Method and apparatus for controlling screen by tracking head of user through camera module, and computer-readable recording medium therefor

• US 9,465,437 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ahn, Jaihyun, Kim, Daesung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLS-BURNS, CHINEYERE D
• Application Number:
  US14/998,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Controlling a screen by tracking user'"'"'s head using a camera module is described, comprising: (a) when a request for displaying contents is received, displaying a plurality of content regions on a screen and tracking the head of the user looking at the screen through the camera module; and (b) when it is determined in the tracking that the head of the user moves in a specific direction in a state where information on a first content is displayed in a central content region among the plurality of content regions, displaying, in the central content region, information on a second content which was displayed in a peripheral content region, the peripheral content region being positioned in the specific direction or in a direction opposite to the specific direction from the central content region.

Claims

1. A method comprising

receiving a request to display content;

displaying a plurality of content regions on a screen;

tracking a head of a user viewing the screen via a camera module;

determining that the head of the user moves in a specific direction in a state where first content is displayed in a central content region among the plurality of content regions;

displaying, in the central content region, second content that was displayed in a peripheral content region; and

displaying a camera screen captured by the camera module on a part of the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the camera screen to a predetermined screen control button when a touch input is generated on the camera screen.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising highlighting the displayed central content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first content and the second content includes at least one of a photo, image, moving image, document, and audio content.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising making a movement to a detailed screen for specific content if the specific content is continuously displayed in the central content region for a predetermined time without detecting movement of the head of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying an image indicator indicating whether there is previous or next content upon detection that the head of the user moves in a specific direction.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

allowing the detailed screen to be enlarged upon detecting that the head of the user approaches the camera module; and

allowing the detailed screen to be reduced upon detecting that the head of the user is remote from the camera module.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

allowing the detailed screen to be scrolled in a specific direction upon detecting that the head of the user moves in the specific direction; and

allowing the detailed screen to be scrolled in an opposite direction upon detecting that the head of the user moves in a direction opposite to the specific direction.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising reproducing a moving image upon detecting that the specific content is a moving image and it is detected that the head of the user moves in a first direction.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising stopping the reproduction of the moving image upon detecting that the head of the user moves in the first direction while the moving image is reproduced.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, making a movement to a screen on which the plurality of content regions are displayed upon detecting that the head of the user moves in a second direction in a state where reproduction of the moving image is stopped.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying a camera screen captured by the camera module on a part of the screen; and

changing the camera screen to a predetermined screen control button when a touch input is generated on the camera screen.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a screen;

a camera module;

head tracking unit for tracking a head of a user viewing a screen through the camera module; and

a screen control unit for displaying a plurality of content regions on the screen when a display request of content is received, and displaying, in a central content region, information on second content that was displayed in a peripheral content region when it is determined that the head of the user moves in a specific direction in a state where information on a first content is displayed in the central content region among the plurality of content regions, the peripheral content region being positioned in the specific direction or in a direction opposite to the specific direction from the central content region, wherein the screen control unit further displays a camera screen captured by the camera module on a part of the screen, and changes the camera screen to a predetermined screen control button when a touch input is generated on the camera screen.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the screen control unit displays the plurality of content regions on the screen in a grid arrangement.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the screen control unit displays the plurality of content regions on the screen so that they are shown to the user to be arranged in the form of a three-dimensional sphere.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the screen control unit controls the screen so that the central content region is positioned in the center part of the screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the screen control unit presents Information about whether the head tracking is successfully performed for the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the screen control unit presents the information about whether the head tracking is successfully performed by changing a color of a region of the screen.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the screen control unit additionally displays a predetermined screen control button, and wherein the screen control unit displays, in the central content region, the information on the second content which was displayed in a peripheral content region when it is determined that the head of the user moves in a specific direction in a state where the predetermined screen control button is selected.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the screen control unit additionally displays a predetermined screen control button, wherein if the predetermined screen control button is selected by continuously pressing the button for a predetermined time t1, the screen control unit holds the displaying of the information on the second content in the central content region until the predetermined screen control button is selected again by continuously pressing the button for a predetermined time t2.