Proximity based computer display

• US 8,203,577 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hoover, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US11/903,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 345/661, 345/671, 345/156, 715/800, 715/866, 715/862
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• 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

Abstract

A computer that can alter display the format or content of a computer display in response to context information indicating the proximity of a user to the display. Such a display may enable a person to make better use of information organization and delivery capabilities of the computer as the person engages in an active task. While the person is close to the display, the computer may present text in a relatively smaller size and information allowing interaction with the computer, such as objects that implement control functions, may be displayed. When the person is further from the display, the computer may present text in a relatively larger size and may omit control objects from the display to create space for the larger size text.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer having a display, the method comprising:

determining the proximity of a user of the computer to the display based on whether the computer is performing highly output intensive operations or highly input intensive operations;

displaying information in a first mode in response to determining that the computer is performing highly input intensive operations, wherein displaying information in the first mode comprises displaying a plurality of text objects with a first size;

displaying information in a second mode in response to determining that the computer is performing highly output intensive operations, wherein displaying information in the second mode comprises displaying a first portion of the plurality of text objects with a second size, wherein the second size is larger than the first size;

wherein;

displaying information in the first mode further comprises displaying a control object; and

displaying information in the second mode further comprises displaying the first portion without the control object.

2. The method of operating a computer of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a voice command input indicating a scroll command; and

in response to the voice command input, displaying a second portion of the plurality of text objects.

3. The method of operating a computer of claim 1, wherein the control object comprises a menu bar object.

4. The method of operating a computer of claim 1, wherein the display is touch sensitive and the control object is a touch sensitive control object.

5. A computer system, comprising:

a display area adapted to display content to a user;

at least one input device adapted to receive input from the user, wherein the at least one input device comprises;

a near input device which allows the user to provide input when in close proximity to the display area; and

a far input device which allows the user to provide input when the user is not in close proximity to the display area, wherein the far input device is different from the near input device;

a context component adapted to generate context information based on the type of input device used by the user of the computer system; and

a display interface component adapted to control the content displayed to the user by the display area based at least in part on the context information.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein:

the display area is further adapted to display content to the user in a first size when the user uses the near input device; and

the display area is further adapted to display content to the user in a second size, larger than the first size, when the user uses the far input device.

7. The computer display device of claim 6, wherein the display area is further adapted to display less information to the user in a second size than is displayed to the user in the first size.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein:

the display area is further adapted to display a control object when the user uses the near input device; and

the display area is further adapted to not display the control object when the user uses the far input device.

9. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the display area is touch sensitive and the touch sensitive display area is the near input device.

10. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the far input device is a voice command input device.

11. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the far input device is a remote control.

12. The computer display device of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one input device is further adapted to receive a scroll command; and

the display area is further adapted to scroll through the display information in response to the scroll command.

13. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the near input device is a mouse.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for execution on a computer having a display device, comprising:

at least one application component for generating a plurality of objects;

a context component for generating user context information based on whether the at least one application component is performing highly output intensive operations or highly input intensive operations;

a display interface component adapted to receive the plurality of objects and the user context information and, the display interface component for rendering at least a portion of the plurality objects for display on the display device with a size based on the user context information;

wherein;

the size used on the display device is a first size when the at least one application component is performing highly input intensive operations and wherein the size used on the display device is a second size, bigger than the first size, when the at least one application component is performing highly output intensive operations.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one application component is adapted for generating the plurality of objects with an indication of a mode for each of the plurality of objects in which the object is to be display; and

the display interface component is adapted to selectively render objects for display based on the mode for the object and the user context information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the objects generated by the application component comprise text objects and the display interface component renders the text objects for display in a size dependent on the user context information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the context component comprises a user interface for receiving user input indicating display information in a near mode or a far mode.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface is adapted to receive information from a user operated remote control.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface is adapted to receive information from a user operated control on the display device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the user interface further receives user input indicating a scroll command; and

the display interface component is further adapted to scroll through the objects for display, in response to the scroll command.