DIGITAL, DATA, AND MULTIMEDIA USER INTERFACE WITH A KEYBOARD

• US 20090109176A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fimed Properties AG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0005 Adaptation of holography to specific applications holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2249 Holobject properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/26 Processes or apparatus specially adapted to produce multiple sub- holograms or to obtain images from them, e.g. multicolour technique
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0061 in haptic applications when the observer interacts with the holobject
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2227/02 Handheld portable device, e.g. holographic camera, mobile holographic display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A system and corresponding method for providing a 3-dimensional (3-D) user interface to display images in a 3-D coordinate system. The 3-D interface generates and displays one type of holographic keyboard in response to a user'"'"'s desired selection. The holographic keyboard provides versatility and ergonomic benefits to the user. Sensors are configured to sense user interaction within the 3-D coordinate system, so that a processor may receive user interaction information from the sensors. The sensors are able to provide information to the processor that enables the processor to correlate user interaction with images in the 3-D coordinate system. The system may be used for interconnecting or communicating between two or more components connected to an interconnection medium (e.g., a bus) within a single computer or digital data processing system.

Claims

1. A system for a 3-dimensional (3-D) user interface, the system comprising:

a 3-dimensional (3-D) projector configured to generate and display one type of holographic keyboard amongst a plurality of holographic keyboards in a 3-D coordinate system in response to a user'"'"'s desired selection;

at least one database configured to store a plurality of holograms, the at least one database in communications with the 3-D projector to generate and display the one type of holographic keyboard;

a plurality of sensors configured to sense user interaction within the holographic keyboard in the 3-D coordinate system;

a processor configured to receive user interaction information from the plurality of sensors in response to the plurality of sensors being activated upon interception of a path of the plurality of sensors; and

a software database in communication with the processor to provide logic for the plurality of sensors to sense the user interaction and retrieve the displayed holographic keyboard.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor configured to receive the user interaction information from the plurality of sensors includes in response to the plurality of sensors being activated upon interception of the path of the plurality of sensors by a Right Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) or by a holographic mouse

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interaction information includes a key of the holographic keyboard.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the 3-D projector is further configured to display the holographic keyboard on a flat, contour, non-flat, or any combination thereof type of surface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the 3-D projector is further configured to suspend the displayed holographic keyboard in air.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are activated upon the interception of the path by a user placing a finger through a key of the holographic keyboard.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the key of the holographic keyboard includes at least one keypad associated with the plurality of holographic keyboards.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of holographic keyboards having a plurality of keys, each key corresponding to a respective letter of the alphabet, a punctuation mark, symbol, or number.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communications port coupled to the processor and configured to provide communications interface with a computer system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are photo voltaic sensors.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are image sensors.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are photo electric light sensors.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are laser sensors.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the 3-D projector is further configured to expand/enlarge a key as a user'"'"'s finger approaches the key.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are further configured to sense the user'"'"'s desired selection of the displayed type of keyboard and in response to the user'"'"'s desired selection, the processor retrieves the desired displayed holographic keyboard from the at least one database.

16. The system of claim 1 further including a sound sensor system configured to receive a user'"'"'s voice to activate a key of the holographic keyboard.

17. A method for providing a 3-dimensional (3-D) interface with a system, the method comprising:

generating and displaying one type of holographic keyboard amongst a plurality of holographic keyboards in a 3-D coordinate system in response to a user'"'"'s desired selection;

storing a plurality of holograms for the generation and display of the one type of holographic keyboard;

sensing user interaction within the holographic keyboard in the 3-D coordinate system;

receiving user interaction information in response to a plurality of sensors being activated upon interception of a path of the plurality of sensors; and

providing logic for the plurality of sensors to sense the user interaction and for retrieving the displayed holographic keyboard.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein using laser sensors to geometrically identify includes using laser sensors to quadrilate a position within the 3-D coordinate system.

19. The method of claim 19 wherein generating and displaying the holographic keyboard on a flat, contour, non-flat, or any combination thereof type of surface.

18. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving the user interaction information from the plurality of sensors includes in response to the plurality of sensors being activated upon interception of the path of the plurality of sensors by a Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER), holographic mouse, user'"'"'s voice, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein generating and displaying the holographic keyboard includes suspending the holographic keyboard in air.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving the user interaction information includes activating the plurality of sensors upon intercepting the path by a user placing a finger through a key of the holographic keyboard.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein sensing includes using laser sensors to geometrically identify a position within the 3-D coordinate system.

25. A computer readable medium having computer readable program codes embodied therein for causing a computer to function as a 3-dimensional (3-D) user interface, the computer readable medium program codes causing the computer to:

generate and display a holographic keyboard in a 3-D coordinate system;

store a plurality of holograms for the generation and display of the one type of holographic keyboard;

sense user interaction within the holographic keyboard in the 3-D coordinate system;

receive user interaction information in response to a plurality of sensors being activated upon interception of a path of the plurality of sensors; and

provide logic for the plurality of sensors to sense the user interaction and to retrieve the displayed holographic keyboard.

23. The method of claim 25 wherein using laser sensors to geometrically identify includes using laser sensors to triangulate a position within the 3-D coordinate system.