Orientation free user interface

• US 20070157095A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Richter de Medeiros, Gretchen, Bilow, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Generation and display of a dynamically orientable graphical user interface (GUI) is described. The GUI can include user input controls that are configured to receive user input. In one exemplary embodiment, the GUI is displayed as a band around a perimeter of a horizontally oriented interactive display surface. The user input controls can be made to reorient in response to an application that provides control, or a user can selectively cause the GUI to move relative to the interactive display surface to enable the user to gain access to a specific that was previously disposed at a different point. The user input can be received directly from the orientable GUI in the form of finger movement detected by the interactive display surface and the reorientation of the GUI can be controlled according to the laws of physics, based on the user input.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for controlling a user interface of an interactive display with dynamically orientable user input controls, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a portion of a primary graphical user interface (GUI) to be readily orientable; and

(b) generating an orientable GUI within the portion selected, the orientable GUI including at least one user input control that can be dynamically reoriented within the portion selected, based on a user input to the orientable GUI.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying when the user input is received at the dynamically orientable GUI, and in response, identifying a present position of the at least one user input control relative to a predetermined position within the portion selected;

(b) determining if the user input indicates a user invocation to rotate the at least one user input control relative to the present position; and

if so,

(c) dynamically rendering the orientable GUI to implement a reorientation of the at least one user control within the portion selected relative to the predetermined position.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of identifying when the user input is received at the orientable GUI further comprises the step of detecting an object at least proximate to the portion selected.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining input parameters including at least one of a speed and a direction, the determination based on the user input received at the orientable GUI; and

(b) applying the determined input parameters in accord with laws of physics, to dynamically control at least one of a speed and a direction of a change in orientation of the at least one user control as the orientable GUI is dynamically rendered.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of determining a braking parameter proportional to the speed that was determined, the braking parameter defining a rate of decay in a speed of the change in orientation of the at least one user control when the orientable GUI is being dynamically rendered.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of determining if the user input indicates an invocation of the at least one user control, and if so, implementing a predetermined function associated with the at least one user control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion selected at least partially extends around the primary GUI.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one user control is movable along a path extending within the portion selected.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the portion selected is contiguous around a periphery of the primary GUI.

10. A computer readable media having computer executable instructions stored thereon for carrying out a plurality of functions, including:

(a) selectively invoking an orientable graphical interface (GUI) as a secondary display field within a primary display field of an interactive display;

(b) in response to the invocation, generating the orientable GUI, the orientable GUI including a plurality of user input fields and being configured to enable dynamic reorientation of at least a portion of the orientable GUI in response to a user input to the orientable GUI;

(c) identifying when a user input is received at the orientable GUI, and in response, analyzing the user input; and

(d) in response to the user input, dynamically rendering the orientable GUI in an orientation that is based on at least one of;

(i) a predetermined parameter; and

(ii) the user input that was analyzed.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the functions further include identifying a present disposition of the orientable GUI relative to a predetermined position around a periphery of the primary display field.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the functions further include:

(a) determining if the user input indicates a user invocation to displace the orientable GUI relative to the present disposition, and if so, determining a positional displacement for reorienting the orientable GUI, relative to the present disposition and based on the user input; and

(b) applying the determined positional displacement to reorient the orientable GUI during the step of dynamically rendering the orientable GUI.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the functions further include determining input parameters including at least one of a speed and a direction, the determination being based on the user input received at the orientable GUI, the input parameters determined being applied to dynamically control at least one of a positional displacement speed and a positional displacement direction of the orientable GUI in accord with laws of physics, during the step of dynamically rendering the orientable GUI.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the functions further include determining a braking parameter, the braking parameter defining a rate of decay of a speed of the positional displacement of the orientable GUI, as the orientable GUI is being dynamically rendered.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the functions further include detecting an object proximate to at least one of the plurality of user input fields within the orientable GUI when the orientable GUI is displayed on the interactive display surface.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the functions further include determining if the user input indicates an invocation of the at least one user input field, and if so, implementing a predetermined function associated with the at least one user input field.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the predetermined function includes at least one of:

(a) invoking a process that is independent of a process employed for controlling the orientable GUI;

(b) providing a user control to a process that is independent of the process that is employed for controlling the orientable GUI;

(c) providing a user control to the process that is controlling the orientable GUI; and

(d) terminating a process.

18. An interactive display system for controlling a dynamically orientable user interface, comprising:

(a) an interactive display surface on which graphic images are displayable;

(b) an optical system for projecting the graphic images onto the interactive display surface and for detecting user input to the interactive display surface;

(c) a computing system in communication with the optical system, the computing system including a processor, and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing machine instructions that cause the processor to carry out a plurality of interactive display functions, including;

(i) generating and displaying an orientable GUI on a selected portion of the interactive display surface, the orientable GUI including at least one user input control and being independent of other graphic images displayed on the interactive display surface, and further, being enabled to be dynamically reoriented within the selected portion in response to a user input to the orientable GUI.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the memory stores machine instructions that cause the processor to carry out a plurality of interactive display functions, including:

(a) detecting a user input is to the portion of the interactive display surface that is displaying the orientable GUI, and in response, analyzing the user input; and

(b) dynamically rendering the orientable GUI for display in a different orientation, based on the user input that was analyzed.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the memory stores machine instructions that cause the processor to carry out a plurality of interactive display functions, including:

(a) determining user input parameters including at least one of a speed and a direction, the determination being based on the user input that was detected; and

(b) applying the input parameters that were determined to dynamically control the rendering and display of the orientable GUI in accord with laws of physics, as the orientable GUI is reoriented.