USER INTERFACE WITH THREE DIMENSIONAL USER INPUT

• US 20120057806A1
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Backlund, Erik Johan Vendel, Bengtsson, Henrik, Heringslack, Henrik, Sassi, Jari, Thörn, Ola Karl, Aberg, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/286
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A device and method for image manipulation is provided. The image manipulation may be performed as a function of a three dimensional user input and image or application specific data regarding the displayed image to be manipulated. The three dimensional input may be in the form of a two dimensional position on a touch screen and a measured force in the third dimension. The image or application specific data may be in the form of a maximum depth value indicating the maximum depth of the displayed image. The system may be configured to adjust the image based on a percentage of the measured user input force and a threshold force. The image may be adjusted based on the percentage and the maximum depth.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user interface comprising:

receiving a user input through a touch screen interface;

evaluating a depth reconfiguration value based on the user input and image depth information of a displayed image; and

altering the displayed image based on the depth reconfiguration value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image depth information defines a maximum depth of the image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the image depth information is embedded in metadata.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the image depth information through image analysis.

5. The method of claim 5 wherein the user input is three dimensional and defines a two dimensional location and an applied force in a third dimension.

6. The method of claim 5 evaluating the depth configuration further comprises:

comparing the applied force to a threshold force value;

determining a difference percentage of the applied force and the threshold force value; and

providing the depth reconfiguration value based on the difference percentage.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the threshold value is programmably adjustable.

8. An image adjusting system comprising a receiving port configured to receive a user input through a touch screen interface characterized in that the system further comprises:

an analyzer configured to provide a depth configuration value based on the user input and image depth information of a displayed image; and

a processor configured to alter the displayed image based on the depth reconfiguration value.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the image depth information defines a maximum depth of the image.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the image depth information is embedded in metadata.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the analyzer is further configured to determine the image depth information through image analysis.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the user input is three dimensional and defines a two dimensional location and an applied force in a third dimension.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the analyzer further comprises:

a comparator configured to compare the applied force to a threshold force value; and

the analyzer further configured to determine a difference percentage of the applied force and the threshold value, wherein the analyzer is further configured to provide the depth reconfiguration value based on the difference percentage.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the threshold value is programmably adjustable.

15. A multimedia device for displaying images, characterized that said multimedia device comprising a touch screen configured to receive a three dimensional user input, wherein at least one dimension is a measure of force, and a processor configured to alter a displayed image as a function of a percentage of the applied force.