COMPUTER USER INTERFACE SYSTEM AND METHODS

• US 20100083188A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Falkenburg, David Robbins, Pance, Aleksandar, Medeiros, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and methods may provide user control of a computer system via one or more sensors. Also, systems and methods may provide automated response of a computer system to information acquired via one or more sensors. The sensor(s) may be configured to measure distance, depth proximity and/or presence. In particular, the sensor(s) may be configured to measure a relative location, distance, presence, movements and/or gestures of one or more users of the computer system. Thus, the systems and methods may provide a computer user interface based on measurements of distance, depth, proximity, presence and/or movements by one or more sensors. For example, various contexts and/or operations of the computer system, at the operating system level and/or the application level, may be controlled, automatically and/or at a user'"'"'s direction, based on information acquired by the sensor(s).

Claims

1. A computer user interface system, comprising:

a computer including a processor; and

at least one sensor coupled to the processor and configured to detect a user parameter relative to the computer,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a user context based on the detected user parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect at least one of depth, distance, proximity and presence of a user relative to the computer as the user parameter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control an operating system of the computer based on the determined user context.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control an active application of the computer based on the determined user context.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a user presence context based on the detected user parameter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein when the determined user presence context is absence of a user from a vicinity of the computer, the processor places the computer in a non-use mode.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein when the determined user presence context is presence of a user in a vicinity of the computer, the processor places the computer in a use mode.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein when the determined user presence context is presence of a user and another user in a vicinity of the computer, the processor places the computer in a public mode.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a user proximity context based on the detected user parameter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to alter a content of information displayed by the computer based on the determined user proximity context.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to alter an appearance of information displayed by the computer based on the determined user proximity context.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to alter a size of the information displayed by the computer based on the determined user proximity context.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to alter a relative size of the information displayed by the computer based on a relative value of the determined user proximity context.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a user gesture context based on the detected user parameter.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to perform at least one operation based on the determined user gesture context.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to perform scrolling based on the determined user gesture context.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to perform selecting based on the determined user gesture context.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to perform zooming based on the determined user gesture context.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to apply the at least one operation to an active application.