Method for displaying approached interaction areas

• US 8,334,837 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Radivojevic, Zoran, Lehtiniemi, Reijo
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Application Number:
  US10/985,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,960 Days
• Field of Search: 345154-170, 715/700
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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

Abstract

A method, a computer program and a computer program product for interacting with a device via an interaction unit, wherein the interaction unit comprises a plurality of interaction areas that can be activated by an activation unit to effect the interaction, the method comprising detecting approached interaction areas, wherein the approached interaction areas are interaction areas that are approached by the activation unit without yet being activated; displaying representations of the approached interaction areas on a display of the device. The invention further relates to the device itself and to a module for such a device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing projection of a virtual interaction unit comprising a plurality of interaction areas configured for activation by an activation unit onto a surface located adjacent to a device;

detecting an approached interaction area of said virtual interaction unit, wherein said approached interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that is approached by said activation unit without yet being activated;

detecting an activated interaction area, wherein said activated interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas activated by said activation unit,

causing display of a first representation of said approached interaction area in response to said activation unit approaching said approached interaction area on a display of said device in a first representation mode only when an interaction with said device is required, and causing display of a second representation of said activated interaction area in response to activation of said activated interaction area by said activation unit on said display in a second representation mode, wherein said second representation of said activated interaction area is displayed until said activation unit is removed from said activated interaction area,

wherein said second representation is configured for display at the same location on said display as said first representation when said approached interaction area and said activated interaction area are the same interaction area of said plurality of interaction areas, and

wherein of said plurality of interaction areas only representations of approached interaction areas and activated interaction areas are displayed in real-time on said display, and said representations of approached and activated interaction areas are simultaneously displayed on said display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first representation of said approached interaction area displayed on said display preserve information on the positioning of said plurality interaction areas on said interaction unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first representation of said approached interaction area displayed on said display cover other content displayed on said display.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first representation of said approached interaction area displayed on said display semi-transparently overlay other content displayed on said display.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first representation of said approached interaction area are displayed on said display in a way that a minimum amount of interference with relevant parts of other content displayed on said display is caused.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first representation of said approached interaction area and said second representation of said activated interaction area are only displayed on said display if at least one of said plurality interaction areas has been approached by said activation unit during a pre-defined period of time.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of interaction areas is associated with at least one interaction with said device, and wherein said associations can be re-configured.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said virtual interaction unit and said display are not positioned on substantially opposite sides of said device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said virtual interaction unit is an optically projected keyboard, and wherein said plurality of interaction areas are keys of said keyboard.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein approached keys of said keyboard are detected by optic and/or electromagnetic and/or sound waves.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said approached keys of said keyboard are detected by sensors that are contained in said keyboard, and wherein said sensors are thermal and/or electric and/or optic and/or electromagnetic and/or haptic sensors.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said virtual interaction unit is an optically projected virtual keyboard.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said virtual interaction unit is an optically projected virtual keyboard, and wherein detecting approached interaction areas and detecting activated interaction areas are performed by the same instance of said device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of interaction areas of said virtual interaction unit are keys of a keyboard, wherein a schematic image of at least a portion of said keyboard is at least temporarily displayed on said display, and wherein approached keys of said keyboard are accentuated by changing an appearance of said approached keys in said schematic image.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said appearance of said approached keys in said schematic image is changed by changing a color and/or size and/or texture of said approached keys or by furnishing said approached keys with a frame or circle or a with spot light.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said device is capable of text processing.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said device is a portable device.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embedded with a computer program, comprising programming code for:

causing projection of a virtual interaction unit comprising a plurality of interaction areas configured for activation by an activation unit onto a surface;

detecting an approached interaction area of said virtual interaction unit, wherein said approached interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that is approached by said activation unit without yet being activated;

detecting an activated interaction area, wherein said activated interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas activated by said activation unit,

