Scaling of Visual Content Based Upon User Proximity

• US 20120287163A1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Djavaherian, Amir
• Application Number:
  US13/104,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287163A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/667
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• 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: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A mechanism is disclosed for automatically scaling the size of a set of visual content based upon how close a user'"'"'s face is to a display. In one implementation, the mechanism initially causes a set of visual content on a display to be sized according to a first scaling factor when the user'"'"'s face is at a first distance from the display. The mechanism then determines that the user'"'"'s face has moved relative to the display such that the user'"'"'s face is no longer at the first distance from the display. In response, the mechanism causes the set of visual content on the display to be sized according to a second and different scaling factor. By doing so, the mechanism effectively causes the display size of the visual content to automatically change as the distance between the user'"'"'s face and the display changes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing a set of visual content on a display to be sized according to a first scaling factor, wherein a user'"'"'s face is currently at a first distance from the display;

determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved relative to the display such that the user'"'"'s face is no longer at the first distance from the display; and

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved relative to the display, causing the set of visual content on the display to be sized according to a second and different scaling factor to cause a display size of the set of visual content to change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved relative to the display comprises:

determining whether the user'"'"'s face has moved closer to or farther from the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein causing the set of visual content to be sized according to a second scaling factor comprises:

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved closer to the display, causing the set of visual content to be scaled to a second scaling factor that causes the display size of the set of visual content to be reduced; and

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved farther from the display, causing the set of visual content to be scaled to a second scaling factor that causes the display size of the set of visual content to be enlarged.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein causing the set of visual content to be sized according to a second scaling factor comprises:

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved closer to the display, causing the set of visual content to be scaled to a second scaling factor that causes the display size of the set of visual content to be enlarged; and

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved farther from the display, causing the set of visual content to be scaled to a second scaling factor that causes the display size of the set of visual content to be reduced.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual content includes text, and wherein the first and second scaling factors represent different font sizes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual content includes a graphic, and wherein the first and second scaling factors represent different magnification factors.

7. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 2.

9. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 3.

10. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 4.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storages having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of;

causing a set of visual content on a display to be sized according to a first scaling factor,

wherein a user'"'"'s face is currently at a first distance from the display;

determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved relative to the display such that the user'"'"'s face is no longer at the first distance from the display; and

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved relative to the display, causing the set of visual content on the display to be sized according to a second and different scaling factor to cause a display size of the set of visual content to change.

12. A method, comprising:

determining that a user'"'"'s face is at a first distance from a display;

determining, based at least in part upon the first distance, a first scaling factor;

causing a set of visual content on the display to be sized according to the first scaling factor;

determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved to a second distance from the display, wherein the second distance is different from the first distance;

determining, based at least in part upon the second distance, a second scaling factor, wherein the second scaling factor is different from the first scaling factor; and

causing the set of visual content to be sized according to the second scaling factor to cause a display size of the set of visual content to change.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing a calibration procedure, wherein the calibration procedure comprises;

receiving input from the user indicating a first desired scaling factor when the user'"'"'s face is at a first calibration distance from the display; and

receiving input from the user indicating a second desired scaling factor when the user'"'"'s face is at a second and different calibration distance from the display.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

determining that a user'"'"'s face is at a first distance from a display comprises;

receiving information from a distance indicating component indicating that the user'"'"'s face is at the first distance from the display; and

determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved to a second distance from the display comprises;

receiving information from the distance indicating component indicating that the user'"'"'s face is at the second distance from the display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

determining that a user'"'"'s face is at a first distance from a display comprises;

receiving a first set of sensor information from a sensing device; and

using the first set of sensor information to determine that the user'"'"'s face is at the first distance from the display; and

determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved to a second distance from the display comprises;

receiving a second set of sensor information from the sensing device; and

using the second set of sensor information to determine that the user'"'"'s face is at the second distance from the display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensing device is one of:

an infrared distance sensing device;

a laser distance sensing device;

a SONAR distance sensing device; and

an image capture device for capturing an image of the user'"'"'s face.

17. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 12.

18. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 13.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storages having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of;

determining that a user'"'"'s face is at a first distance from a display;

determining, based at least in part upon the first distance, a first scaling factor;

causing a set of visual content on the display to be sized according to the first scaling factor;

determining that the user'"'"'s face has moved to a second distance from the display, wherein the second distance is different from the first distance;

determining, based at least in part upon the second distance, a second scaling factor, wherein the second scaling factor is different from the first scaling factor; and

causing the set of visual content to be sized according to the second scaling factor to cause a display size of the set of visual content to change.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a sensing device, which is one of;

an infrared distance sensing device;

a laser distance sensing device;

a SONAR distance sensing device; and

an image capture device for capturing an image of the user'"'"'s face.

21. A method, comprising:

from a first captured image of a user'"'"'s face, determining that a particular facial feature has a first size;

determining, based at least in part upon the first size, a first scaling factor;

causing a set of visual content on a display to be sized according to the first scaling factor;

from a second captured image of the user'"'"'s face, determining that the same particular facial feature is of a second size, wherein the second size is different from the first size;

determining, based at least in part upon the second size, a second scaling factor, wherein the second scaling factor is different from the first scaling factor; and

causing the set of visual content to be sized according to the second scaling factor to cause a display size of the set of visual content to change.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the particular facial feature is a separation between two distinct portions of the user'"'"'s face.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second captured images of the user'"'"'s face comprise a plurality of pixels, wherein the first size indicates a first number of pixels spanned by the separation between the two distinct portions of the user'"'"'s face in the first captured image, and wherein the second size indicates a second number of pixels spanned by the separation between the two distinct portions of the user'"'"'s face in the second captured image.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing a calibration procedure, wherein the calibration procedure comprises;

from a first calibration image of the user'"'"'s face captured while the user'"'"'s face is at a first distance from the display, determining that the particular facial feature has a first calibration size;

while the user'"'"'s face is at the first distance from the display, receiving input from the user indicating a first desired scaling factor;

from a second calibration image of the user'"'"'s face captured while the user'"'"'s face is at a second distance from the display, determining that the particular facial feature has a second calibration size, wherein the second distance is different from the first distance and the second calibration size is different from the first calibration size; and

while the user'"'"'s face is at the second distance from the display, receiving input from the user indicating a second desired scaling factor, wherein the second desired scaling factor is different from the first scaling factor.

25. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 21.

26. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 23.

27. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 24.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storages having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of;

from a first captured image of a user'"'"'s face, determining that a particular facial feature has a first size;

determining, based at least in part upon the first size, a first scaling factor;

causing a set of visual content on a display to be sized according to the first scaling factor;

from a second captured image of the user'"'"'s face, determining that the same particular facial feature is of a second size, wherein the second size is different from the first size;

determining, based at least in part upon the second size, a second scaling factor, wherein the second scaling factor is different from the first scaling factor; and

causing the set of visual content to be sized according to the second scaling factor to cause a display size of the set of visual content to change.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

an image capturing device for capturing the first and second captured images of the user'"'"'s face.