Rendering Display Content On A Floor Surface Of A Surface Computer

• US 20090091529A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Do, Lydia M., Nesbitt, Pamela A.
• Application Number:
  US11/869,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20090091529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for rendering display content on a floor surface of a surface computer, the floor surface comprised in the surface computer, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the floor surface and rendering display output on the floor surface, that include: detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface; identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics for the user in dependence upon the detected contact; selecting, by the surface computer, display content in dependence upon the user characteristics; and rendering, by the surface computer, the selected display content on the floor surface.

Claims

1. A method of rendering display content on a floor surface of a surface computer, the floor surface comprised in the surface computer, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the floor surface and rendering display output on the floor surface, the method comprising:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface;

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics for the user in dependence upon the detected contact;

selecting, by the surface computer, display content in dependence upon the user characteristics; and

rendering, by the surface computer, the selected display content on the floor surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises capturing, from beneath the floor surface, an image of the contact between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the image of the contact between the user and the floor surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises detecting a series of contacts between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the series of contacts between the user and the floor surface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises detecting contact pressure of the contact between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the contact pressure of the contact between the user and the floor surface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering, by the surface computer, the display content on the floor surface further comprises:

determining a time period for rendering the display content on the floor surface; and

rendering the display content on the floor surface for the determined time period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the floor surface serves as the floor of an elevator.

7. A surface computer for rendering display content on a floor surface of a surface computer, the floor surface comprised in the surface computer, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the floor surface and rendering display output on the floor surface, the surface computer comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface;

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics for the user in dependence upon the detected contact;

selecting, by the surface computer, display content in dependence upon the user characteristics; and

rendering, by the surface computer, the selected display content on the floor surface.

8. The surface computer of claim 7 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises capturing, from beneath the floor surface, an image of the contact between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the image of the contact between the user and the floor surface.

9. The surface computer of claim 7 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises detecting a series of contacts between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the series of contacts between the user and the floor surface.

10. The surface computer of claim 7 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises detecting contact pressure of the contact between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the contact pressure of the contact between the user and the floor surface.

11. The surface computer of claim 7 wherein rendering, by the surface computer, the display content on the floor surface further comprises:

determining a time period for rendering the display content on the floor surface; and

rendering the display content on the floor surface for the determined time period.

12. The surface computer of claim 7 wherein the floor surface serves as the floor of an elevator.

13. A computer program product for rendering display content on a floor surface of a surface computer, the floor surface comprised in the surface computer, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the floor surface and rendering display output on the floor surface, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface;

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics for the user in dependence upon the detected contact;

selecting, by the surface computer, display content in dependence upon the user characteristics; and

rendering, by the surface computer, the selected display content on the floor surface.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises capturing, from beneath the floor surface, an image of the contact between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the image of the contact between the user and the floor surface.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises detecting a series of contacts between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the series of contacts between the user and the floor surface.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

detecting, by the surface computer, contact between a user and the floor surface further comprises detecting contact pressure of the contact between the user and the floor surface; and

identifying, by the surface computer, user characteristics in dependence upon the detected contact further comprises selecting the user characteristics in dependence upon the contact pressure of the contact between the user and the floor surface.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein rendering, by the surface computer, the display content on the floor surface further comprises:

determining a time period for rendering the display content on the floor surface; and

rendering the display content on the floor surface for the determined time period.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the floor surface serves as the floor of an elevator.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.