Method and system for interfacing with an electronic device via respiratory and/or tactual input

• US 9,110,500 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pierre Bonnat
• Original Assignee: Pierre Bonnat
• Inventors: Bonnat, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles V
• Application Number:
  US13/314,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for interfacing with an electronic device via respiratory and/or tactual input are provided. In this regard, respiratory and tactual input may be utilized to interact with an electronic device via a user interface. The user interface may comprise a control region that may enable navigating and selecting objects, a fixed region that may enable display of information that may be independent of a state of, or activity in, the control region, and a content region that may enable display of information that may depend on a state of, or activity in, the control region. Accordingly, objects and/or information displayed on the electronic device may be affected and/or manipulated via tactual and respiratory input. Additionally, each region of the user interface may comprise one or more zones and a size, shape, and/or location of each region may be customized by a user.

Claims

1. A method for system control, the method comprising:

in an electronic device comprising a user interface displayed thereon,

interfacing with said electronic device via said user interface utilizing respiratory and tactual input, wherein said user interface comprises;

a control region that enables navigating and selecting objects of said user interface via said respiratory and tactual input, wherein said objects of said user interface are grouped into categories, and

a content region that enables display of information that depends on a state of, or activity in, said control region; and

scrolling through said categories via said tactual input and scrolling through objects grouped into a particular category via said respiratory input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises:

a fixed region that enables display of information that is independent of a state of, or activity in, said control region.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said fixed region comprises one or more fixed zones, said control region comprises one or more control zones, and said content region comprises one or more content zones.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said categories is associated with a background image.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said control region is configurable by a user.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said fixed region is configurable by a user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said content region is configurable by a user.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising scrolling information displayed on said electronic device via said respiratory input and scrolling information displayed on said electronic device via said tactual input.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising enlarging and/or shrinking information displayed on said electronic device via said tactual and/or said respiratory input, wherein a reference point for said enlarging and/or shrinking is selected via said tactual input and an amount by which said information is enlarged and/or shrunk is controlled via said respiratory input.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising utilizing said respiratory input to scroll one or more objects from said content region into said control region.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said fixed region, said control region, and/or said content region depends on an application and/or function being utilized on said electronic device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device may comprise one or more of a phone, a notebook computer, a personal media player, a personal digital assistant, and/or a multi-function mobile device.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more objects in said content region become selectable using said tactual input, when scrolled into said control region using said respiratory input.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for system control, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

in an electronic device comprising a user interface displayed thereon,

interfacing with said electronic device via said user interface utilizing respiratory and tactual input, wherein said user interface comprises;

a control region that enables navigating and selecting objects of said user interface via said respiratory and tactual input, wherein said objects of said user interface are grouped into categories, and

a content region that enables display of information that depends on a state of, or activity in, said control region; and

scrolling through said categories via said tactual input and scrolling through objects grouped into a particular category via said respiratory input.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said user interface comprises:

a fixed region that enables display of information that is independent of a state of, or activity in, said control region.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 14, wherein said fixed region comprises one or more fixed zones, said control region comprises one or more control zones, and said content region comprises one or more content zones.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein each of said categories is associated with a background image.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said control region is configurable by a user.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 14, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said fixed region is configurable by a user.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said content region is configurable by a user.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for scrolling information displayed on said electronic device via said respiratory input and scrolling information displayed on said electronic device via said tactual input.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for enlarging and/or shrinking information displayed on said electronic device via said tactual and/or said respiratory input, wherein a reference point for said enlarging and/or shrinking is selected via said tactual input and an amount by which said information is enlarged and/or shrunk is controlled via said respiratory input.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for utilizing said respiratory input to scroll one or more objects from said content region into said control region.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 14, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said fixed region, said control region, and/or said content region depends on an application and/or function being utilized on said electronic device.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said electronic device may comprise one or more of a phone, a notebook computer, a personal media player, a personal digital assistant, and/or a multi-function mobile device.

38. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein one or more objects in said content region become selectable using said tactual input, when scrolled into said control region using said respiratory input.

25. A control system comprising:

in an electronic device comprising a user interface displayed thereon, one or more processors that enable interfacing with said electronic device via said user interface utilizing respiratory and tactual input, wherein said user interface comprises;

a control region that enables navigating and selecting objects of said user interface via said respiratory and tactual input, wherein said objects of said user interface are grouped into categories, and

a content region that enables display of information that depends on a state of, or activity in, said control region; and

wherein scrolling through said categories via said tactual input and scrolling through objects grouped into a particular category via said respiratory input.

26. The control system according to claim 25, wherein said user interface comprises:

a fixed region that enables display of information that is independent of a state of, or activity in, said control region.

27. The control system according to claim 26, wherein said fixed region comprises one or more fixed zones, said control region comprises one or more control zones, and said content region comprises one or more content zones.

28. The control system according to claim 25, wherein each of said categories is associated with a background image.

29. The control system according to claim 25, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said control region is configurable by a user.

30. The control system according to claim 26, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said fixed region is configurable by a user.

31. The control system according to claim 25, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said content region is configurable by a user.

32. The control system according to claim 25, wherein said one or more processors enable scrolling information displayed on said electronic device via said respiratory input and scrolling information displayed on said electronic device via said tactual input.

33. The control system according to claim 25, said one or more processors enable enlarging and/or shrinking information displayed on said electronic device via said tactual and/or said respiratory input, wherein a reference point for said enlarging and/or shrinking is selected via said tactual input and an amount by which said information is enlarged and/or shrunk is controlled via said respiratory input.

34. The control system according to claim 25, wherein said one or more processors enable utilizing said respiratory input to scroll one or more objects from said content region into said control region.

35. The control system according to claim 26, wherein one or more of a size, a shape, and a location of said fixed region, said control region, and/or said content region depends on an application and/or function being utilized on said electronic device.

36. The control system according to claim 25, wherein said electronic device may comprise one or more of a phone, a notebook computer, a personal media player, a personal digital assistant, and/or a multi-function mobile device.

39. The control system according to claim 25, wherein one or more objects in said content region become selectable using said tactual input, when scrolled into said control region using said respiratory input.