determined user input region.

8. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a type of the input tool, and control the display to provide the virtual input interface based on the user input region, the type of the physical object and the type of the input tool.

9. A glass type wearable device comprising:

an image sensor;

a display;

a controller configured to;

control the image sensor to capture one or more images to sense a gesture of a user drawing a line on a physical object by using an input tool;

determine a user input region based on the line drawn by using the input tool;

identify a type of the physical object via an image process; and

control the display to provide a virtual input interface corresponding to the user input region and the type of the physical object; and

a depth sensor configured to sense a first depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region, and a second depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the input tool,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether an input is generated through the virtual input interface based on the first depth value and the second depth value.

10. The glass type wearable device of claim 9, wherein a displayed size of the virtual input interface is determined based on the first depth value.

11. The glass type wearable device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine that an input is generated through the virtual input interface when a difference between the first and second depth values is less than a threshold value.

12. The glass type wearable device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine that an input is generated through the virtual input interface when the second depth value is greater than the first depth value.

13. A method of providing, by a glass type wearable device, a virtual input interface, the method comprising:

capturing one or more images to sense a gesture of a user drawing a line on a physical object by using an input tool;

determining a user input region based on the line drawn by using the input tool;

identifying a type of the physical object via an image process; and

providing the virtual input interface based on the user input region and the type of the physical object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining of the user input region comprises:

identifying a figure formed by the line; and

determining a region corresponding to the figure as the user input region.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a size of the user input region.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of an application being executed by the glass type wearable device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the providing of the virtual input interface comprises:

capturing a first image of the user input region by using an image sensor;

generating a second image of the virtual input interface; and

displaying the second image over the user input region of the first image.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining a first depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region, and a second depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the input tool; and

determining whether an input is generated through the virtual input interface based on the first depth value and the second depth value.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a displayed size of the virtual input interface is determined based on a size of the first depth value.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining of whether the input is generated comprises determining that a difference between the first and second depth values is less than a threshold value.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining of whether the input is generated comprises determining that the second depth value is greater than the first depth value.