User interface device

• US 8,284,168 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Terada, Tomohiro, Yamashita, Atsushi, Hirai, Takuya, Nakano, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US12/519,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/173, 345/157, 345/158, 345/163, 345/172, 358/108, 358/93, 340/709, 340/706, 715/702, 715/810
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: G06V 40/107 Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/113 Recognition of static hand signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

A user interface device allocates each of functions for operating an instrument to fingertips in response to a hand movement and allowing an operator to intuitively comprehend the allocation of each of the functions to the fingertips. The device includes a GUI button allocation section that first allocates a GUI button, read out from a GUI button data storing section, to each fingertip in a hand shape acquired by a hand shape acquiring section when a contact position acquiring section detects a contact to an operation surface by the operator. Then, in accordance with a change of hand shape direction, the GUI button allocation section reallocates the GUI button to each fingertip of the hand shape. The device also includes a superimposed image creating section that creates a composite image of an image of a GUI button allocated by the GUI button allocation section and an image of the hand shape, and a displaying section that displays the composite image of the image of the GUI button and the image of the hand shape created by the superimposed image creating section.

Claims

1. A user interface device for operating an instrument, the user interface device comprising:

a contact position acquiring section that detects a contact position of an operator on an operation surface;

a hand shape acquiring section that acquires a hand shape of the operator;

a hand shape direction acquiring section that acquires a direction of the hand shape based on the hand shape acquired by the hand shape acquiring section;

a GUI (Graphical User Interface) button data storing section that stores GUI button data which represents GUI buttons each of which is uniquely allocated to a function for operating an instrument;

a GUI button allocation section that allocates a GUI button allocated to a function, read out from the GUI button data storing section, to a fingertip in the hand shape acquired by the hand shape acquiring section, and reallocates, based only on a direction change of the hand shape, a different GUI button allocated to a different function to the fingertip in the hand shape;

a superimposed image creating section that creates a composite image of an image of a GUI button allocated by the GUI button allocation section and an image of the hand shape; and

a displaying section that displays the composite image created by the superimposed image creating section.

2. The user interface device according to claim 1, wherein the GUI button allocation section sequentially reallocates a different GUI button having a different function to the fingertip in the hand shape in accordance with a sequence for the fingertip, every time an angle between the direction of the hand shape acquired by the hand shape direction acquiring section and a vertical direction reference axis of the operation surface becomes larger than a predefined angle.

3. The user interface device according to claim 1, wherein the GUI button allocation section sequentially reallocates a different GUI button having a different function to the finger in the hand shape in accordance with a sequence for the fingertip, every time an angle between the direction of the hand shape acquired by the hand shape direction acquiring section and a reference axis indicating a direction of the hand shape at a time the contact position acquiring section has detected a contact by the operator to the operation surface becomes larger than a predefined angle.