EXTERNAL USER INTERFACE FOR HEAD WORN COMPUTING

• US 20150205387A1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Osterhout, Ralph F., Border, John N., Nortrup, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US14/185,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205387A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2027/0178 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: G04G 17/08 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/083 Watches distributed over several housings
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 : involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 : Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 : Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 : Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 : Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to external user interfaces used in connection with head worn computers (HWC). Embodiments relate to an external user interface that has a physical form intended to be hand held. The hand held user interface may be in a form similar to that of a writing instrument, such as a pen. In embodiments, the hand held user interface includes technologies relating to writing surface tip pressure monitoring, lens configurations setting a predetermined imaging distance, user interface software mode selection, quick software application launching, and other interface technologies.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising:

An outer housing adapted to be hand-held in a writing position, wherein the outer housing includes a writing surface end;

The writing surface end including a camera, a ball lens and a positioning system adapted to maintain a predetermined distance between the ball lens and a writing surface substantially independent of a writing angle of the outer housing, wherein the camera images the writing surface through the ball lens;

An integrated IMU adapted to monitor the outer housing'"'"'s motion and to predict, from the outer housing'"'"'s motion, a movement of the ball lens across the writing surface; and

A microprocessor adapted to intake data from the camera and the IMU and determine a written pattern.

2. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the outer housing is in the shape of a pen.

3. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor communicates the data to a HWC.

4. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor communicates the written pattern to a HWC.

5. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is further adapted to, following a determination that the outer housing is not in a writing position, capture outer housing motions as gesture control motions to control a software application operating on a HWC.

6. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the outer housing further comprises a positioning system force monitor and wherein the force monitor sends to the microprocessor data indicative of the force being applied on the positioning system.

7. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor further determines a UI mode of operation for the user interface.

8. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the outer housing further comprises a quick launch interface, wherein the quick launch interface, when activated, launches a predetermined software application in a HWC.

9. A user interface, comprising:

An outer housing adapted to be hand-held in a writing position, wherein the outer housing includes a writing surface end;

The writing surface end including a positioning system adapted to maintain a predetermined distance between an internal lens adapted to view a writing surface and a writing surface, substantially independent of a writing angle of the outer housing; and

An IMU adapted to monitor motion of the outer housing, wherein the motion is interpreted as a gesture control for a software application operating on a HWC.

10. A user interface, comprising:

An outer housing adapted to be hand-held in a writing position, wherein the outer housing includes a writing surface end;

The writing surface end including a positioning system adapted to maintain a predetermined distance between an internal lens adapted to view a writing surface and the writing surface, substantially independent of a writing angle of the outer housing; and

A force monitoring system adapted to monitor a force applied at the writing surface end, wherein the monitored force applied will cause a graphical user interface operation change.