Proximity sensor-based interactions

• US 9,652,044 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian, Koukoumidis, Emmanouil, Aisopos, Konstantinos, Kumar, Sumit
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US14/197,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345157, 345173, 345174, 345177, 715862, 715863, 3406866
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• 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 3/017 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector

Abstract

An application programming interface is provided that allows applications to request and receive distance measurements from multiple proximity sensors arranged on a computing device such as a smart phone or tablet. Users can input ranges of values to the applications by moving objects such as hands and fingers towards and away one or more of the multiple proximity sensors. Applications can use the ranges of values provided by the proximity sensors to allow for more nuanced and precise user interfaces than what is typically available using the binary output associated with a capacitive display. The values provided by the proximity sensors can be combined with values from one or more other sensors such as accelerometers to provide additional user interface options.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

prompting for a selection one or more proximity sensors of a plurality of proximity sensors by a computing device, wherein the computing device comprises the plurality of proximity sensors;

requesting a distance measurement from each of the plurality of proximity sensors by the computing device;

activating a first subset of the plurality of proximity sensors and deactivating a second subset of the plurality of sensors based on the requested distance measurements from each of the plurality of proximity sensors;

receiving a first value from a first proximity sensor of the activated first subset of the plurality of proximity sensors by an application of the computing device, wherein the first value represents a first distance between a first object and the first proximity sensor;

receiving a second value from a second proximity sensor of the activated first subset of the plurality of proximity sensors by the application of the computing device, wherein the second value represents a second distance between a second object and the second proximity sensor; and

performing one or more operations based on both the first value and the second value by the application of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a third value from a sensor other than the first proximity sensor or the second proximity sensor, and performing the one or more operations based on the first value, the second value, and the third value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an accelerometer, global positioning system, a gyroscope, and a capacitive display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a videogame application, a mapping application, a security application, or an authentication application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a first velocity of the first object based on the first value and a previously received value from the first proximity sensor, and determining a second velocity of the second object based on the second value and a previously received value from the second proximity sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing one or more operations based on one or more of the first and second velocities by the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is one or more of a laptop, smart phone, tablet, portable media player, or videogame device.

8. A system comprising:

at least one computing device;

a plurality of proximity sensors; and

an application adapted to;

prompt for a selection one or more proximity sensors of a plurality of proximity sensors;

request a distance measurement from each of the plurality of proximity sensors;

activate a first subset of the plurality of proximity sensors and deactivate a second subset of the plurality of sensors based on the requested distance measurements from each of the plurality of proximity sensors;

receive a first value from a first proximity sensor of the activated first subset of the plurality of proximity sensors, wherein the first value represents either a first distance between a first object and the first proximity sensor or a first velocity of the first object;

receive a second value from a second proximity sensor of the activated first subset of the plurality of proximity sensors, wherein the second value represents either a second distance between a second object and the second proximity sensor or a second velocity of the second object; and

perform one or more operations based on either the first value and the second value, or the first velocity and the second velocity.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system further comprises a sensor other than the plurality of proximity sensors, and the application is further adapted to receive a third value from a sensor other than the plurality of proximity sensors, and perform the one or more operations based on the first value, the second value, and the third value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an accelerometer, global positioning system, a gyroscope, and a capacitive display.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the application is a videogame application, a mapping application, a security application, or an authentication application.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device is one or more of a laptop, smart phone, tablet, personal media player, or videogame system.