Hands-Free Selection Using a Ring-Based User-Interface

• US 20160011724A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Aaron Joseph, Brin, Sergey, Kauffmann, Alejandro, Biffle, Cliff L., Chi, Liang-Yu (Tom), Lee, Steve, Thrun, Sebastian, Gomez, Luis Ricardo Prada, Starner, Thad Eugene
• Application Number:
  US13/411,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20160011724A1
• 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 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• 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 3/04812 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

Methods and devices for providing a user-interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface. The user-interfaces comprises a view region and a menu, where the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and the menu is not fully visible in the view region. The method further comprises receiving data indicating a selection of an item present in the view region and causing an indicator to be displayed in the view region, wherein the indicator changes incrementally over a length of time. When the length of time has passed, the method comprises responsively causing the wearable computing device to select the item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a first head position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising;

a view region, and

a menu including one or more items, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and each of the one or more items in the menu is not fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the first head position;

receiving data corresponding to a head movement to a second head position of a wearable computing device, wherein at least one of the one or more items in the menu is fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the second head position;

receiving data indicating a selection of an item of the one or more items fully visible in the view region;

in response to receiving data indicating the selection, displaying an indicator within the view region;

displaying incremental changes to the indicator within the view region over a length of time; and

when the length of time has passed, responsively causing the wearable computing device to select the item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data comprises receiving data from a sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data comprises a gaze directed to the item.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises head rotation as measured by an accelerometer.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises head rotation as measured by a gyroscope.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises head rotation as measured by a magnetometer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the incremental change comprises a color incrementally filling up the indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the incremental change comprises a pattern incrementally filling up the indicator.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selection data indicating a selection of a selected menu object from the number of menu objects; and

responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide the selected menu object in the view region.

2. (canceled)

11. A method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a first head position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising;

a view region, and

a menu including one or more items, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and each of the one or more items in the menu is not fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the first head position;

receiving data corresponding to a head movement to a second head position of a wearable computing device, wherein at least one of the one or more items in the menu is fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the second head position;

receiving data corresponding to a predetermined facial movement indicating a selection of an item of the one or more items fully visible in the view region;

in response to receiving data indicating the selection, displaying an indicator within the view region;

displaying incremental changes to the indicator within the view region over a length of time; and

when the length of time has passed, responsively causing the wearable computing device to select the item.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the menu is located above the view region when the wearable computing device is in the first head position.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 12, further comprising a movement sensor configured to detect the predetermined facial movement.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the predetermined facial movement comprises a jaw movement.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the predetermined facial movement comprises an inhalation.

16. The wearable computing device of claim 15, wherein the inhalation is a sniff.

17. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the predetermined facial movement is a predetermined number of blinks.

18. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein when the wearable computing device is at the first head position the menu is not visible in the view region.

19. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the menu comprises a number of menu objects and wherein the item is one of the menu objects.

20. A wearable computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive data corresponding to a first head position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising;

a view region, and

a menu including one or more items, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and each of the one or more items in the menu is not fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the first head position;

receive data corresponding to a head movement to a second head position of a wearable computing device, wherein at least one of the one or more items in the menu is fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the second head position;

receive data indicating a selection of an item of the one or more items fully visible on the view region;

in response to receiving data indicating the selection, display an indicator within the view region;

display incremental changes to the indicator within the view region over a length of time; and

when the length of time has passed, responsively cause the wearable computing device to select the item.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by at least one processor of a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions, the functions comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a first head position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising a view region and a menu including one or more items, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and the one or more items in the menu is not fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the first head position;

receiving data corresponding to a head movement to a second head position of a wearable computing device, wherein at least one of the one or more items in the menu is fully visible in the view region when the wearable computing device is in the second head position;

receiving data indicating a selection of an item of the one or more items fully visible in the view region;

in response to receiving data indicating the selection, causing an indicator to be displayed in the view region;

displaying incremental changes to the indicator within the view region over a length of time; and

when the length of time has passed, responsively causing the wearable computing device to select the item.