Tracking approaching or hovering objects for user-interfaces

• US 10,394,389 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• 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 T
• Application Number:
  US16/147,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20190042057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 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;

based on a first intensity measurement of first electromagnetic radiation from a remote source and based on the first electromagnetic radiation being determined to comprise a wavelength greater than 300 nanometers, determining shadow data representative of a first position on the device of a shadow cast by a remote object;

based on a second intensity measurement of second electromagnetic radiation from the remote object and based on the second electromagnetic radiation being determined not to comprise a wavelength greater than 300 nanometers, determining infrared data representative of a second position on the device exhibiting an increased infrared intensity relative to other positions on the device; and

based on the shadow data and the infrared data, determining location data representative of a location of the remote object relative to the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shadow data and the infrared data, determining shape data representative of a shape of the remote object.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shape data, determining that the remote object is an incidental object that is not enabled for interaction with the device.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shape data, determining that the remote object is a selector object that is enabled for interaction with the device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shadow data and the infrared data and in response to the determining the remote object is the selector object, mapping the location of the remote object to a coordinate of a display device of the device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise, updating the coordinate of the display device in response to a change in the location of the remote object relative to the device.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise, presenting a cursor element on the display device at the coordinate.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the cursor element highlights a user interface element that is presented at the coordinate.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the cursor element increases a size of a user interface element that is presented at the coordinate.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise, based on a change in the location of the remote object relative to the device, determining gesture data representative of a defined input to the device.

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

in response to obtaining first intensity measurements of first electromagnetic radiation that was emitted by a remote source, determining shadow data representative of a first position, on a device comprising the processor, of a shadow cast by a remote object;

in response to obtaining second intensity measurements, of second electromagnetic radiation that was emitted by the remote object, indicating the second electromagnetic radiation comprises a wavelength less than about 300 nanometers, determining infrared data representative of a second position on the device that exhibits an increased infrared intensity relative to other positions on the device;

based on the shadow data and the infrared data, determining location data representative of a location of the remote object relative to the device; and

mapping the location of the remote object to a coordinate of a display device of the device.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shadow data and the infrared data, determining shape data representative of a shape of the remote object.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shape data, determining that the remote object is an incidental object not to be used to interact with the device.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the shape data, determining that the remote object is a selector object to be used to interact with the device.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the mapping the location of the remote object is in response to the determining that the remote object is the selector object.

16. A method, comprising:

based on first intensity measurements of first electromagnetic radiation associated with a remote source and based on a first result of processing the first intensity measurements indicating that the first electromagnetic radiation comprises a first wavelength greater than about 300 nanometers, determining, by a system comprising a processor, shadow data representative of a first position on a display device of a shadow cast by a remote object;

based on second intensity measurements of second electromagnetic radiation associated with the remote object and based on a second result of processing the second intensity measurements indicating that the second electromagnetic radiation comprises a second wavelength less than about 300 nanometers, determining, by the system, infrared data representative of a second position on the display device having an increased infrared intensity relative to other positions on the display device; and

based on the shadow data and the infrared data, determining, by the system, location data representative of a location of the remote object relative to the display device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, based on the shadow data and the infrared data, determining, by the system, shape data representative of a shape of the remote object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, based on the shape data, determining, by the system, that the remote object is not to be used to interact with the display device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, based on the shape data, determining, by the system, that the remote object is able to be used to interact with the display device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, in response to the determining that the remote object is able to be used to interact with the device, mapping, by the system, the location of the remote object to a coordinate of the display device.