Velocity-based triggering

• US 9,547,406 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Aaron, Braun, Max Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US13/285,597
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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

Methods and devices for providing a user-interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising receiving data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising a view region and a menu. The method further comprises receiving movement data corresponding to an upward movement of the wearable computing device to a second position above the first position and, based on the movement data, making a first determination that the upward movement has an upward angular velocity along an upward direction. The method further includes making a second determination that the upward angular velocity exceeds a threshold upward angular velocity and, responsive to the first and second determinations, causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising;

a view region, and

a menu, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of menu objects, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and the menu is not fully visible in the view region;

receiving movement data corresponding to an upward movement of the wearable computing device to a second position above the first position;

based on the movement data, making a first determination that the upward movement has an upward angular velocity along an upward direction;

making a second determination that the upward angular velocity exceeds a threshold upward angular velocity, wherein the threshold upward angular velocity is based on at least one of user preference or calibration data; and

responsive to the first and second determinations, causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region comprises causing one or more of the menu objects to move downward with respect to the view region so as to become visible in the view region, and wherein individual menu objects visible in the view region are selectable by one or more additional movements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu comprises causing the wearable computing device to move the menu at a rate based at least on the upward angular velocity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu is located above the view region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu is arranged along an at least partial ring located above the view region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least partial ring is substantially centered over the wearable computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein when the wearable computing device is at the first position the view region is substantially empty.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein when the wearable computing device is at the first position the menu is not visible in the view region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the upward angular velocity comprises an average upward angular velocity over a period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the movement data, making a third determination that the upward movement has a non-upward angular velocity along a non-upward direction; and

making a fourth determination that the non-upward angular velocity does not exceed a threshold non-upward angular velocity, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu is further responsive to the third and fourth determinations.

10. A wearable computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively cause the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising;

a view region, and

a menu, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of menu objects, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and the menu is not fully visible in the view region;

receive movement data corresponding to an upward movement of the wearable computing device to a second position above the first position;

based on the movement data, make a first determination that the upward movement has an upward angular velocity along an upward direction;

make a second determination that the upward angular velocity exceeds a threshold upward angular velocity, wherein the threshold upward angular velocity is based on at least one of user preference or calibration data; and

responsive to the first and second determinations, cause the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region comprises causing one or more of the menu objects to move downward with respect to the view region so as to become visible in the view region, and wherein individual menu objects visible in the view region are selectable by one or more additional movements.

11. The wearable computing device of claim 10, further comprising a display configured to provide the user-interface.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 10, further comprising a movement sensor configured to detect the upward movement.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 12, wherein the movement sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 12, wherein the movement sensor is further configured to detect non-upward movement.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 10, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu comprises causing the wearable computing device to move the menu at a rate based at least on the upward angular velocity.

16. The wearable computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to:

based on the movement data, make a third determination that the upward movement has a non-upward angular velocity along a non-upward direction; and

make a fourth determination that the non-upward angular velocity does not exceed a threshold non-upward angular velocity, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu is further responsive to the third and fourth determinations.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising;

a view region, and

a menu, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of menu objects, wherein the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and the menu is not fully visible in the view region;

receiving movement data corresponding to an upward movement of the wearable computing device to a second position above the first position;

based on the movement data, making a first determination that the upward movement has an upward angular velocity along an upward direction;

making a second determination that the upward angular velocity exceeds a threshold upward angular velocity, wherein the threshold upward angular velocity is based on at least one of user preference or calibration data; and

responsive to the first and second determinations, causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region comprises causing one or more of the menu objects to move downward with respect to the view region so as to become visible in the view region, and wherein individual menu objects visible in the view region are selectable by one or more additional movements.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein causing the wearable computing device to move the menu comprises causing the wearable computing device to move the menu at a rate based at least on the upward angular velocity.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the menu is located above the view region.