causing display of a first representation of said approached interaction area in response to said activation unit approaching said approached interaction area on a display of said device in a first representation mode only when an interaction with said device is required, and causing display of a second representation of said activated interaction area in response to activation of said activated interaction area by said activation unit on said display in a second representation mode, wherein said second representation of said activated interaction area is displayed until said activation unit is removed from said activated interaction area,

wherein said second representation is configured for display at the same location on said display as said first representation when said approached interaction area and said activated interaction area are the same interaction area of said plurality of interaction areas, and

wherein of said plurality of interaction areas only representations of approached interaction areas and activated interaction areas are displayed in real-time on said display, and said representations of approached and activated interaction areas are simultaneously displayed on said display.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a projector configured to project a virtual interaction unit comprising a plurality of interaction areas onto a surface adjacent said apparatus, wherein said plurality of interaction areas can be activated by an activation unit to effect an interaction with said apparatus;

a detection unit for detecting an approached interaction area, wherein said approached interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that is approached by said activation unit without yet being activated, and for detecting an activated interaction area, wherein said activated interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that have been activated by said activation unit; and

a display for displaying a first representation of said approached interaction area in a first representation mode in response to said activation unit approaching said approached interaction area only when an interaction with said apparatus is required, and for displaying a second representation of said activated interaction area in a second representation mode in response to activation of said activated interaction areas by said activation unit, wherein said second representation of said activated interaction area is displayed until said activation unit is removed from said activated interaction area,

wherein said second representation is configured for display at the same location on said display as said first representation when said approached interaction area and said activated interaction area are the same interaction area of said plurality of interaction areas, and

wherein of said plurality of interaction areas only representations of approached interaction areas and activated interaction areas are displayed in real-time on said display, and said representations of approached and activated interaction areas are simultaneously displayed on said display.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for projecting a virtual interaction unit comprising a plurality of interaction areas that can be activated by an activation unit onto a surface adjacent to said apparatus;

means for detecting an approached interaction area, wherein said approached interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that is approached by said activation unit without yet being activated and for detecting an activated interaction area, wherein said activated interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that have been activated by said activation unit; and

means for displaying a first representation of said approached interaction area in a first representation mode in response to said activation unit approaching said approached interaction area only when an interaction with said apparatus is required, and for displaying a second representation of said activated interaction area in a second representation mode in response to activation of said activated interaction area by said activation unit, wherein said second representation of said activated interaction area is displayed until said activation unit is removed from said activated interaction area,

wherein said second representation is configured for display at the same location on said display as said first representation when said approached interaction area and said activated interaction area are the same interaction area of said plurality of interaction areas, and

wherein of said plurality of interaction areas only representations of approached interaction areas and activated interaction areas are displayed in real-time on said means for displaying, and said representations of approached and activated interaction areas are simultaneously displayed on said means for displaying.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including computer program instructions, the memory and the computer program instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the processor, cause the apparatus to;

cause projection of a virtual interaction unit comprising a plurality of interaction areas configured for activation by an activation unit onto a surface located adjacent to the apparatus;

detect an approached interaction area of said virtual interaction unit, wherein said approached interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas that is approached by said activation unit without yet being activated;

detect an activated interaction area, wherein said activated interaction area is one of said plurality of interaction areas activated by said activation unit,

cause display of a first representation of said approached interaction area in response to said activation unit approaching said approached interaction area on a display of said apparatus in a first representation mode only when an interaction with said apparatus is required, and cause display of a second representation of said activated interaction area in response to activation of said activated interaction area by said activation unit on said display in a second representation mode, wherein said second representation of said activated interaction area is displayed until said activation unit is removed from said activated interaction area,

wherein said second representation is configured for display at the same location on said display as said first representation when said approached interaction area and said activated interaction area are the same interaction area of said plurality of interaction areas, and

wherein of said plurality of interaction areas only representations of approached interaction areas and activated interaction areas are displayed in real-time on said display, and said representations of approached and activated interaction areas are simultaneously displayed on said display.