TARGET AND PRESS NATURAL USER INPUT

• US 20140173524A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schwesinger, Mark, Murillo, Oscar, Bailey, Richard, Schwarz, Julia, Bastien, David, Kozlowski, Oscar
• Application Number:
  US13/715,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• 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 3/0304 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: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A cursor is moved in a user interface based on a position of a joint of a virtual skeleton modeling a human subject. If a cursor position engages an object in the user interface, and all immediately-previous cursor positions within a mode-testing period are located within a timing boundary centered around the cursor position, operation in a pressing mode commences. If a cursor position remains within a constraining shape and exceeds a threshold z-distance while in the pressing mode, the object is activated.

Claims

1. A method of receiving user input, the method comprising:

moving a cursor in a user interface based on a position of a joint of a virtual skeleton, the virtual skeleton modeling a human subject imaged with a depth camera, the user interface including an object pressable in a pressing mode but not in a targeting mode;

if a cursor position engages the object, and all immediately-previous cursor positions within a mode-testing period are located within a timing boundary centered around the cursor position, operating in the pressing mode; and

if a cursor position engages the object, and one or more immediately-previous cursor positions within the mode-testing period are located outside of the timing boundary, operating in the targeting mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the object if the cursor position exceeds a threshold z-distance while in the pressing mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold z-distance is a fixed value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the joint is a hand joint, and wherein the threshold z-distance is dynamically set based on the position of the hand joint relative to a shoulder joint.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning from the pressing mode to the targeting mode if a z-distance of the cursor position fails to increase within a press-testing period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing boundary is circular.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode-testing period has a 250 millisecond duration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the cursor further comprises:

moving the cursor based on a first function while in the targeting mode; and

moving the cursor based on a second function while in the pressing mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the cursor based on the second function includes biasing the cursor toward a center of the object as a z-distance of the cursor position increases past a threshold biasing distance.

10. A method of receiving user input, the method comprising:

moving a cursor in a user interface based on a position of a hand joint of a virtual skeleton, the virtual skeleton modeling a human subject imaged with a depth camera, the user interface including an object pressable in a pressing mode but not in a targeting mode;

if a cursor position engages the object and hesitates on the object, operating in the pressing mode; and

if a cursor position engages the object but does not hesitate on the object, operating in the targeting mode.

11. A method of receiving user input, the method comprising:

moving a cursor in a user interface based on a position of a hand joint of a virtual skeleton, the virtual skeleton modeling a human subject imaged with a depth camera, the user interface including an object pressable in a pressing mode but not in a targeting mode;

if a cursor position engages the object, and all immediately-previous cursor positions within a mode-testing period are located within a timing boundary centered around the cursor position, operating in the pressing mode;

if a cursor position remains within a constraining shape and exceeds a threshold z-distance while in the pressing mode, activating the object; and

if the cursor position leaves the constraining shape before exceeding the threshold z-distance while in the pressing mode, operating in the targeting mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein moving the cursor further comprises:

moving the cursor based on a first function while in the targeting mode; and

moving the cursor based on a second function while in the pressing mode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein moving the cursor based on the second function includes biasing the cursor toward a center of the object as a z-distance of the cursor position increases past a threshold biasing distance.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the constraining shape includes a truncated cone having a radius that increases as a function of a z-distance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the truncated cone extends from the timing boundary.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold z-distance is dynamically set based on the position of the hand joint when transitioning from the targeting mode to the pressing mode.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold z-distance is dynamically set based on the position of the hand joint relative to a shoulder joint.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold z-distance is a fixed value.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising transitioning from the pressing mode to the targeting mode if a z-distance of the cursor position fails to increase within a press-testing period.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if a z-distance of the cursor position decreases while in the pressing mode, resetting the threshold z-distance.