Techniques for touch and non-touch user interaction input

• US 9,152,306 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Glen J., Yosher, Albert, Chun, Anthony L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US13/948,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/175, 178 1803- 1807, 178/18.09, 715/863, 715/864
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Various embodiments are generally directed a method and apparatus having a touch screen module to receive first input data from a touch screen sensor based on one or more detected touch inputs at a first location of a virtual object displayed on a display. In addition, an ultrasonic module may receive second input data from an ultrasonic sensor based on detected non-touch motion associated with the virtual object. The detected non-touch motion may be tracked from the first location to a second location in a direction away from the first location based on the second input data and used to determine the second location for the virtual object based on the tracking.

Claims

1. A computing device to detect motion comprising:

a processor component;

a touch screen module for execution on the processor component to receive first input data from a touch screen sensor based on one or more detected touch inputs at a first location of a virtual object presented on a display;

an ultrasonic input module for execution on the processor component to receive second input data from an ultrasonic sensor based on detected non-touch motion associated with the virtual object; and

a virtual object tracker module for execution on the processor component to track the detected non-touch motion from the first location on the display to a second location in a direction away from the display based on the second input data.

2. The computing device of claim 1, the one or more touch inputs comprising a touch gesture to select the virtual object and the non-touch motion comprising a directional motion to indicate movement of the virtual object on a plane different than a display plane.

3. The computing device of claim 1, comprising:

an object and gesture recognition module for execution on the processor component to determine a gesture associated with the non-touch motion based on the second input data.

4. The computing device of claim 3, the virtual object tracker module to track the non-touch motion based on information received from the object and gesture recognition module and to determine the second location based on the information.

5. The computing device of claim 4, the virtual object tracker module to determine that the virtual object is released at the second location based on the second input data and the gesture.

6. The computing device of claim 1, comprising an object velocity and directional module for execution on the processor component to determine one or more of a trajectory and a velocity of the virtual object based on information received from the virtual object tracker module.

7. The computing device of claim 6, comprising:

a virtual object behavior module for execution on the processor component to detect movement of the virtual object to the second location based on information received from the object velocity and directional module; and

a screen rendering module for execution on the processor component to change a rendering of the virtual object from a first rendering associated with the first location to a second rendering associated with the second location.

8. The computing device of claim 1, the ultrasonic sensor to detect motion at a distance from the display of 10 centimeters or less.

9. The computing device of claim 1, comprising:

a housing to house one or more components of the apparatus, the housing comprising a bezel surrounding the display and the ultrasonic sensor arranged within the bezel of the housing.

10. The computing device of claim 1, the virtual object comprising at least one of an image, an application, a file, a photo, a video file, an email or contact data.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving first input data from a touch screen sensor based on one or more detected touch inputs at a first location of a virtual object presented on a display;

receiving second input data from an ultrasonic sensor based on detected non-touch motion associated with the virtual object; and

tracking the detected non-touch motion from the first location to a second location the detected non-touch motion from the first location on the display to a second location in a direction away from the display based on the second input data.

12. The method of claim 11, the one or more touch inputs comprising a touch gesture to select the virtual object and the non-touch motion comprising a directional motion to indicate movement of the virtual object on a plane different than a display plane.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining a gesture associated with the non-touch motion based on the second input data.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

tracking the non-touch motion based on information received from the object and gesture recognition module and to determine the second location based on the information.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

determining that the virtual object is released at the second location based on the second input data and the gesture.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining one or more of a trajectory and a velocity of the virtual object based on information received from the virtual object tracker module.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

detecting movement of the virtual object to the second location based on information received from the object velocity and directional module; and

changing a rendering of the virtual object from a first rendering associated with the first location to a second rendering associated with the second location.

18. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of instructions that when executed enable a processing circuit to:

receive first input data from a touch screen sensor based on one or more detected touch inputs at a first location of a virtual object presented on a display;

receive second input data from an ultrasonic sensor based on detected non-touch motion associated with the virtual object; and

track the detected non-touch motion from the first location to a second location in a direction away from the display based on the second input data.

19. The article of claim 18, the one or more touch inputs comprising a touch gesture to select the virtual object and the non-touch motion comprising a directional motion to indicate movement of the virtual object on a plane different than a display plane.

20. The article of claim 18, comprising instructions that when executed enable the processing circuit to determine a gesture associated with the non-touch motion based on the second input data.

21. The article of claim 20, comprising instructions that when executed enable the processing circuit to track the non-touch motion based on information received from the object and gesture recognition module and to determine the second location based on the information.

22. The article of claim 21, comprising instructions that when executed enable the processing circuit to determine that the virtual object is released at the second location based on the second input data and the gesture.

23. The article of claim 18, comprising instructions that when executed enable the processing circuit to determine one or more of a trajectory and a velocity of the virtual object based on information received from the virtual object tracker module.

24. The article of claim 23, comprising instructions that when executed enable the processing circuit to:

detect movement of the virtual object to the second location based on information received from the object velocity and directional module; and

change a rendering of the virtual object from a first rendering associated with the first location to a second rendering associated with the second location.