PROXIMITY INTERFACE APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20100107099A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Frazier, Kristopher T., Higa, George M., Roberts, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In certain exemplary embodiments, data representative of a proximity heuristic specifying a plurality of levels of an object detection zone associated with a display screen is maintained, an object is detected within the object detection zone, one of the levels is selected based on at least one attribute of the object, and an action associated with the selected level is performed. In certain examples, the action includes modifying a graphical user interface view displayed on the display screen.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining data representative of a proximity heuristic specifying a plurality of levels of an object detection zone associated with a display screen;

detecting an object within said object detection zone;

selecting one of said levels based on at least one attribute of said object; and

performing an action associated with said one of said levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one attribute comprises a distance between said object and said display screen, and said plurality of levels comprises a plurality of distance intervals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one attribute comprises a speed of said object, and said plurality of levels comprises a plurality of speed intervals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said object detection zone comprises a volume space located adjacent to said display screen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphic on said display screen, wherein said object detection zone comprises a space associated with a location of said graphic on said display screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of levels comprises at least one of a plurality of distance levels, a plurality of speed levels, a plurality of trajectory levels, a plurality of acceleration levels, and a plurality of position levels.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical user interface view on said display screen, wherein said performing said action includes modifying said graphical user interface view.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said modifying includes changing at least one of a resolution, a detail level, a size, an orientation, a brightness, and content of a graphic included in said graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one computer-readable medium.

10. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface view on a display screen;

detecting an object within an object detection zone adjacent to said display screen;

selecting one of a plurality of levels associated with said object detection zone based on at least one attribute of said object and in accordance with a proximity heuristic; and

modifying said graphical user interface view based on said one of said levels.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a change to said at least one attribute of said object;

selecting another of said levels associated with said object detection zone based on said change; and

further modifying said graphical user interface view based on said another of said levels.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one attribute comprises a distance between said object and said display screen, and said change to said at least one attribute comprises a change in said distance between said object and said display screen.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one attribute comprises a speed of said object, and said change to said at least one attribute comprises a change in said speed of said object.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said modifying said graphical user interface view comprises zooming in on said graphical user interface, and wherein said further modifying said graphical user interface view includes zooming further in on said graphical user interface view.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said modifying said graphical user interface view comprises changing at least one of a resolution, a detail level, a size, an orientation, a brightness, and content of a graphic included in said graphical user interface view.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said further modifying said graphical user interface view comprises further changing at least one of a resolution, a detail level, a size, an orientation, a brightness, and content of said graphic included in said graphical user interface view.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said modifying comprises rotating a three-dimensional graphic included in said graphical user interface view.

18. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface view on a display screen;

detecting an object within an object detection zone adjacent to said display screen;

determining at least one attribute of said object;

modifying said graphical user interface view based on said at least one attribute of said object;

detecting a change to said at least one attribute of said object; and

further modifying said graphical user interface view based on said change to said at least one attribute.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one attribute comprises at least one of a speed of said object and a distance between said object and a graphic displayed on said display screen.

20. A system comprising:

a storage facility configured to store data representative of a proximity heuristic, said proximity heuristic specifying a plurality of levels of an object detection zone associated with a display screen and one or more associations between said plurality of levels and a plurality of actions; and

a proximity interface facility configured to

detect an object located within said object detection zone,

select one of said levels based on at least one attribute of said object and in accordance with said proximity heuristic, and

initiate performance of one of said actions associated with said one of said levels by said proximity heuristic.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said one of said actions includes modifying a graphical user interface view displayed on said display screen.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said object detection zone comprises a volume space located adjacent to said display screen.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said object detection zone comprises an area space on said display screen.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein said at least one attribute comprises at least one of a speed of said object and a distance between said object and said display screen.