Computer user interface with head motion input

• US 6,396,497 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Reichlen, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/566,863
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418,419,423,424,425,427,428,429
• US Class Current: 345/427
• 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

Abstract

A computer interface allows as user to control aspects of its behavior by head motion. In one example, a head mounted display (HMD) includes a directional detector for generating an object detection signal when pointed at certain physical objects. The detector is mounted so users can point it by moving their heads. In another example, a graphical user interface includes the computation of a view space comprised of multiple separate portions, in each of which graphical user interface windows generated by separate computer processes can be selectively located by a user. The user can selectively move such windows between view space portions by a point and click interface. The method displays a subset of view space portions to the user at one time, senses motion of the user'"'"'s head, and changes the portions of the view space displayed, in discrete units of view space portions, in response to changes in the position of the user'"'"'s head. In still another example, a graphical user interface includes: computing a visual space; displaying a subset of space to the user, sensing user motion, including monitoring motion of a user'"'"'s head, so as to divide head motions into at least a first and second class; and allowing a user to navigate through the visual space in response to head motions of said first class, while substantially ignoring head motions of the second class for such purposes.

Claims

1. A head mounted display apparatus comprising:

a display for receiving a signal representing a visual image and for projecting a corresponding visual image which can be seen by a user wearing said apparatus;

a directional detector for generating an object detection signal when said detector receives a certain signals from a physical object in response to said detector being pointed at said object, said detector being mounted on said apparatus so a user who is wearing the apparatus can point the detector by moving his or her head.

2. A head mounted display apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a see through window to enable a user to see his or her physical surroundings when wearing the apparatus.

3. A head mounted display apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an additional input device to enable a user wearing the apparatus to selectively generate computer readable signals in addition to those generated by said detector.

4. A head mounted display apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said detector points in the same general direction as the face of a user wearing said apparatus.

5. A head mounted display as in claim 1, wherein:

the physical objects radiate electromagnetic radiation at a sufficient frequency that it travels in a substantially straight line;

the directional detector has a limited angular view from which it can receive radiation;

the user can point the angular view by moving his or her head; and

the directional detector generates the object detection signal when the detector is pointed at one of said physical object so that it can receive radiation coming straight from such an objects.

6. A method of providing a computer graphical user interface comprising the steps of:

computing a view space in which graphical user interface windows each generated by a separate computer process can be selectively located by a user, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold a plurality of said windows generated by separate computer processes;

computing a plurality of said graphical user interface windows;

enabling a user to selectively locate a variable number of said windows in each of said view space portions and to selectively move said windows between view space portions by use of a point and click interface;

displaying a subset of said view space portions to the user with a head-mounted visual display;

sensing motion of a user'"'"'s head;

changing the portions of the view space displayed to the user, in discrete units of view space portions, in response to changes sensed in the position of the user'"'"'s head.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of enabling a user to selectively locate and move windows includes enabling a user to drag a window with a pointing device to a desired portion in said view space.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

said step of sensing motion of a user'"'"'s head includes sensing rotational movement of a user'"'"'s head; and

said step of changing the portions of the view space which are displayed includes making such changes in response to the detection of said rotational motion, so a user can change the portion of the view space shown without moving the majority of his or her body, merely by rotating his or her head.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of detecting eye movements of the user and using the detections of said eye movements to enable the user to interact with windows in the portion of the workspace displayed to him or her.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the sensing of motion of a user'"'"'s head, including dividing head motions into at least a first and second class of head motion;

the method makes said changes in the portions of the view space displayed to the user in response to head motions of said first class but not head motions of said second class, so as to enable a user to move further in the view space in a given direction than would otherwise be possible by causing successive head motions in the given direction to be of the first class which are counted toward such view space motion, and causing one or more intervening head motions in the opposite direction, made so as to prevent the head from being over extended in the given direction, to be of the second class, so as to go uncounted toward such view space motion.

11. A method of providing a computer graphical user interface comprising the steps of:

computing a computer generated visual space;

displaying a subset of said visual space to the user;

sensing user motion including monitoring motion of a user'"'"'s head, said sensing including dividing head motions into at least a first and second class of head motion;

allowing a user to navigate through said visual space by changing the subset of the visual space displayed in response to head motions of said first class, but not in response to head motions of said second class, so as to enable a user to move further in the visual space in a given direction than would otherwise be possible by causing successive head motions in the given direction to be of the first class which are counted toward such visual space motion, and causing one or more intervening head motions in the opposite direction, made so as to prevent the head from being over extended in the given direction, to be of the second class, so as to go uncounted toward such visual space motion.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein said step of displaying uses a head mounted display.