Altering a display on a viewing device based upon a user proximity to the viewing device

• US 20030210258A1
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Lyndsay
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture altering a displayed image presented to a user on a viewing device using the proximity of the user to the viewing device to determine how the displayed image is to be presented. The viewing device includes a plurality of proximity sensors that are used to determine the location of a user to the viewing device. As the user moves his or her position relative to the viewing device, the proximity sensors detect the change in the user position. These changes in detected position are used to alter the image being displayed upon the viewing device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of altering an image displayed to a user upon a viewing device having a plurality of proximity sensors based upon a measured proximity of the user to the viewing device, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of proximity time values for each of the plurality of proximity sensors;

generating a zoom command based upon an average of the plurality of proximity time values;

generating a scroll command based upon difference between the plurality of proximity time values; and

altering the image displayed to the user based upon the zoom command and the scroll command.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an input signal from the user; and

continuously obtaining proximity time values and altering the image displayed to the user when the input signal is received from the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is an infrared sensor.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the input signal is generated by the user depressing a button upon the viewing device.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the proximity sensors comprise a pair of sensors located on a left and a right side of a display device.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the proximity sensors comprise at least two pairs of sensors with a least one sensor being located about each side of the display device.

8. A computer program data product readable by a computing system and encoding instructions implementing a method altering an image displayed to a user upon a viewing device having a plurality of proximity sensors, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of proximity time values for each of the plurality of proximity sensors;

generating a zoom command based upon an average of the plurality of proximity time values;

generating a scroll command based upon difference between the plurality of proximity time values; and

altering the image displayed to the user based upon the zoom command and the scroll command.

9. The computer program data product according to claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an input signal from the user; and

continuously obtaining proximity time values and altering the image displayed to the user when the input signal is received from the user.

10. The computer program data product according to claim 8, wherein the proximity sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

11. The computer program data product according to claim 8, wherein the proximity sensor is an infrared sensor.

12. The computer program data product according to claim 9, wherein the input signal is generated by the user depressing a button upon the viewing device.

13. The computer program data product according to claim 9, wherein the proximity sensors comprise a pair of sensors located on a left and a right side of a display device.

14. The computer program data product according to claim 9, wherein the proximity sensors comprise at least two pairs of sensors with a least one sensor being located about each side of the display device.

15. A computing system for altering an image displayed to a user upon a viewing device based upon a measured proximity of the user to the viewing device, the computing system comprising:

an image display module for presenting an image to the user;

a plurality of proximity sensors, the proximity sensors being located upon opposite sides of the viewing device; and

an image display processing system, the image display processing system comprises;

a zoom command module for determining an amount of zoom to be applied to a displayed image based upon the measured proximity of the user to the viewing device;

a scroll command module for determining an amount of scroll to be applied to a displayed image based upon the measured proximity of the user to the viewing device; and

an image translation command processing module for applying the amount of zoom and the amount of scroll to the displayed image presented to the user on the viewing device.

16. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein the proximity sensor is an infrared sensor.

17. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein the proximity sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

18. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein the zoom command module determines the amount of zoom using an average measured time value for all of the plurality of proximity sensors.

19. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein the scroll command module determines the amount of scroll using difference in the measured time value for all pairs of the plurality of proximity sensors.

20. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein the viewing device comprises a hand held computing system.