Input apparatus, input method and computer-executable program

• US 9,870,061 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Jun, Shimotono, Susumu, Nomura, Ryohta
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US14/617,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• 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 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: capturing, using a camera, an image of an object in contact with a hand of a user; determining, using a processor, that the hand of the user contacts the object; thereafter capturing, using the camera, controlling gesture input; detecting, within the controlling gesture input, a gesture that emulates use of a pointing device; and controlling an application running on an information handling device based on the controlling gesture input. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

capturing, using a camera, an image of a movable object, separate from an information handling device;

thereafter, based upon detecting a hand of the user contacting the movable object, capturing, using the camera, movement of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object;

detecting, while the hand of the user is in contact with the movable object, a gesture of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object that emulates an input operation of a pointing device; and

controlling an application running on the information handling device based on the gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting further comprises detecting, in a plane, hand contact and movable object motion.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering a particular movable object for future identification.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the registering comprises assigning attributes to at least one particular feature of the movable object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling an application comprises moving an on-screen indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling an application comprises performing an action associated with a mouse button click.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said gesture is selected from the group consisting of a single finger click gesture, a multiple finger click gesture, a right finger click gesture, a left finger click gesture, and a scrolling finger flick gesture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a three dimensional camera.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising additionally detecting that gesture input comprises the user gesture not in contact with the movable object and thereafter controlling of the application ceases.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a camera;

a processor operatively coupled to the camera; and

a memory having instructions that are stored and executed by the processor to;

capture, using the camera, an image of a movable object, separate from the apparatus;

thereafter, based upon detecting a hand of the user contacting the movable object, capture, using the camera, movement of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object;

detect, while the hand of the user is in contact with the movable object, a gesture of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object that emulates an input operation of a pointing device; and

control an application running on the information handling device based on the gesture.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein to detect further comprises detecting, in a plane, hand contact and movable object motion.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executed to register a particular movable object for future identification.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein to register comprises assigning attributes to at least one particular feature of the movable object.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein to control an application comprises moving an on-screen indicator.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein to control an application comprises performing an action associated with a mouse button click.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said gesture is selected from the group consisting of a single finger click gesture, a multiple finger click gesture, a right finger click gesture, a left finger click gesture, and a scrolling finger flick gesture.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the camera comprises a three dimensional camera.

18. An input apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions that executed by the processor to;

accept, from a camera, an image of a movable object, separate from an information handling device;

thereafter, based upon detecting a hand of the user contacting the movable object, accept movement of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object;

detect, while the hand of the user is in contact with the movable object, a gesture of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object that emulates an input operation of a pointing device; and

control an application running on the information handling device based on the gesture.