Method and apparatus for providing user interfaces

• US 10,061,387 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Toney, Aaron, White, Sean, McClure, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Application Number:
  US13/077,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,707 Days
• Field of Search: 345177, 345168, 345173, 345156, 345863, 715863, 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for generating a projected user interface. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to receive information regarding a detected position of the user'"'"'s body and to determine whether the detected position is an activation position, in which case the projection of a user interface may be provided. The user interface may be projected on an area on the user'"'"'s body, such as a hand or a forearm, or on the surface of an object. The activation position may thus be a predefined position of the user'"'"'s body in which effective projection of the user interface onto the surface and user interaction with the user interface is facilitated.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive at the processor information from a first sensor regarding a position of the first sensor, wherein the first sensor is embodied by a device comprising a projector and is disposed on a user'"'"'s body;

receive at the processor information from a second sensor regarding a position of the second sensor, wherein the second sensor is disposed on the user'"'"'s body and is spaced from the first sensor;

determine the position of the first sensor with respect to the position of the second sensor so as to determine a detected position of at least part of the user'"'"'s body;

determine whether the detected position comprises an activation position; and

provide for activation of the projector to project a user interface onto a surface in response to the determination that the detected position comprises the activation position,

wherein the activation position is a predefined position of the part of the user'"'"'s body in which effective projection of the user interface onto the surface and user interaction with the user interface is facilitated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive an input from the user confirming that activation of the user interface is desired, wherein the projection of the user interface is provided in response to the determination that the detected position comprises the activation position and receipt of the input.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation position comprises a position in which a backside of the user'"'"'s hand is disposed proximate the user'"'"'s forearm such that projection of the user interface onto the backside of the user'"'"'s hand from a source disposed on the user'"'"'s forearm is facilitated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation position comprises a position in which a palm of the user'"'"'s hand is disposed proximate an underside of the user'"'"'s forearm such that projection of the user interface from a source disposed on the underside of the user'"'"'s forearm onto the palm of the user'"'"'s hand is facilitated.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation position comprises a position in which at least one finger of the user'"'"'s hand is disposed proximate the user'"'"'s palm such that projection of the user interface onto the palm of the user'"'"'s hand from a source disposed on one of the user'"'"'s fingers is facilitated.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation position comprises at least two positions achieved in succession.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface upon which the projection is provided comprises a surface of an object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface upon which the projection is provided comprises a surface of the user'"'"'s body.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to discontinue the projection of the user interface onto the surface when the detected position is substantially different from the activation position.

10. A method comprising:

receiving at a processor information from a first sensor regarding a position of the first sensor, wherein the first sensor is embodied by a device comprising a projector and is disposed on a user'"'"'s body;

receiving at the processor information from a second sensor regarding a position of the second sensor, wherein the second sensor is disposed on the user'"'"'s body and is spaced from the first sensor;

determining the position of the first sensor with respect to the position of the second sensor so as to determine a detected position of at least part of the user'"'"'s body;

determining via the processor whether the detected position comprises an activation position; and

providing for activation of the projector to project a user interface onto a surface in response to the determination that the detected position comprises the activation position,

wherein the activation position is a predefined position of the part of the user'"'"'s body in which effective projection of the user interface onto the surface and user interaction with the user interface is facilitated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the detected position comprises the activation position comprises determining via a processor whether the detected position and the activation position have at least a predefined percentage in common.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising discontinuing the projection of the user interface onto the surface when the detected position is substantially different from the activation position.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the activation position comprises at least two positions achieved in succession.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving an input from the user confirming that activation of the user interface is desired, wherein the projection of the user interface is provided in response to the determination that the detected position comprises the activation position and receipt of the input.

13. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving at a processor information from a first sensor regarding a position of the first sensor, wherein the first sensor is embodied by a device comprising a projector and is disposed on a user'"'"'s body;

receiving at the processor information from a second sensor regarding a position of the second sensor, wherein the second sensor is disposed on the user'"'"'s body and is spaced from the first sensor;

determining the position of the first sensor with respect to the position of the second sensor so as to determine a detected position of at least part of the user'"'"'s body;

determining whether the detected position comprises an activation position; and

providing for activation of the projector to project a user interface onto a surface in response to the determination that the detected position comprises the activation position,

wherein the activation position is a predefined position of the part of the user'"'"'s body in which effective projection of the user interface onto the surface and user interaction with the user interface is facilitated.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program code instructions for determining whether the detected position comprises the activation position include instructions for determining whether the detected position and the activation position have at least a predefined percentage in common.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the activation position comprises at least two positions achieved in succession.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for discontinuing the projection of the user interface onto the surface when the detected position is substantially different from the activation position.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for receiving an input from the user confirming that activation of the user interface is desired, wherein the projection of the user interface is provided in response to the determination that the detected position comprises the activation position and receipt of the input.