Input system

• US 9,035,878 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Aaron Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Application Number:
  US13/408,905
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/156, 345/157
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Methods and systems involving a graphic display in a head mounted display (HMD) are disclosed herein. An exemplary system may be configured to: (1) display a pointer and a graphic object in a graphic display; (2) receive body movement data; (3) use the body movement data as a basis to move the pointer in the graphic display; (4) define an active region in an area of the graphic display, where the graphic object is activated when the pointer is located within the active region; (5) define an expanded active region that encompasses and is larger than the active region; and (6) make the graphic object active in response to the pointer being moved into the active region and keep the graphic object active until the pointer is moved outside of the expanded active region.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to;

display a pointer in a graphic display, wherein at least one graphic object is also displayed in the graphic display;

receive body-movement data that is indicative of body movement;

use the body-movement data as a basis to move the pointer in the graphic display;

define an active region in an area of the graphic display that corresponds to the graphic object, wherein a boundary of the active region is defined by an outline of the graphic object;

define an expanded active region in an area of the graphic display that encompasses and is larger than the area of the graphic display occupied by the graphic object; and

make the graphic object active in response to the pointer being moved into the active region and then keep the graphic object active until the pointer is moved outside of the expanded active region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a wearable computer having a head-mounted display (HMD), the system further comprises the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and further executable by at least one processor to, while the graphic object is active, receive input data that indicates to initiate an action that corresponds to the graphic object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the action comprises selection of the graphic object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a speed parameter maps a given amount of body movement to a first amount of selection-icon movement, and wherein the system further comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to adjust the speed parameter so as to map a second amount of selection-icon movement to the given amount of body movement, wherein the second amount differs from the first amount.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

determine a velocity corresponding to the body movement; and

while the graphic object is active, prevent the pointer from moving outside of the expanded active region unless the determined velocity is less than a predetermined exit velocity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to make the graphic object active in response to the pointer being moved into the active region comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

determine that the pointer is within the active region for at least a predetermined period of time; and

responsively initiate an action that is associated with the graphic object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to make the graphic object active in response to the pointer being moved into the active region comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

determine that the pointer is moving at a rate of movement that is less than a predetermined rate of movement; and

responsive to the rate of movement falling below the rate of movement, initiate an action that corresponds to the graphic object.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to, in response to the graphic object being made active, provide a visual representation of the expanded active region on the graphic display.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a pointer and at least one graphic object in a graphic display of a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein movement of the pointer in the graphic display is based on a body-movement data;

determining that the pointer is located within an active region, wherein the active region comprises an area of the graphic display that corresponds to a graphic object, and wherein a boundary of the active region is defined by an outline of the graphic object; and

in response to determining that the pointer is located within the active region;

making the graphic object active; and

keeping the graphic object active so long as the pointer is within an expanded active region, wherein the expanded active region comprises an area of the graphic display that encompasses and is larger than the area of the graphic display occupied by the graphic object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the body movement comprises eye movement.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after making the graphic object active:

determining that the pointer is outside the expanded active region; and

responsively deactivating the graphic object.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a speed parameter maps a given amount of body movement to a first amount of selection-icon movement, the method further comprising:

after making the graphic object active, adjusting the speed parameter so as to map a second amount of selection-icon movement to the given amount of body movement, wherein the second amount differs from the first amount.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises, after making the graphic object active, requiring that an acceleration of the pointer exceed a predetermined exit acceleration in order to move the pointer out of the expanded active region.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the pointer has been active for at least a threshold period of time; and

responsively initiating an action that corresponds to the graphic object.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

while the graphic object is active, receiving input data corresponding to an action that is associated with the graphic object; and

responsive to receiving the input data while the graphic object is active, initiating the action.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

displaying a pointer and at least one graphic object in a graphic display of a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein movement of the pointer in the graphic display is based on a body-movement data;

determining that the pointer is located within an active region, wherein the active region comprises an area of the graphic display that corresponds to the graphic object, wherein a boundary of the active region is defined by an outline of the graphic object; and

in response to determining that the pointer is located within the active region;

making the graphic object active; and

keeping the graphic object active so long as the pointer is within an expanded active region, wherein the expanded active region comprises an area of the graphic display that encompasses and is larger than the area of the graphic display occupied by the graphic object.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

after making the graphic object active, determining that the pointer is outside the expanded active region; and

responsively deactivating the graphic object.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein a speed parameter maps a given amount of body movement to a first amount of selection-icon movement, and wherein the functions further comprise:

after making the graphic object active, adjusting the speed parameter so as to map a second amount of selection-icon movement to the given amount of body movement, wherein the second amount differs from the first amount.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

after making the graphic object active, requiring that an acceleration of the pointer exceed a predetermined exit acceleration in order to move the pointer out of the expanded active region.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that the graphic object has been active for at least a threshold period of time; and

responsively initiating an action that corresponds to the graphic object.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

while the graphic object is active, receiving input data corresponding to an action that is associated with the graphic object; and

responsive to receiving the input data while the graphic object is active, initiating the action.