GESTURE BASED CONTROL OF ELEMENT OR ITEM

• US 20140047395A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen TCL Creative Cloud Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Geurts, Lucas Jacobus Franciscus, Kaufholz, Paul, Sterken, Hendirkus Petrus Maria, Knoester, Jaap, Stuyfzand, Ivo Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 3/017 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Apparatuses (1) for controlling elements (40-70) possibly shown on screens (31) or items (71) possibly represented by the elements (70) comprise detectors (11-13) for detecting features of objects (2) such as body parts in first and second dimensions and converters (14) for converting first features into actions for the elements (40-70) or the items (71). By making the actions dependent on second features, a number of possibilities is increased. First features may be movements of the objects (2) and second features may be absolute or relative positions of the objects (2). First dimensions may be parallel to the screens (31) and second dimensions may be perpendicular or parallel to the screens (31), or vice versa. Actions may comprise browsing groups (4-6) of elements (40-69) at position dependent speeds or browsing one or more groups (4-6) depending on the positions. The items (71) may be lamps, appliances, audio players, video players, whereby their parameters may be adjusted in dependence of the movements and the positions.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling an element or an item, the apparatus comprising a detector for detecting a first feature of an object in a first dimension and a second feature of the object in another second dimension and comprising a converter for converting the first feature into an action to be performed on the element or the item, the action depending on the second feature, the first feature being a movement of the object and the second feature being a position of the object, the element being shown on a screen and the item being represented by the element, the first dimension being a direction (X) parallel to the screen and the second dimension being a direction (Z) perpendicular to the screen, and the action comprising browsing.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the browsing comprising browsing a group of elements comprising the element at a speed that depends on the position.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the browsing comprising browsing at a relatively general scale for the position being a first position, and the browsing comprising browsing at a relatively specific scale for the position being a different second position.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the object being a body part or a physical object held by or coupled to the body part, and the position preferably being a relative position with respect to another object, the other object being another body part or a rest of the body.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the converter being arranged for converting the second feature into information to be shown on the screen or to be reproduced otherwise.

12. A device comprising the apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the item and/or the screen.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the detector being arranged to detect the movement of the object or the position of the object also in another third dimension, the third dimension being another direction (Y) parallel to the screen.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the second feature defining an aspect or a type or a parameter of the action.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

7-9. -9. (canceled)

13. A method for controlling an element or an item, the method comprising a step of detecting a first feature of an object in a first dimension and a second feature of the object in another second dimension and comprising a step of converting the first feature into an action to be performed on the element or the item, the action depending on the second feature, the first feature being a movement of the object and the second feature being a position of the object, the element being shown on a screen and the item being represented by the element, the first dimension being a direction (X) parallel to the screen and the second dimension being a direction (Z) perpendicular to the screen, and the action comprising browsing.

14. A computer program product for performing the steps of the method as defined in claim 13.

15. A medium for storing and comprising the computer program product as defined in claim 14.