SENSING MODULE, AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20120182215A1
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Jae Joon, Yoo, Byung In, Choi, Chang Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,733,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0308 comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/0621 Optical fiber light conductor

Abstract

A sensing module, and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) control apparatus and method are provided. The sensing module may be inserted into an input device, for example a keyboard, a mouse, a remote controller, and the like, and may sense a hovering movement of a hand of a user within a sensing area, and thus it is possible to provide an interface to control a wider variety of GUIs, and possible to prevent a display from being covered.

Claims

1. A sensing module for sensing a hovering movement of a hand of a user within a sensing area located in a side of an input device, the sensing module comprising:

a light emitter to emit light; and

a light sensor to sense reflected light, and to collect movement information regarding the hovering movement of the hand, the reflected light being generated when the emitted light is reflected from the hand.

2. The sensing module of claim 1, further comprising:

a first optical fiber to totally reflect the emitted light so that the emitted light travels outward from the side of the input device, the first optical fiber having a first side connected to the light emitter and a second side exposed outside the input device; and

a second optical fiber to reflect the reflected light to the light sensor, the second optical fiber having a first side connected to the light sensor and a second side exposed outside the input device.

3. The sensing module of claim 2, wherein a plurality of first optical fibers are included, and are exposed outside the input device in a plurality of positions that are set in advance in the side of the input device, and

wherein a plurality of second optical fibers are included, and are exposed outside the input device in the plurality of positions.

4. The sensing module of claim 1, wherein a plurality of light emitters are inserted in a plurality of positions that are set in advance in the side of the input device, and

wherein a plurality of light sensors are inserted in the plurality of positions.

5. The sensing module of claim 1, wherein the light emitter emits the light based on a Diffused Surface Illumination (DSI) scheme, and is inserted in the form of a wedge into the input device, and

wherein a plurality of light sensors are inserted in a plurality of positions that are set in advance in the side of the input device.

6. The sensing module of claim 1, wherein the light emitter emits the light based on a DSI scheme, and is inserted in the form of a wedge into the input device, and

wherein the light sensor is inserted in the form of a wedge into the input device.

7. The sensing module of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, and a remote controller.

8. An apparatus for controlling a Graphical User Interface (GUI), the apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive, from an input device, movement information regarding a hovering movement of a hand of a user within a sensing area located in a side of the input device;

a generator to generate GUI control information based on the movement information; and

a controller to control a GUI based on the GUI control information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the input device comprises:

a light emitter to emit light; and

a light sensor to sense reflected light, and to collect the movement information, the reflected light being generated when the emitted light is reflected from the hand.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the movement information comprises at least one of information regarding a position of the hand, a size of the hand, a rotation of the hand, and a movement speed of the hand.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the receiver further receives, from the input device, input information inputted to the input device by the user, and

wherein the generator generates the GUI control information based on the input information and the movement information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a keyboard and a mouse, and

wherein the input information comprises at least one of information on keys on the keyboard entered by the user, information on buttons on the mouse entered by the user, information on a position of the mouse, and information on a wheel value of the mouse.

13. A method of controlling a Graphical User Interface (GUI), the method comprising:

receiving, from an input device, movement information regarding a hovering movement of a hand of a user within a sensing area located in a side of the input device;

generating GUI control information based on the movement information; and

controlling a GUI based on the GUI control information.

14. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to implement the method of claim 13.

15. A method of controlling a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a GUI control apparatus, the method comprising:

sensing position and/or direction of a user'"'"'s hand;

controlling position and/or rotation of a camera and/or an object based on the sensed position and direction of a single hand; and

switching scenes, moving the object, or scrolling 3D images when user'"'"'s slap left/right/up/down/push/ and/or down is detected.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

displaying the GUI on a screen of the GUI control apparatus when a keyboard and/or a mouse detects approaching of user'"'"'s hand to a predetermined distance from the keyboard and/or the mouse.

17. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

displaying at least one object starting with a letter when detecting approaching to a corresponding letter of a keyboard by the user'"'"'s hand.