User interface systems and methods for managing multiple regions

• US 9,575,562 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Cheng, Ethan, Ostberg, Anna
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/668,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user interface system includes a plane registration module configured to identify a first plane within an environment, and a gesture and posture recognition (GPR) module configured to observe a first allocation gesture, a second allocation gesture, a first modal gesture, a second modal gesture, and a third modal gesture within the environment. A region definition module is configured to determine a first region comprising a first portion of the first plane based on the first allocation gesture, and to determine a second region comprising a second portion of the first plane based on the second allocation gesture. A mode determination module is configured to determine different interaction modes for the various regions. A visual feedback module is configured to provide visual feedback associated with a parameter of the first region.

Claims

1. A user interface system comprising:

a plane registration module, the plane registration module configured to identify a first plane within an environment;

a gesture and posture recognition (GPR) module, the GPR module configured to observe a first allocation gesture, a second allocation gesture, a first modal gesture, a second modal gesture, and a third modal gesture within the environment;

a region definition module, the region definition module configured to;

determine, as defined by the first allocation gesture, a first region comprising a first portion of the first plane, and

determine, as defined by the second allocation gesture, a second region comprising a second portion of the first plane;

a mode determination module, the mode determination module configured to;

determine, as defined by the first modal gesture, a first interaction mode of the first region, the first interaction mode of the first region comprising a first plurality of commands for a user to interact with a device,

determine, as defined by the second modal gesture, a first interaction mode of the second region, the first interaction mode of the second region comprising a second plurality of commands for the user to interact with the device, and

determine, as defined by the third modal gesture, a second interaction mode of the first region, the second interaction mode of the first region comprising a third plurality of commands for the user to interact with the device,

wherein the first interaction mode of the first region and the second interaction mode of the first region are different, wherein the first interaction mode and the second interaction mode are each at least one selected from a group consisting of a touch input mode, a key-press interaction mode, and a handwritten text interaction mode; and

a visual feedback module including visual feedback circuitry, the visual feedback module configured to provide visual feedback associated with a parameter of the first region.

2. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the plane registration module is configured to identify a second plane within the environment, wherein the first plane and the second plane are non-parallel;

the GPR module is configured to observe a third allocation gesture; and

the region definition module is configured to determine a third region comprising a first portion of the second plane based on the third allocation gesture.

3. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the region definition module is configured to determine the first region based on an “

L”

-shaped allocation posture.

4. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the first allocation gesture comprises a wiping motion.

5. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the first interaction mode comprises a display output.

6. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the GPR module is further configured to observe a termination gesture; and

the region definition module is further configured to de-allocate the first region based on the termination gesture.

7. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the GPR module is further configured to observe a relocation gesture; and

the region definition module is configured to change a geometrical attribute of the first region based on the relocation gesture.

8. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the parameter of the first region comprises a boundary between the first region and the second region.

9. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the parameter of the first region comprises the first interaction mode.

10. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the first plane corresponds to a portion of a human body.

11. A user interface system comprising:

a gesture and posture recognition (GPR) module, the GPR module configured to observe a first allocation posture and a first modal gesture within an environment;

a plane registration module, the plane registration module configured to identify, based on the first allocation posture, a first plane within an environment, the first allocation posture comprising a first digit of a hand and a second digit of the hand held substantially perpendicular to each other;

a region definition module, the region definition module configured to determine, as defined by the first allocation posture, a first region comprising a first portion of the first plane;

a mode determination module, the mode determination module configured to determine, based on the first modal gesture, a first interaction mode of the first region, the first interaction mode comprising a plurality of commands for a user to interact with a device, wherein the first interaction mode is at least one selected from a group consisting of a touch input mode, a key-press interaction mode, and a handwritten text interaction mode.

12. The user interface system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the size and the shape of the first region is based on a length of at least one of the first digit and the second digit.

13. The user interface system of claim 12, wherein the first region is a substantially rectangular region having a side substantially corresponding to the length of the first digit.

14. A user interface method comprising:

identifying a first plane within an environment;

observing a first allocation gesture, a second allocation gesture, a first modal gesture, a second modal gesture, and a third modal gesture within the environment;

determining, as defined by the first allocation gesture, a first region comprising a first portion of the first plane;

determining, as defined by the second allocation gesture, a second region comprising a second portion of the first plane;

determining, as defined by the first modal gesture, a first interaction mode of the first region, the first interaction mode of the first region comprising a first plurality of commands for a user to interact with a device;

determining, as defined by the first modal gesture, a first interaction mode of the second region, the first interaction mode of the second region comprising a second set of commands for the user to interact with the device;

determining, as defined by the first modal gesture, a second interaction mode of the first region, the second interaction mode of the second region comprising a third set of commands for the user to interact with the device, wherein the first interaction mode of the first region and the second interaction mode of the first region are different, wherein the first interaction mode and the second interaction mode are each at least one selected from a group consisting of a touch input mode, a key-press interaction mode, and a handwritten text interaction mode; and

providing, via a processor, visual feedback associated with a parameter of the first region.

15. The method of claim 14, further including:

identifying a second plane within the environment, wherein the first plane and the second plane are non-parallel;

observing a third allocation gesture; and

determining a third region comprising a first portion of the second plane based on the third allocation gesture.

16. The method of claim 14, further including:

if a termination gesture is observed, de-allocating the first region based on the termination gesture; and

if a relocation gesture is observed, changing a geometrical attribute of the first region based on the relocation gesture.