Touchless interfaces
First Claim
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1. A handheld device comprising:
- a display screen and a plurality of acoustic transducers as part of a user interface, said transducers being arranged in at least two parallel rows; and
a processing system configured to process a user input to the handheld device by using acoustic signals reflected off an object to estimate a shape and/or position of the object, and/or to characterise a motion of the object, the acoustic signals being transmitted through air towards the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers and/or being received through the air from the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers.
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Abstract
The shape or position of an object is estimated using a device comprising one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, forming a set of at least two transmitter-receiver combinations. Signals are transmitted from the transmitters, through air, to the object. They are reflected by the object and received by the receivers. A subset of the transmitter-receiver combinations which give rise to a received signal meeting a predetermined clarity criterion is determined. The positions of points on the object are estimated using substantially only signals from the subset of combinations.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A handheld device comprising:
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a display screen and a plurality of acoustic transducers as part of a user interface, said transducers being arranged in at least two parallel rows; and a processing system configured to process a user input to the handheld device by using acoustic signals reflected off an object to estimate a shape and/or position of the object, and/or to characterise a motion of the object, the acoustic signals being transmitted through air towards the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers and/or being received through the air from the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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- 18. A method of operating a handheld device comprising a display screen and a plurality of acoustic transducers arranged in at least two parallel rows, the method comprising using acoustic signals reflected off an object to estimate a shape and/or position of the object, and/or to characterise a motion of the object, the acoustic signals being transmitted through air towards the object from said plurality of acoustic transducers and/or being received through the air from the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers.
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21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing computer software configured, when run on a handheld device comprising a display screen and a plurality of acoustic transducers arranged in at least two parallel rows, to use acoustic signals reflected off an object to estimate a shape and/or position of the object, and/or to characterise a motion of the object, the acoustic signals being transmitted through air towards the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers and/or being received through the air from the object by said plurality of acoustic transducers.
Specification