Systems and Methods for Performing Multi-Touch Operations on a Head-Mountable Device

• US 20150138064A1
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Chun Yat Frank, Raffle, Hayes Solos
• Granted Patent: US 9,261,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may provide a configuration of input interfaces used to perform multi-touch operations. An example device may involve: (a) a housing arranged on a head-mountable device, (b) a first input interface arranged on either a superior or an inferior surface of the housing, (c) a second input interface arranged on a surface of the housing that is opposite to the first input interface, and (d) a control system configured to: (1) receive first input data from the first input interface, where the first input data corresponds to a first input action, and in response, cause a camera to perform a first operation in accordance with the first input action, and (2) receive second input data from the second input interface, where the second input data corresponds to a second input action(s) on the second input interface, and in response, cause the camera to perform a second operation.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a head-mountable frame comprising a housing arranged on at least one side arm;

a first input interface arranged on either a superior surface or an inferior surface of the housing;

a second input interface arranged on a surface of the housing that is opposite to the first input interface;

a control system configured to;

receive first input data from the first input interface, wherein the first input data corresponds to a first input action, and responsive to the receipt of the first input data, cause a camera of the device to perform a first camera operation in accordance with the first input action; and

receive second input data from the second input interface, wherein the second input data corresponds to one or more second input actions on the second input interface, and responsive to the receipt of the second input data, cause the camera to perform a second camera operation that is different from the first camera operation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first input interface is arranged on the superior surface of the housing, and wherein the second input interface is arranged on the inferior surface of the housing.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first input interface is arranged on the inferior surface of the housing, and wherein the second input interface is arranged on the superior surface of the housing.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first input interface is one of a button, a touch sensor, a rocker, a dial, a slider, and a multi-state sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second input interface is one of a button, a touch sensor, a rocker, a dial, a slider, and a multi-state sensor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first input action is a finger gesture on the first input interface.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

operate in a first mode; and

receive preliminary data that corresponds to a preliminary input action, and responsive to the receipt of the preliminary data, cause the control system to operate in a second mode.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first camera operation comprises one of (i) zooming the camera, (ii) adjusting an exposure level, (iii) adjusting a focus depth, (iv) adjusting a white balance setting, (v) switching between filters, (vi) switching between stabilization modes, and (vii) navigating camera settings.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second camera operation comprises capturing one of image data and video data.

10. A method comprising:

receiving first input data from a first input interface that corresponds to a first input action, wherein the first input interface is arranged on either a superior surface or an inferior surface of a housing, and wherein the housing is arranged on at least one side arm of a head-mountable frame of a device;

responsive to the receipt of the first input data, causing a camera of the device to perform a first camera operation in accordance with the first input action;

receiving second input data from a second input interface that corresponds to a second input action, wherein the second input interface is arranged on a surface of the housing that is opposite to the first input interface; and

responsive to the receipt of the second input data, causing the camera to perform a second camera operation that is different from the first camera operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first input interface is arranged on the inferior surface of the housing, and wherein the second input interface is arranged on the superior surface of the housing.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first input interface is arranged on the superior surface of the housing, and wherein the second input interface is arranged on the inferior surface of the housing.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first input action is a finger gesture on the first input interface.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first camera operation comprises one of (i) zooming the camera, (ii) adjusting an exposure level, (iii) adjusting a focus depth, (iv) adjusting a white balance setting, (v) switching between filters, (vi) switching between stabilization modes, and (vii) navigating camera settings.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the second camera operation comprises capturing one of image data and video data.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving first input data from a first input interface that corresponds to a first input action, wherein the first input interface is arranged on either a superior surface or an inferior surface of a housing, and wherein the housing is arranged on at least one side arm of a head-mountable frame of a device;

responsive to the receipt of the first input data, causing a camera of the device perform a first camera operation in accordance with the first input action;

receiving second input data from a second input interface that corresponds to a second input action, wherein the second input interface is arranged on a surface of the housing that is opposite to the first input interface; and

responsive to the receipt of the second input data, causing the camera to perform a second camera operation that is different from the first camera operation.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the first input interface is arranged on the inferior surface of the housing, and wherein the second input interface is arranged on the superior surface of the housing.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the first input interface is arranged on the superior surface of the housing, and wherein the second input interface is arranged on the inferior surface of the housing.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the first camera operation comprises one of (i) zooming the camera, (ii) adjusting an exposure level, (iii) adjusting a focus depth, (iv) adjusting a white balance setting, (v) switching between filters, (vi) switching between stabilization modes, and (vii) navigating camera settings.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the second camera operation comprises capturing one of image data and video data.