Dynamic projected user interface

• US 20080180654A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Wilson, Andrew D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A dynamic projected user interface device is disclosed, that includes a projector, a projection controller, and an imaging sensor. The projection controller is configured to receive instructions from a computing device, and to provide display images via the projector onto display surfaces. The display images are indicative of a first set of input controls when the computing device is in a first operating context, and a second set of input controls when the computing device is in a second operating context. The imaging sensor is configured to optically detect physical contacts with the one or more display surfaces.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a projector;

a projection controller, configured to receive instructions from a computing device and to provide one or more display images via the projector onto one or more display surfaces, wherein the display images are indicative of a first set of input controls when the computing device is in a first operating context, and a second set of input controls when the computing device is in a second operating context; and

an imaging sensor, configured to optically detect physical contacts with the one or more display surfaces.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a keypad that comprises one or more keys that comprise one or more of the display surfaces, wherein the projector is configured to provide one or more of the display images onto one or more of the keys.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the keypad comprises at least one of a keyboard, a numeric keypad, a game controller, and a musical keyboard.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the projector is configured to provide one or more of the display images onto an ambient surface adjacent to the device.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a waveguide disposed between the projector and the one or more display surfaces.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the waveguide comprises an expansion portion with boundaries that diverge along a projection path away from the projector, and an image portion with boundaries that converge along the projection path away from the projector, with the projector positioned in interface with the expansion portion, and the image portion positioned in interface with the display surface, such that rays emitted by the projector are internally reflected throughout the expansion portion, and are transmitted from the image portion to the display surface.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the imaging sensor is disposed in connection with the waveguide and configured to detect physical contacts with the one or more display surfaces by imaging the physical contacts through the waveguide.

8. The device of claim 5, further comprising one or more additional projectors and waveguides, such that each of the waveguides is disposed between one of the projectors and a portion of the one or more display surfaces.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the projector is disposed to project the one or more display images onto the one or more display surfaces from above.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the projector is configured to emit non-visible light, and the one or more display surfaces comprise a composition adapted to re-emit visible light responsively to absorption of the non-visible light.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the projector is configured to emit non-visible light, and wherein the imaging sensor is configured to image reflections of the non-visible light through the one or more display surfaces.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the projector comprises a spatial light modulator, and one or more laser emitters configured to project the display images in a rasterized scanning beam format.

13. The device of claim 1, further configured to detect a plurality of different modes of physical contact with the one or more display surfaces, such that a plurality of different inputs are enabled for a single one of the display surfaces, as a function of the characteristics of the physical contact with that display surface.

14. A device comprising:

a keypad, comprising one or more actuable keys;

an imaging sensor configured for entering input to a computing system; and

a substantially flat, tapered waveguide disposed between the keypad and the imaging sensor, configured to enable the imaging sensor to detect physical displacement of the keys.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the keys include at least a partially transparent portion, such that the imaging sensor is further configured to detect physical contact with the keys, and to convey to the computing system a plurality of characteristics of the physical contact with the keys, thereby enabling each of the keys to enable a plurality of inputs.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising a projector disposed adjacent to the imaging sensor and operatively connected to an output interface of the computing system, the projector being configured for dynamically generating images as a function of output from the computing system, and projecting the dynamically generating images through the waveguide and onto the keys.

17. A medium comprising instructions executable by a computing system, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:

project one or more user interface display images onto one or more display surfaces, wherein the user interface display images are selectable from a plurality of user interface display images dependent on a context of the computing system;

detect physical contacts with the one or more display surfaces while the one or more user interface display images are projected thereon; and

interpret the physical contacts with the user interface display images as user inputs associated with the context of the computing system.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface display image is alternately configured, based on the context of the computing system, for a cursor control function, a media player function, or a game controller function.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the display surface comprises one or more keys, and the user interface display image is configured for application-dependent function keys.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the display surface comprises one or more keys, and the user interface display images comprise orthographic characters derived from the context of the computing system.