Method and wearable device for providing a virtual input interface

• US 9,829,986 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yun, In-kuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US14/665,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 345633
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/017 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886

Abstract

Provided is a wearable device including: an image sensor configured to sense a gesture image of a user setting a user input region; and a display configured to provide a virtual input interface corresponding to the set user input region.

Claims

1. A glass type wearable device comprising:

an image sensor;

a display unit; and

a controller configured to;

control to capture, through the image sensor, one or more images to sense a gesture of a user,

determine a user input region based on a gesture outline or a border line of the gesture sensed from the one or more images,

compare a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region with a threshold value, and

control, based on the distance being less than the threshold value, to provide a first type virtual input interface on the display unit in the determined user input region, and

control, based on the distance being greater than or equal to the threshold value, to provide a second type virtual input interface on the display unit in the determined user input region,

wherein the first type virtual input interface and the second type virtual input interface allow a user input to be received.

2. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the gesture sensed from the one or more images corresponds to a figure drawn by the user, and

the virtual input interface is displayed to correspond to the figure.

3. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual input interface is displayed to correspond a size of the user input region.

4. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the user input region is set on an actual object and the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of the actual object where the user input region is set.

5. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of an application being executed by the glass type wearable device.

6. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a transparent display configured to provide the virtual input interface on a region of the transparent display corresponding to the user input region as observed through the transparent display.

7. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture a first image of the user input region, and

the display unit is configured to display a second image of the virtual input interface over the user input region of the first image.

8. The glass type wearable device of claim 1, further comprising a depth sensor configured to sense the distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region.

9. The glass type wearable device of claim 8, wherein the first type virtual input interface is larger than the second type virtual input interface.

10. A glass type wearable device comprising:

an image sensor configured to sense a gesture image of a user setting a user input region;

a display unit configured to provide a virtual input interface corresponding to the user input region set by using the sensed gesture image;

a depth sensor configured to sense a first depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region, and a second depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to an input tool; and

a controller configured to determine a shape of the user input region based on a gesture outline sensed in the gesture image, control the display unit to provide the virtual input interface based on the determined shape of the user input region, and determine whether an input is generated through the virtual input interface based on the first depth value and the second depth value.

11. The glass type wearable device of claim 10, wherein a displayed size of the virtual input interface is determined based on the first depth value.

12. The glass type wearable device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine that an input is generated through the virtual input interface when a difference between the first and second depth values is less than a threshold value.

13. The glass type wearable device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine that an input is generated through the virtual input interface when the second depth value is greater than the first depth value.

14. A method of providing, by a glass type wearable device, a virtual input interface, the method comprising:

capturing one or more images to sense a gesture of a user;

determining a user input region based on a gesture outline or a border line of the gesture sensed from the one or more images;

comparing a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region with a threshold value;

providing, based on the distance being less than the threshold value, a first type virtual input interface in the determined user input region; and

providing, based on the distance being greater than or equal to the threshold value, a second type virtual input interface in the determined user input region,

wherein the first type virtual input interface and the second type virtual input interface allow a user input to be received.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the capturing the one or more images comprises sensing the gesture of the user by recognizing a figure drawn by the user;

and

wherein the determining the user input region comprises setting a region corresponding to the figure as the user input region.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a size of the user input region.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of object where the user input region is set.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual input interface is determined based on a type of an application being executed by the glass type wearable device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual input interface is provided on a transparent display such that the virtual input interface corresponds to the user input region as observed through the transparent display.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing of the virtual input interface comprises:

capturing a first image of the user input region by using an image sensor;

generating a second image of the virtual input interface; and

displaying the second image over the user input region of the first image.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining a first depth value corresponding to a distance from the glass type wearable device to the user input region, and a second depth value corresponding to the distance from the glass type wearable device to an input tool; and

determining whether an input is generated through the virtual input interface based on the first depth value and the second depth value.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a displayed size of the virtual input interface is determined based on a size of the first depth value.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining of whether the input is generated comprises determining that a difference between the first and second depth values is less than a second threshold value.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining of whether the input is generated comprises determining that the second depth value is greater than the first depth value.

25. A wearable input device comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a plurality of gestures and a real world image;

a display configured to display a graphic user interface; and

a controller configured to;

determine an input region of the real world image based on a gesture outline or a border line of a gesture defining the input region of the plurality of gestures,

compare a distance from the wearable input device to the input region with a threshold value,

control, based on the distance being less than the threshold value, the display to display a first type graphic user interface in the determined input region,

control, based on the distance being greater than or equal to the threshold value, the display to display a second type graphic user interface in the determined input region, and

determine an input corresponding to the graphic user interface based on an input gesture of the plurality of gestures,

wherein the first type graphic user interface and the second type graphic user interface allow a user input to be received.

26. The wearable input device of claim 25, further comprising a communicator configured to receive a touch signal from an external device,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine the input based on the touch signal.

27. The wearable input device of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to continuously update a display region of the graphic user interface based on the real world image.