Indicating a transition from gesture based inputs to touch surfaces

• US 9,875,019 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Mere, Shadi, Wingrove, Theodore Charles, Entsminger, Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US14/555,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and method for indicating a transition from a gesture based input to a touch surface is provide herein. The system includes a detection monitor coupled to a detection device to detect the transition; and an alert transmitter to alert an output device based on the detection. The gesture based input is a non-contact interface associated with an electronic system, and a touch surface is a contact interface associated with the electronic system.

Claims

1. A system for indicating a transition from a gesture based input to a touch surface, comprising:

a detection monitor coupled to a detection device to detect the transition;

an alert transmitter to alert an output device based on the detection; and

an alert function retriever to retrieve an alert-type, the alert-type being associated with the output device,

wherein the gesture based input is a non-contact interface associated with an electronic system, and a

a touch surface is a contact interface associated with the electronic system,

wherein the alert-type is defined as a visual indication, and

the visual indication is a projected light on an appendage associated with a touch based input.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is a video capturing device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the video capturing device monitors a predetermined area surrounding the touch surface.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein in response to an appendage associated with the gesture base input being with a predetermined distance away from the touch surface, the transition is detected.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the projected light projects light in a direction substantially parallel to the touch surface.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the projected light remains on when an appendage is within a touch-zone, and turns off when the appendage leaves the touch-zone and enters into a gesture-zone.

7. A method for indicating a transition from a gesture based input to a touch surface, comprising:

detecting an appendage associated with the gesture based input transitioning from a non-contact position to a contact position, the non-contact position being associated with the gesture based input and the contact position being associated with the touch surface;

transmitting an alert function based on the detection; and

retrieving an alert function retriever to retrieve an alert-type, the alert-type being associated with the transmitted alert function,

wherein the alert-type is defined as a visual indication, and

the visual indication is a projected light on an appendage associated with the gesture based input,

at least one of the detecting and the transmitting are performed on a processor.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the detection is performed via a video capturing device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the video capturing device monitors a predetermined area surrounding the touch surface.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein in response to the being with a predetermined distance away from the touch surface, the transition is detected.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the projected light projects light in a direction substantially parallel to the touch surface.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the projected light remains on when an appendage is within a touch-zone, and turns off when the appendage leaves the touch-zone and enters into a gesture-zone.