METHOD AND WEARABLE DEVICE FOR PROVIDING A VIRTUAL INPUT INTERFACE

• US 20150269783A1
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YUN, In-kuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886

Abstract

Provided is a wearable device including: an image sensor configured to sense a gesture image of a user setting a user input region; and a display configured to provide a virtual input interface corresponding to the set user input region.

Claims

1. A glass type wearable device comprising:

an image sensor configured to sense a gesture image of a user setting a user input region; and

an optical display unit configured to provide a virtual input interface corresponding to the user input region set by using the sensed gesture image.

2. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the sensed gesture image corresponds to a figure drawn by the user, and

the virtual input interface is displayed to correspond to the sensed figure.

3. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual input interface is displayed to correspond a size of the user input region.

4. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the user input region is set on an actual object and the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of the actual object where the user input region is set.

5. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of an application being executed by the glasses type wearable device.

6. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a transparent display configured to provide the virtual input interface on a region of the transparent display corresponding to the user input region as observed through the transparent display.

7. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture a first image of the user input region, and

the display unit is configured to display a second image of the virtual input interface over the user input region of the first image.

8. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a depth sensor configured to sense a first depth value corresponding to a distance from the wearable device to the user input region, and a second depth value corresponding to a distance from the wearable device to an input tool; and

a controller configured to determine whether an input is generated through the virtual input interface based on the first depth value and the second depth value.

9. The glass type wearable device of claim 8, wherein a displayed size of the virtual input interface is determined based on the first depth value.

10. The glass type wearable device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine that an input is generated through the virtual input interface when a difference between the first and second depth values is less than a threshold value.

11. The glass type wearable device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine that an input is generated through the virtual input interface when the second depth value is greater than the first depth value.

12. A method of providing, by a glass type wearable device, a virtual input interface, the method comprising:

obtaining a gesture image of a user setting a user input region; and

providing a virtual input interface corresponding to the user input region such that the virtual input interface corresponds to a size of the user input region.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the obtaining of the gesture image comprises:

obtaining the gesture image by recognizing a figure drawn by the user; and

setting a region corresponding to the figure as the user input region.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a size of the user input region.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of object where the user input region is set.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of an application being executed by the wearable device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual input interface is provided on a transparent display such that the virtual input interface corresponds to the user input region as observed through the transparent display.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing of the virtual input interface comprises:

capturing a first image of the user input region by using an image sensor;

generating a second image of the virtual input interface; and

displaying the second image over the user input region of the first image.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining a first depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region, and a second depth value corresponding to a distance from the wearable device to an input tool; and

determining whether an input is generated through the virtual input interface based on the first depth value and the second depth value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a displayed size of the virtual input interface is determined based on a size of the first depth value.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of whether the input is generated comprises determining that a difference between the first and second depth values is less than a threshold value.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of whether the input is generated comprises determining that the second depth value is greater than the first depth value.

23. A wearable input device comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a plurality of gestures and a real world image;

a display configured to display a graphic user interface; and

a controller configured to determine an input region of the real world image, control the display to display the graphic user interface on an area corresponding to the determined input region, and determine an input based on an input gesture of the plurality of gestures.

24. The wearable input device of claim 23, further comprising a communicator configured to receive a touch signal from an external device,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine the input based on the touch signal.

25. The wearable input device of claim 23, wherein the input region is further determined based on an input region defining gesture of the plurality of gestures.

26. The wearable input device of claim 23, wherein the sensor is further configured to determine a distance between the wearable input device and the input region.

27. The wearable input device of claim 23, wherein the controller is further configured to continuously update a display region of the graphic user interface based on the real world image.