Input mechanisms for electronic devices

• US 9,207,852 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Dong, Karakotsios, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tank, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/332,156
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 715/768, 715/773, 715/796, 715/863, 715/834, 345/175, 386/190
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Elements of a graphical user interface, such as a virtual keypad, can have display characteristics adjusted based upon aspects such as a relative hand or finger position of a user. In one example, the transparency of a keypad used to enter text on a portable computing device can be adjusted based on the distance of a user'"'"'s hand, such that the user can still view content displayed through the interface. A user can also select elements, such as text fields for text entry, by adjusting a relative position of the user'"'"'s hand and performing a selection gesture or other such action. Various types of functionality can be activated in response to a selection gesture, such as to display a keypad of an appropriate transparency.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of enabling text input, comprising:

receiving text input to a computing device via a user feature over an initial period of time;

determining a max input distance corresponding to a maximum distance between a display screen of the computing device and the user feature over the initial period of time; and

over a subsequent period of time,

capturing image information using a camera of the computing device;

analyzing the image information, using a processor of the computing device, to track a relative position of the user feature;

detecting the user feature beyond the max input distance;

causing an interface feature to be displayed over content on a user interface, the interface feature having a transparency level corresponding to a distance of the relative position of the user feature beyond the max input distance and enabling the content to be viewed through the interface feature;

adjusting, using the processor, the transparency level of the interface feature according to changes in the distance of the relative position of the user feature with respect to the display screen over a transparency adjustment range, a shorter distance within the transparency adjustment range resulting in more opacity; and

setting the transparency level to an opaque state and enabling a user to provide input using the interface feature based at least in part on the user feature being determined to be within the max input distance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to select an interface element of the user interface displayed on the display screen by adjusting the relative position of the user feature with respect to the computing device and performing a selection gesture based at least in part on the relative position corresponding to the interface element to be selected, a range of relative positions within a field of view of the camera being mapped to a range of locations of the user interface,

wherein the selection gesture includes bringing a tip of a finger and a tip a thumb on a hand of the user into contact, the contact being determined by analyzing the image information.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

adjusting at least one displayed aspect of the interface element based at least in part on the relative position of the user feature corresponding to a mapped location of the interface element in the user interface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interface feature is fully transparent or not rendered when the user feature is beyond the transparency adjustment range.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transparency adjustment range is configurable by the user, and wherein the max input distance is based at least in part on one of the max input distance or a multiple of the max input distance.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the camera is unable to view the user feature located within a blind spot region near the display screen, the interface feature being displayed in the opaque state based at least in part on the user feature being within a blind spot range of the display screen.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a location at which the interface feature is displayed on the display screen based at least in part on the relative position of the user feature.

8. A computer-implemented method of enabling input on an electronic device, comprising:

displaying content on a display screen of the electronic device;

receiving text input to the electronic device via a user feature over a first period of time;

determining a max input distance corresponding to a maximum distance between the electronic device and the user feature over the first period of time; and

over a second period of time after the first period of time,

receiving a first input from a user,

detecting the user feature beyond the max input distance and causing an interface feature to be displayed on the display screen with an initial transparency level, the initial transparency level enabling at least a portion of the content to be viewable through the interface feature;

detecting the user feature within the max input distance and adjusting a transparency level of the interface feature displayed on the display screen based at least in part on a distance between the user feature and the electronic device, a shorter distance resulting in a lower transparency level; and

enabling the user to provide additional input to the electronic device using the interface feature based at least in part on the interface feature being in a least transparent state.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

capturing image information using a camera of the electronic device; and

analyzing the image information to track a relative position of the user feature,

wherein the relative position corresponds to a second input from the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the second input corresponds to at least one of a squeeze input of a casing of the electronic device, motion of the electronic device, a pressing of a button on the electronic device, a sliding of an object against a touch sensitive area on the electronic device, or a command spoken by the user.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first input and the second input are provided using different features of the user or an object held by the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the different features is located in the image information using at least one of an image recognition algorithm, a contour matching algorithm, a texture matching algorithm, or a color matching algorithm.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

analyzing captured image information to detect a selection gesture performed by at least the user feature, the selection gesture and a relative position of the user feature corresponding to the first input.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the first input corresponds to at least one of a squeeze input of a casing of the electronic device, motion of the electronic device, a pressing of a button on the electronic device, or a command spoken by the user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first input or a second input is determined using at least one of (a) a pair of cameras performing stereoscopic imaging, (b) a camera and a distance sensor determining a relative position and a relative distance of the user feature with respect to the electronic device using still or video image information, or (c) a single camera providing information useful in estimating a relative size of a feature in captured image information.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the least transparent state corresponds to an opaque state.

17. A computing device, comprising:

a device processor;

a display screen; and

a memory device including instructions operable to be executed by the device processor to perform a set of actions, enabling the computing device to;

display content on the display screen;

receive text input to the computing device via a user feature over a first period of time;

determine a max input distance corresponding to a maximum distance between the computing device and the user feature over the first period of time; and

over a second period of time after the first period of time,

receive a first input from a user;

detect the user feature beyond the max input distance and cause an interface element to be displayed on the display screen with an initial transparency level, the initial transparency level enabling at least a portion of the content to be viewable through the interface element;

detect the user feature within beyond the max input distance and adjust a transparency level of the interface element displayed on the display screen based at least in part on a distance between the user feature and the computing device, a shorter distance resulting in a lower transparency level; and

enable the user to provide additional input to the computing device using the interface element based at least in part on the interface element being in a least transparent state.

18. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one motion determining element operable to determine motion of the computing device during at least one of the first input or a second input, the computing device operable to account for the motion when determining at least one of the first input or the second input.

19. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising:

a touch sensitive material around at least a portion of the computing device enabling the user to provide at least one of the first input or a second input.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

capture image information using a camera of the computing device; and

analyze the image information to track a relative position of the user feature,

wherein the relative position corresponds to a second input from the user.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

analyze the image information to detect a selection gesture performed by at least the user feature, the selection gesture and the relative position of the user feature corresponding to the first input.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive text input to a computing device via a user feature over an initial period of time;

determine a max input distance corresponding to a maximum distance between a display screen of the computing device and the user feature over the initial period of time; and

over a subsequent period of time,

capture image information using a camera of the computing device;

analyze the image information to track a relative position of the user feature;

detect the feature beyond the max input distance;

cause an interface element to be displayed over content on a user interface displayed on a display screen of the computing device, the interface element having a transparency level corresponding to a distance of the relative position of the user feature beyond the max input distance and enabling the content to be viewed through the interface element;

adjust the transparency level of the interface element proportional to changes in the distance of the relative position of the user feature with respect to the display screen over a transparency adjustment range, a shorter distance within the transparency adjustment range resulting in a lower transparency level; and

set the transparency level to a least transparent state and enable the user to provide input using the interface element based at least in part on the user feature being determined to be within the max input distance.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

enable the user to select an input element of the user interface displayed on the display screen by adjusting the relative position of the user feature with the respect to the computing device and performing a selection gesture based at least in part on the relative position corresponding to the input element to be selected, a range of relative positions within a field of view of the camera being mapped to a range of locations of the user interface, the interface element being caused to be displayed based at least in part on a selection action.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the selection gesture includes bringing a tip of a finger and a tip of a thumb on a hand of the user into contact, the contact being determined based at least in part on analysis of the image information.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

adjust at least one displayed aspect of the input element based at least in part on the relative position of the user feature corresponding to a mapped location of the interface element in the user interface.