Information Handling System Non-Linear User Interface

• US 20160313797A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Acevedo, Daniel, Daguet, Christophe, Pacheco, Roman J., Welker, Mark W., Sanaullah, Abu S., Boyd, Edward L., Knoppert, Michiel Sebastiaan Emanuel Petrus, Ligameri, Mark R., Ancona, Rocco
• Granted Patent: US 9,921,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

A non-linear user interface display presented at a desktop conforms to dimensions of a user detected by a depth camera, such as by presenting the user interface along an arc having a radius determined from a reach of the user detected by the depth camera. Windows presented in the arc vary in size based upon their position relative to a user focus, such as by detecting a user gaze direction or by comparing position to a central display mat. User gestures control presentation of visual images in the arc, such rotating visual image windows in a circular manner around the arc radius and to different orientations in the arc relative to the user.

Claims

1. A system for presenting a non-linear information handling system user interface, the system comprising:

a processor operable to process information for presentation to a user;

memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the information;

a graphics system interfaced with the processor and memory, the graphics system operable to generate pixel information to create visual images one or more display devices;

a projector interfaced with the graphics system and operable to project the pixel information as the visual images at a desktop;

a detection device interfaced with the graphics system and operable to detect positional information for the user relative to the desktop; and

a user interface engine interfaced with the graphics system and detection device, the user interface engine operable to define a non-linear user interface region relative to the user based upon the positional information and to provide the non-linear user interface region to the graphics system for generating pixel information that presents the visual information in the non-linear user interface region.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the detection device comprises a depth camera operable to detect reach parameters associated with the user; and

the non-linear user interface region comprises an arc determined from the reach parameters.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the non-linear user interface comprises a first arc associated with a first arm position and a second arc associated with a second arm position, each arc having a radius of substantially an arm reach of the user.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the positional information includes a viewing direction of the user, the user interface engine applying the viewing direction to expand the non-linear user interface region in the viewing direction and contract the non-linear user interface region distal the viewing direction.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a display mat disposed on the desktop and interfaced with the graphics system, the display mat presenting the pixel information as visual images;

wherein the user interface engine selectively defines the non-linear user interface region to exclude the display mat.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the detection device detects user activation of a portion of an image presented by the projector in the non-linear user interface region and, in response to the user activation, the graphics system presents content from the portion on the display mat.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the detection device comprises a depth camera and the display mat comprises capacitive touch sensors operable to accept user touch inputs.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the non-linear user interface region comprises an arc defined across the desktop;

the detection device comprises a depth camera operable to detect user gestures along the arc; and

the user interface engine responds to the user gestures by rotating images along the arc.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the non-linear user interface region comprises an arc defined across the desktop, the arc having a centerpoint;

the visual information comprises a plurality of projected images disposed along the arc; and

the plurality of projected images decrease in size along the arc as the images are presented from a center of the desktop towards an edge of the desktop.

10. A method for presenting a non-linear information handling system user interface at a desktop, the method comprising:

detecting a user position relative to a display device;

applying the user position to define an arc at the desktop, the arc substantially centered at the user position; and

presenting information generated by the information handling system as visual images at the desktop along the arc.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

detecting a user position further comprises analyzing the user to determine a reach radius relative to the user; and

applying the user position to define the arc further comprises defining the arc to have a radius about the user position of a length related to the reach radius.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

detecting a user position further comprises analyzing an image of the user with a depth camera; and

presenting information generated by the information handling system with a projector.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

presenting the visual images as plural windows along the arc;

determining a focus point of the user relative to the arc;

defining a focus size of one or more of the plural windows located proximate the focus point; and

tapering a non-focus size of other of the plural windows as the distance of the other of the plural windows increases from the focus point.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining movement of the focus point by tracking a gaze direction of the user; and

adjusting the presenting of the plural windows to maintain the focus size at the one or more of the plural windows proximate the gaze direction.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

detecting a position of a display mat disposed on the desktop;

positioning the arc to pass through the display mat;

presenting the visual images with the display mat and with a projector, the projector presenting visual images along the arc distal the display mat;

detecting a gesture proximate the desktop; and

in response to the gesture, rotating visual images along the arc, the rotating transferring at least one visual image from presentation by the projector to presentation by the display mat.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

rotating a totem on the desktop; and

in response to rotating the totem, rotating the visual images along the arc.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein presenting information generated by the information handling system as visual images at the desktop further comprises:

presenting plural windows along the arc;

orientating the plural windows to face a center point of the arc; and

selectively rotating one or more of the plural windows to another orientation.

18. An information handling system comprising:

a processor operable to generate visual information for presentation to an end user;

memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the visual information;

a depth camera interfaced with the process and operable to measure distances;

a graphics system interfaced with the processor and memory, the graphics system operable to process the visual information to generate visual images at one or more display devices; and

a user interface engine interfaced with the graphics system and depth camera, the user interface engine operable to determine arc dimensions relative to a user, the user having dimensions detected by the depth camera, and to coordinate presentation of the visual images by the one or more display devices along an arc oriented relative to the user.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 wherein the user dimensions include an arm length and the arc comprises plural windows disposed along the arc.

20. The information handling system of claim 18 further comprising:

a mat display disposed on a desktop proximate the user; and

a projector aligned to present visual images at the desktop along the arc;