TRANSPARENT DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20140098085A1
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Jinha, Boulanger, Catherine N., Bathiche, Steven Nabil
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for implementing a transparent display device. A transparent display device includes a transparent or translucent screen to render images on the screen, and to render virtual objects that appear to be in a three-dimensional (3D) space behind the screen. The transparent display device also includes a hand tracker to sense movement of a user'"'"'s hands to interact with one or more of the virtual objects, and to generate 3D-input based on the movement. The transparent or translucent screen enables the user to see the user'"'"'s hands behind the screen as the user'"'"'s hands interact with the one or more virtual objects. The transparent display device is controlled to modify the rendering of the images on the screen or the virtual objects behind the screen based on the 3D-input.

Claims

1. A transparent display device comprising:

a transparent screen configured to render images on the transparent screen, and to render virtual objects that appear to be in a three-dimensional (3D) space behind the transparent screen;

a hand tracker configured to sense movement of a user'"'"'s hands to interact with one or more of the virtual objects in the 3D space behind the transparent screen, and to generate 3D-input based on the movement; and

a controller configured to modify the rendering of the images on the transparent screen or the virtual objects behind the transparent screen based on the 3D-input.

2. The transparent display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent screen enables the user to see the user'"'"'s hands behind the transparent screen as the user'"'"'s hands interact with the one or more virtual objects.

3. The transparent display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent screen uses a grid to cause the virtual objects to appear to be in the 3D space.

4. The transparent display device of claim 1, further comprising an input panel positioned behind the transparent screen, the input panel configured to receive two-dimensional (2D) input from the user, and wherein the controller is further configured to modify the rendering of the images on the transparent screen based on the 2D-input from the user.

5. The transparent display device of claim 4, wherein the transparent screen is physically coupled to a near edge of the input panel.

6. The transparent display device of claim 5, wherein the input panel includes at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a track pad, or a touch pad, and wherein the transparent screen is coupled to the near edge of the input panel using a foldable hinge that enables the user to input the 2D-input behind the transparent screen.

7. The transparent display device of claim 1, further comprising a head tracker that is configured to track a position of the user'"'"'s head or eyes relative to the transparent screen, and wherein the controller is configured to modify the rendering of the one or more virtual objects that appear to be in the 3D space behind the transparent screen based on the position of the user'"'"'s head or eyes.

8. The transparent display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to modify the rendering of the images on the transparent screen by causing the rendering of the images to slide to reveal the virtual objects that appear to be in the 3D space behind the transparent screen responsive to the hand tracker sensing movement of the user'"'"'s hand to reach into the 3D space.

9. The transparent display device of claim 1, wherein the virtual objects comprise windows, and wherein the transparent screen is configured to render the windows as stacked in one or more 3D volumes in the 3D space.

10. A method comprising:

rendering an image on a transparent screen of a computing device;

receiving two-dimensional (2D) input from a user via an input panel positioned behind the transparent screen;

modifying the rendering of the image on the transparent screen based on the 2D-input;

sensing movement of one of the user'"'"'s hands to reach into a three-dimensional (3D) space behind the transparent screen;

generating 3D-input based on the movement of the user'"'"'s hand; and

sliding the rendering of the image on the transparent screen to reveal one or more virtual objects that appear to be in the 3D space behind the transparent screen responsive to receiving the 3D-input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more virtual objects comprise multiple windows stacked in one or more 3D volumes.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sensing additional movement of the user'"'"'s hand to reach towards the input panel;

generating additional 3D-input based on the additional movement of the user'"'"'s hand to reach towards the input panel; and

sliding the rendering of the image on the transparent screen to cover the one or more virtual objects responsive to receiving the additional 3D-input.

13. A method comprising:

rendering multiple windows stacked in one or more three-dimensional (3D) volumes that appear to be in a 3D space behind a transparent screen;

sensing movement of a user'"'"'s hand behind the transparent screen to select one of the 3D volumes;

generating 3D-input based on the movement; and

rendering the selected 3D volume as open to enable the user to interact with the multiple windows stacked in the selected 3D volume responsive to receiving the 3D-input.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sensing additional movement of the user'"'"'s hand behind the transparent screen to select one of the multiple windows stacked in the open 3D volume;

generating additional 3D-input based on the additional movement; and

rendering the selected window as selected on the transparent screen responsive to receiving the 3D-input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein rendering the selected window as selected comprises causing the selected window to pop out of the open 3D volume.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising, responsive to sensing movement of the user'"'"'s hand behind the transparent screen, rendering feedback on the transparent screen based on the location of the user'"'"'s hand in the 3D space.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein rendering the feedback further comprises causing the transparent screen to glow based on the location of the user'"'"'s hand in the 3D space.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein rendering the feedback further comprises causing display of a cursor on the transparent screen based on the location of the user'"'"'s hand in the 3D space.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the transparent screen enables the user to see the user'"'"'s hand behind the transparent screen.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising sensing a position of the user'"'"'s head or eyes relative to the transparent screen, and wherein the rendering the multiple windows comprises rendering the multiple windows as stacked in the one or more 3D volumes that appear to be in the 3D space behind the transparent screen based on the position of the user'"'"'s head or eyes relative to the transparent screen.