Information processing apparatus and control method of information processing apparatus

• US 9,898,097 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2016
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kimura, Fusashi, Nishizawa, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zheng, Xuemei
• Application Number:
  US15/171,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20160274680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: an operation unit which receives an operation; a first detection unit which detects a direction of the operation unit; an input and output conversion unit which converts an input of the operation received by the operation unit into an output based on a first regulation, when the direction of the operation unit is in a first state, and converts the input into an output based on a second regulation which is different from the first regulation, when the direction of the operation unit is in a second state; a second detection unit which detects an apparatus state which is at least one of a position and a direction of the information processing apparatus; and a control processing unit which performs a control process of the information processing apparatus, based on the output from the input and output conversion unit and the apparatus state.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an operation receiver which receives an operation; and

a processor programmed to

detect a direction of the operation receiver based on a signal from one or more sensors,

convert an input of the operation received by the operation receiver into an output based on a first regulation, when the direction of the operation receiver is in a first state, and convert the input into an output based on a second regulation which is different from the first regulation, when the direction of the operation receiver is in a second state which is different from the first state,

detect an apparatus state which is at least one of a position and a direction of the information processing apparatus based on a signal from the one or more sensors, and

perform a control process of the information processing apparatus, based on the apparatus state, wherein

when an angle formed by a direction of an orthogonal axis facing a front side from a rear side of the operation receiver and a direction of a gravitational acceleration is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle, the processor is set to a first mode in which the operation is not received, and

when the angle is greater than the predetermined angle, the processor is set to a second mode in which the operation is received.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is disposed in the operation receiver and further programmed to detect the direction of the operation receiver using the acceleration of the operation receiver.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first state and the second state are determined based on a relationship between the direction of the operation receiver and the direction of gravity.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first state is a state where an operation angle formed by the direction of the operation receiver and the direction of gravity is equal to or smaller than 45 degrees, and

the second state is a state where the operation angle is greater than 45 degrees.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the second state includes a third state where the operation angle is greater than 45 degrees and equal to or smaller than 135 degrees, and a fourth state where the operation angle is greater than 135 degrees, and

the processor is further programmed to convert the input of the operation received by the operation receiver into an output based on a third regulation different from the first regulation, in a case of the third state, and convert the input into an output based on a fourth regulation different from the first regulation and the third regulation, in a case of the fourth state.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image display which forms image light based on image data and allows a user to visually recognize the image light as a virtual image, in a state of being mounted on the head of a user,

wherein the apparatus state is at least one of a position and a direction of the operation receiver or the image display, and

the processor is further programmed to control the image light formed by the image display, as the control process.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the processor is disposed in the image display, and is further programmed to detect at least one of the position and the direction of the image display, and set a position of the image light formed in the image display, as the control process.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is further programmed to detect the direction of the operation receiver with a frequency of less than once every 0.5 seconds.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor includes an operating system;

and a device driver or middleware.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the direction of the orthogonal axis and the direction of the gravitational acceleration are the same and an image display and a controller, in which the operation receiver is disposed, face each other, the processor is set to a standby mode.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein an infrared light sender and an infrared light receiver or a camera formed in the image display is configured to determine when the image display and the controller face each other.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when a user input of a predetermined operation is received, a converted angle at a time point when the user input of the predetermined operation is started is maintained the converted angle being an angle specified based on the direction of the gravitational acceleration and a reference direction of the operation receiver.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image display, wherein when a user changes a visual line direction, an image is not displayed by the image display and when a determination is made that a predetermined time has elapsed after a determination is made that the visual line direction is changed, the image is displayed by the image display.

14. A control method of an information processing apparatus including an operation receiver which receives an operation, and a processor programmed to detect a direction of the operation receiver based on a signal from one or more sensors, and detect an apparatus state which is at least one of a position and a direction of the information processing apparatus based on a signal from the one or more sensors, the method comprising:

converting an input of the operation received by the operation receiver into an output based on a first regulation, when the direction of the operation receiver is in a first state, and converting the input into an output based on a second regulation which is different from the first regulation, when the direction of the operation receiver is in a second state which is different from the first state; and

performing a control process of the information processing apparatus, based on the apparatus state, wherein

when an angle formed by a direction of an orthogonal axis facing a front side from a rear side of the operation receiver and a direction of a gravitational acceleration is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle, the processor is set to a first mode in which the operation is not received, and

when the angle is greater than the predetermined angle, the processor is set to a second mode in which the operation is received.