Output Control Using Gesture Input

• US 20120256866A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Kun, Wang, Hao Ui
• Granted Patent: US 9,990,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing computer program instructions, the at least one processor being configured to execute the computer program instructions to cause the apparatus at least to perform: detecting user input; selecting, in dependence upon the detected user input, at least a portion of an output of a user output device; determining, while the at least a portion of the output of the user output device is selected, whether a user makes a gesture input by moving the apparatus; and altering, in response to determining that the gesture input has been made by the user, the selected at least a portion of the output of the user output device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program instructions configured, working with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

detecting user input;

selecting, in dependence upon the detected user input, at least a portion of an output of a user output device;

determining, while the at least a portion of the output of the user output device is selected, whether a user makes a gesture input by moving the apparatus; and

altering, in response to determining that the gesture input has been made by the user, the selected at least a portion of the output of the user output device.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining whether a user makes a gesture input comprises detecting an input from at least one accelerometer co-located with the at least one processor and the at least one memory.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein alteration of the selected at least a portion of the output of the user output device depends upon the magnitude of the input from the at least one accelerometer.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the gesture input comprises movement of the apparatus in a first direction and a second direction, different to the first direction.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein determining whether a user makes a gesture input comprises determining whether the apparatus is in reciprocating motion.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gesture input comprises the moving the apparatus in the first direction, from a first position to a second position, and then the moving the apparatus in the second direction, from the second position to approximately the first position.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining whether a gesture input is made by the user comprises detecting whether acceleration of the apparatus exceeds a threshold acceleration value.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected at least a portion of the user output device is altered by performing a first processing algorithm in response to determining that a first gesture input has been made by the user, or altered by performing a second processing algorithm in response to determining that a second gesture input has been made by the user.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user output device is a loudspeaker.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user output device is a display, selecting at least a portion of the output of the display comprises selecting content displayed on the display, and altering the selected at least a portion of the output of the display comprises altering the selected displayed content.

12. An apparatus as claimed claim 11, wherein altering the selected displayed content comprises applying a visual effect to the displayed content.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a first visual effect is applied in response to determining that a first gesture input is made by the user, or a second visual effect is applied in response to determining that a second gesture input is made by the user.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the display is a touch sensitive display, and the user input is detected at the touch sensitive display.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a portable electronic apparatus that comprises the display.

16. A method, comprising:

detecting user input;

selecting, in dependence upon the detected user input, at least a portion of an output of a user output device;

determining, while the at least a portion of the output of the user output device is selected, whether a user makes a gesture input by moving the apparatus; and

altering, in response to determining that the gesture input has been made by the user, the selected at least a portion of the output of the user output device.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein determining whether a user makes a gesture input comprises detecting an input from at least one accelerometer co-located with the at least one processor and the at least one memory.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the gesture input comprises movement of the apparatus in a first direction and a second direction, different to the first direction.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein determining whether a user makes a gesture input comprises determining whether the apparatus is in reciprocating motion.

20-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising computer program instructions configured, when working with at least one processor, to cause an apparatus at least to perform:

detecting user input;

selecting, in dependence upon the detected user input, at least a portion of an output of a user output device;

determining, while the at least a portion of the output of the user output device is selected, whether a user makes a gesture input by moving the apparatus; and

altering, in response to determining that the gesture input has been made by the user, the selected at least a portion of the output of the user output device.

25-38. -38. (canceled)