Method and apparatus for facilitating interaction with an object viewable via a display

• US 9,298,970 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Kongqiao, Karkkainen, Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLDEMARIAM, AKLILU K
• Application Number:
  US13/686,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20140147021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/118, 382/286, 359/407, 359/630, 345/420, 345/629, 345/173, 345/158, 345/660, 345/156, 345/633
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to facilitate interaction with a computing device, such as interaction with an object viewable via a display of a computing device. In the context of a method, an object viewable via a display is identified, such as by facial recognition. The method also includes determining that the object has become aligned with an operation indicator as a result of movement of the display relative to the object. In response to determining that the object is aligned with the operation indicator, the method also performs an operation associated with the operation indicator. In this regard, a method may perform the operation upon at least one aspect associated with the object. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an object viewable via a display of a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying the object viewable via the display, wherein identification of the object viewable via the display is performed by a processor;

causing an operation indicator to be presented upon the display concurrent with the object, wherein the operation indicator is associated with an operation that may be performed upon at least one aspect associated with the object;

determining, with the processor, that the object has become aligned with the operation indicator as presented upon the display as a result of movement of the display relative to the object, wherein a relative position of the operation indicator upon the display is independent of the movement of the display relative to the object; and

in response to determining that the object is aligned with the operation indicator, performing the operation associated with the operation indicator, wherein performing the operation comprises performing the operation upon at least one aspect associated with the object.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing for selection of the object.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein performing the operation comprises performing the operation only in an instance in which the object has been selected.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein identifying an object comprises employing facial recognition to identify a person.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the display comprises a pass-through display, and wherein identifying an object comprises identifying an object viewable through the pass-through display.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an image that includes the object; and

causing the image to be presented upon the display prior to identifying the object.

7. An apparatus for identifying an object viewable via a display of a computing device, the 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:

identify the object viewable via the display, wherein identification of the object viewable via the display is performed by the apparatus including the at least one processor;

causing an operation indicator to be presented upon the display concurrent with the object, wherein the operation indicator is associated with an operation that may be performed upon at least one aspect associated with the object;

determine that the object has become aligned with the operation indicator as presented upon the display as a result of movement of the display relative to the object, wherein a relative position of the operation indicator upon the display is independent of the movement of the display relative to the object; and

in response to determining that the object is aligned with the operation indicator, perform the operation associated with the operation indicator, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the operation by performing the operation upon at least one aspect associated with the object.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide for selection of the object.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the operation by performing the operation only in an instance in which the object has been selected.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to identify an object by employing facial recognition to identify a person.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the display comprises a pass-through display, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to identify an object by identifying an object viewable through the pass-through display.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive an image that includes the object; and

cause the image to be presented upon the display prior to identifying the object.

13. A computer program product for identifying an object viewable via a display of a computing device, the 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:

identifying the object viewable via the display, wherein identification of the object viewable via the display is performed by the computing device during execution of the computer-executable program code portions;

causing an operation indicator to be presented upon the display concurrent with the object, wherein the operation indicator is associated with an operation that may be performed upon at least one aspect associated with the object;

determining that the object has become aligned with the operation indicator as presented upon the display as a result of movement of the display relative to the object, wherein a relative position of the operation indicator upon the display is independent of the movement of the display relative to the object; and

in response to determining that the object is aligned with the operation indicator, performing the operation associated with the operation indicator, wherein performing the operation comprises performing the operation upon at least one aspect associated with the object.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for providing for selection of the object, and wherein the program code instructions for performing the operation comprise program code instructions for performing the operation only in an instance in which the object has been selected.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the program code instructions for identifying an object comprise program code instructions for employing facial recognition to identify a person.

16. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the display comprises a pass-through display, and wherein the program code instructions for identifying an object comprise program code instructions for identifying an object viewable through the pass-through display.

17. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

receiving an image that includes the object; and

causing the image to be presented upon the display prior to identifying the object.