TECHNIQUES FOR CONTENT NAVIGATION USING PROXIMITY SENSING

• US 20120274547A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Logitech, Inc. (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech, Inc. (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Raeber, Eric, Chardon, Jean-Michel, Vexo, Frederic, Chauvin, Nicolas
• Application Number:
  US13/284,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20120274547A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/65 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00

Abstract

Techniques for content navigation utilize proximity sensing so that user interaction with a graphical user interface is based at least in part on both contact with a surface and contactless interaction with the surface. A representation of an object detected as being proximate to and/or in contact with a surface appears on a display, which may be separate from the surface. The representation may appear at a location of the display that is determined according to a mapping of surface locations to display locations. The representation is updated based at least in part on movement of the object relative to the surface and one or more distances of the object from the surface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of manipulating a display, comprising:

detecting a set of one or more user appendages proximate to and out of contact with a set of one or more corresponding sensor locations of a sensing region of a remote control device;

determining, based at least in part on a mapping of the sensing region to a display region of a remote display device, a set of one or more display locations of the display region; and

transmitting a signal that causes the display device to display a set of one or more representations of the detected set of one or more user appendages according to the determined set of one or more second locations.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mapping is an absolute mapping.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating at least one measurement that corresponds to a distance of the detected appendage from the sensing region; and

wherein displaying the representation of the detected appendage includes displaying the representation of the detected appendage with one or more color characteristics that are based at least in part on the measurement.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the display displays a graphical user interface and wherein displaying the set of one or more representations includes overlaying the one or more representations on the graphical user interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein:

the graphical user interface includes one or more selectable options that each correspond to a selection region of the sensing region;

the method further comprises detecting a contact event by at least one appendage of the set of one or more appendages, the detected contact event corresponding to a contact location of the sensing region; and

when the contact location corresponds to a selection region of a corresponding selectable option of the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface is updated according to the corresponding selectable option.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the displayed set of one or more representations is changed upon detection of the contact event for which the contact location corresponds to the selection region of the corresponding selectable option.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein changing the displayed set of one or more representations includes removing the set of one or more representations from the display.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the representations resembles a corresponding appendage.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the displayed set of one or more representations includes at least two representations of different forms.

10. A computer-implemented method of manipulating a display, comprising:

calculating measurements that correspond to distances of a user appendage from a sensing region of a remote control device as the user moves the user appendage relative to the sensing region;

determining, based at least in part on a mapping of locations of the sensing region to locations of a display device, a location on the display device that corresponds to a location of the appendage relative to the sensing region; and

taking one or more actions that cause a display device to display a representation of the appendage according to the determined location on the display device such that the representation has one or more color characteristics that vary based at least in part on the calculated measurements.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein taking the one or more actions includes transmitting remotely generated signals to the display device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the representation has a transparent appearance when the user appendage is out of contact with the sensing region and an opaque appearance when the user appendage is in contact with the sensing region.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising determining location changes of the sensing region with which the user appendage is proximate or in contact and wherein taking the one or more actions includes updating locations of the representation on the display.

14. A user input system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including instructions that, when executed collectively by the one or more processors, cause the user input system to cause a display device to at least;

display a representation of a user appendage on a display of the display device at a location of the display based at least in part on a mapping of locations of a sensing region of a remote control device to locations on the display; and

change one or more color characteristics of the representation based at least in part on changes in distances of the user appendage from a sensing region of a remote control device.

15. The user input system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the user input system to cause the display device to:

change a location of the representation based at least in part on movement of the user appendage relative to the sensing region.

16. The user input system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the user input system to cause the display device to:

update the display according to a predefined action of multiple user appendages in connection with the sensing region.

17. The user input system of claim 14, wherein the display device is separate from the user input system.

18. A user input system for interacting with a graphical user interface, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including instructions that, when executed collectively by the one or more processors, cause the user input system to cause a display device to at least;

display a representation of a user appendage at a display location of a display of the display device, the display location based at least in part on a mapping of display locations of the display device to sensing locations of a sensing region of a sensing device; and

at least when the appendage moves relative to and out of contact with the sensing device, change the display location based at least in part on the mapping.

19. The user input system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the user input system to cause the display device to:

change a location of the representation based at least in part on movement of the user appendage relative to the sensing region.

20. The user input system of claim 18, wherein the mapping is an absolute mapping.

21. The user input system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the user input system to identify the user appendage from a set of potential user appendages.

22. The user input system of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the user input system to update the display based at least in part on detection of an event that is uncausable using at least one other of the potential user appendages.

23. The user input system of claim 18, wherein the sensing device is a component of a device that is physically disconnected from the display device.

24. The user input system of claim 18, wherein the sensing device is a remote control device for the display device.

25. A display device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including instructions that, when executed collectively by the one or more processors, cause the display device to at least;

display a graphical user interface;

receive signals corresponding to user interaction with a sensing region of a sensing input device, the signals being based at least in part on a number of dimensions of user interaction that is greater than two; and

change the graphical user interface according to the received signals.

26. The user input system of claim 25, wherein the signals are generated by an intermediate device that receives other signals from a remote control device.

27. The user input system of claim 25, wherein the sensing input device is separate from the display device.

28. The user input system of claim 25, wherein changing the graphical user interface includes updating an appearance characteristic of a representation of an object used to interact with the sensing input device.

29. The user input system of claim 25, wherein changing the graphical user interface includes updating, on the graphical user interface, a location of a representation of an object used to interact with the sensing input device.

30. The user input system of claim 25, wherein the user interaction includes contactless interaction with the sensing input device.