THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAN/MACHINE INTERFACE

• US 20130307776A1
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quickstep Technologies, LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nanotec Corporation
• Inventors: Roziere, Didier
• Granted Patent: US 10,303,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method is provided for selecting controls, which implements a control interface, a display, and at least one sensor capable of detecting at least one control object, including a step (i) of obtaining information on the distance between the control object(s) and the control interface using the sensor(s), and a step (ii) of displaying, on the display, at least one symbol representing a control or set of controls according to a display mode, wherein the method further includes a step of using the distance information to determine the display mode of the symbol(s). A device is also provided for implementing the method and to an apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for selecting commands, implementing a command interface, a display and at least one sensor suitable for detecting at least one command object, comprising the steps of:

obtaining distance data between said command object and said command interface by means of said sensor(s);

displaying on said display at least one symbol representing a command or a set of commands according to a display mode; and

using said distance data in order to determine said display mode of the symbol(s).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover the steps of:

obtaining position data of at least one command object with respect to the command interface by means of the sensor(s); and

using said position data in order to determine the display mode of the displayed symbol(s).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of using at least one of the following data sets:

distance data, distance and position data, in order to determine the displayed symbol(s).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it implements at least one of the following measurement types:

measurements of capacitive interactions between a command object and the sensor(s); and

measurements of variations of light intensity due to the presence of a command object.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover the steps of:

displaying a first symbol representing a first set of commands; and

when the distance of a command object is less than a threshold distance, displaying at least one second symbol representing a command or a set of commands included in said first set of commands.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover the steps of:

displaying a first symbol representing a first command or a first set of commands; and

when the distance of a command object is less than a threshold distance, displaying a second symbol representing a second command or a second set of commands.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of selecting a command, comprising a step of verifying at least one selection condition based on a data set from:

distance data, distance and position data.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of verifying at least one selection condition from the following selection conditions:

the distance of the command object is less than a predetermined selection distance,

the distance of the command object is less than a predetermined selection distance during a predetermined minimum duration,

the command object is in contact with the surface of the command interface,

the command object performs a rapid to-and-fro movement over distance, and

at least two command objects perform a convergent movement in position towards a predetermined position.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of executing a command of one of the following types:

executing a computer program, executing an application, displaying the content of a file stored on computer storage media, displaying an image, playing a sound, reading multimedia content.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of executing a command for moving a symbol, said step comprising:

a step of displaying said symbol according to a position representing a position of a command object or a set of command objects; and

a step of validating the movement of said symbol comprising a step of verifying at least one validation condition based on a data set from;

distance data, distance and position data.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of verifying at least one validation condition from the following validation conditions:

the distance of the command object is less than a predetermined selection distance,

the distance of the command object is less than a predetermined selection distance during a predetermined minimum duration,

the command object is in contact with the surface of the command interface,

the command object performs a rapid to-and-fro movement over distance, and

at least two command objects perform a divergent movement in position around a predetermined position.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of displaying symbols in the form of icons.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises moreover a step of activating the display when the distance of the command object is less than a predetermined activation distance.

14. A device for selecting commands, comprising:

a command interface;

a display;

at least one sensor suitable for detecting a command object;

electronic and calculation means suitable for producing by means of said sensor(s) distance data between at least one command object and said command interface;

management means of the display suitable for producing a display of at least one symbol representing a command or a set of commands; and

calculation means suitable for processing said distance data in order to determine the displayed symbol(s).

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that it comprises moreover:

means for producing by means of the sensor position data of at least one command object with respect to said command interface; and

means for processing said position data in order to determine the displayed symbol(s).

16. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that it comprises moreover sensors of at least one of the following types:

capacitive sensors, and

optical sensors.

17. The device of one of the following types:

computer, telephone, smartphone, tablet, display screen, terminal, characterized in that it comprises a device for selecting commands according to claim 14 and in that it implements a method for selecting commands, implementing a command interface, a display and at least one sensor suitable for detecting at least one command object, comprising;

—

obtaining distance data between said command object(s) and said command interface by means of said sensor(s);

—

displaying on said display at least one symbol representing a command or a set of commands according to a display mode; and

using said distance data in order to determine said display mode of the symbol(s).