Multi-telepointer, virtual object display device, and virtual object control method

• US 20100238137A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hyun-jeong, Kim, Chang-yeong, Chang, Wook, Park, Joon-ah, Han, Seung-ju
• Application Number:
  US12/659,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238137A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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 3/0325 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen

Abstract

A virtual object control method is provided. The virtual object control method includes selecting a gesture to control a virtual object on the basis of motion information of a virtual object control unit. The gesture is related to a user'"'"'s action to operate the virtual object control unit, and appropriately selected so that a user can intuitively and remotely control the virtual object. Selection criteria may be varied depending on the motion information including at least one of a pointing position, the number of pointed to points, a moving type for the virtual object control unit, and a moving position for the virtual object control unit acquired based on the position information.

Claims

1. A virtual object display device comprising:

a position detector to detect position information of a virtual object control unit to remotely interact with a virtual object; and

a gesture determination part to detect motion information including at least one of a pointing position of the virtual object control unit, a number of pointed points of the virtual object control unit, a moving type of the virtual object control unit, and a moving position of the virtual object control unit using the detected position information, and to select a gesture for controlling the virtual object based on the detected motion information.

2. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, further comprising an event executor to link the selected gesture to the virtual object and to execute an event corresponding to the selected gesture with respect to the virtual object.

3. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual object control unit is at least one of a pointing device, to emit a predetermined optical signal, or a portion of a user'"'"'s body.

4. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture for controlling the virtual object is at least one of a selection gesture to select the virtual object, a moving gesture to change a display position of the virtual object, an expansion/contraction gesture to change a size of the virtual object, and a rotation gesture to rotate the virtual object.

5. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to select the virtual object when the pointing position substantially coincides with a display position of the virtual object.

6. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to move the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a straight line, and the moving position is a position inside of the virtual object.

7. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to expand/contract the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a straight line, and the moving position is a position outside of the virtual object.

8. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to rotate the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position inside of the virtual object.

9. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to rotate an environment of the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position outside of the virtual object.

10. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to move the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one.

11. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to expand/contract the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is plural, and the moving type is a straight line.

12. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to rotate the virtual object about any one pointing position when the number of pointed to points is plural, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position inside of the virtual object.

13. The virtual object display device according to claim 1, wherein the gesture determination part selects a gesture to rotate an environment of the virtual object about any one pointing position when the number of pointed to points is plural, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position outside of the virtual object.

14. A virtual object display device comprising:

a gesture recognizer to analyze detected information received from a virtual object control unit, extract position information pointed to by the virtual object control unit and touch and motion information of the virtual object control unit, and recognize a gesture of the virtual object control unit according to the extracted position information, touch information, and motion information;

a pointing linker to link a pointing position pointed to by the virtual object control unit to a subject displayed on a screen according to the recognized gesture; and

an event executor to perform an event with respect to the linked subject.

15. The virtual object display device according to claim 14, wherein the gesture recognizer recognizes the gesture as a movement, rotation, or expansion/contraction operation according to a number of pointed to points, a moving type for moving the virtual object control unit, and a moving position of the virtual object control unit with respect to the subject.

16. A multi-telepointer comprising:

a light projector to project an optical signal;

an input detector to detect touch and moving information of the multi-telepointer; and

an input controller to control the light projector and output detected information including position information of the multi-telepointer and the touch and moving information through the optical signal.

17. The multi-telepointer according to claim 16, wherein the multi-telepointer is divided into at least two parts, each part having a light projection end and a non-light projection end, such that when combined the at least two parts are connected at the non-projection ends.

18. A virtual object control method comprising:

detecting position information of a virtual object control unit remotely interacting with a virtual object; and

detecting motion information including at least one of a pointing position of the virtual object control unit, a number of pointed to points of the virtual object control unit, a moving type of the virtual object control unit, and a moving position of the virtual object control unit using the detected position information, and selecting a gesture to control the virtual object based on the detected motion information.

19. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, further comprising linking the selected gesture to the virtual object, and performing an event corresponding to the selected gesture with respect to the virtual object.

20. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the detecting of the position information comprises calculating three-dimensional position coordinates of the virtual object control unit using an optical signal output from the virtual object control unit or a measured distance from a virtual object display device to the virtual object control unit.

21. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the gesture to control the virtual object is at least one of a selection gesture to select the virtual object, a moving gesture to change a display position of the virtual object, an expansion/contraction gesture to change a size of the virtual object, and a rotation gesture to rotate the virtual object.

22. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to select the virtual object when the pointing position substantially coincides with a display position of the virtual object.

23. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to move the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a straight line, and the moving position is a position inside of the virtual object.

24. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to expand/contract the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a straight line, and the moving position is a position outside of the virtual object.

25. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to rotate the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position inside of the virtual object.

26. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to rotate an environment of the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position outside of the virtual object.

27. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to move the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is one.

28. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to expand/contract the virtual object when the number of pointed to points is plural and the moving type is a straight line.

29. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to rotate the virtual object about any one pointing position when the number of pointed to points is plural, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position inside of the virtual object.

30. The virtual object control method according to claim 18, wherein the selecting of the gesture comprises selecting a gesture to rotate an environment of the virtual object about any one pointing position when the number of pointed to points is plural, the moving type is a curved line, and the moving position is a position outside of the virtual object.