Light-based proximity detection system and user interface
First Claim
1. An electronic device, comprising:
- a housing;
a display mounted in said housing;
a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in said housing near the edges of said display and directed outward from said display, for detecting presence of an object in an open space outside said display and near the edges of said display; and
a processor mounted in said housing and coupled with said display and with said proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to user activation of elements of a graphical user interface (GUI), each GUI element being associated with an operation performed by the processor, the GUI comprising a layout of the GUI elements that is larger that said display, each GUI element corresponding to a location within the layout, the layout comprising;
a displayed portion that is rendered by the processor on said display; and
a virtual non-displayed portion in the open space that extends beyond the edges of said display,wherein said processor pans said layout to move some of said GUI elements into the displayed portion and to move others of said GUI elements into the virtual non-displayed portion, and wherein, responsive to said proximity sensors detecting location of the object in the open space outside of said display, said processor maps a location within the virtual non-displayed portion of said layout to the detected location, and performs the operation associated with the GUI element corresponding to the mapped location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic device, including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in the housing near the edges of the display and directed outward from the display, for detecting presence of an object outside the display and near the edges of the display, and a processor mounted in the housing and coupled with the display and with the proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to user activation of elements of a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI including a displayed portion that is rendered by the processor on the display, and a virtual non-displayed portion that extends beyond the edges of the display, wherein the processor operates the device responsive to user activation of elements of the virtual portion of the GUI, based on the proximity sensors detecting presence of an object in the non-displayed portion of the GUI.
85 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electronic device, comprising:
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a housing; a display mounted in said housing; a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in said housing near the edges of said display and directed outward from said display, for detecting presence of an object in an open space outside said display and near the edges of said display; and a processor mounted in said housing and coupled with said display and with said proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to user activation of elements of a graphical user interface (GUI), each GUI element being associated with an operation performed by the processor, the GUI comprising a layout of the GUI elements that is larger that said display, each GUI element corresponding to a location within the layout, the layout comprising; a displayed portion that is rendered by the processor on said display; and a virtual non-displayed portion in the open space that extends beyond the edges of said display, wherein said processor pans said layout to move some of said GUI elements into the displayed portion and to move others of said GUI elements into the virtual non-displayed portion, and wherein, responsive to said proximity sensors detecting location of the object in the open space outside of said display, said processor maps a location within the virtual non-displayed portion of said layout to the detected location, and performs the operation associated with the GUI element corresponding to the mapped location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An electronic device that simulates a racing car game, comprising:
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a housing; a display mounted in said housing; a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in said housing and directed outward from said housing, for detecting presence of an object in an open space outside said housing and near the edges of said housing; and a processor mounted in said housing and coupled with said proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to said proximity sensors detecting a movement of the object, conforming to an arc-shaped gesture partially circumscribing the housing, in the open space, wherein the device simulates a racing car game on said display, wherein the arc-shaped gesture conforms to steering of a virtual steering wheel located on a circle in the open space surrounding said housing, and wherein said processor simulates steering a racing car responsive to the movement of the object. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An electronic device that simulates a shooting game, comprising:
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a housing; a display mounted in said housing; a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in said housing and directed outward from said housing, for detecting presence of an object in an open space outside said housing and near the edges of said housing; and a processor mounted in said housing and coupled with said proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to said proximity sensors detecting a movement of the object, conforming to an arc-shaped gesture partially circumscribing the housing, in the open space, wherein, responsive to said proximity sensors detecting three-dimensional movement of the object opposite a first edge of said housing, said processor manipulates a weapon rendered on said display in a three-dimensional virtual space mapped to the shooting game. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A music player, comprising:
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a housing; a display comprising a touch screen mounted in said housing; a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in said housing and directed outward from said housing, for detecting presence of an object in an open space outside said housing and near the edges of said housing; and a processor mounted in said housing and coupled with said proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to said proximity sensors detecting a movement of the object, conforming to an arc-shaped gesture partially circumscribing the housing, in the open space, wherein, responsive to said proximity sensors detecting the movement, said processor adjusts tempo, volume, bass or treble for a song currently being played by said music player, and wherein said display renders a turntable control, and wherein said processor advances the current song responsive to glide gestures on the turntable control.
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Specification