On-demand user control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632584-B2
Application number	US-201313826582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for on-demand user control may detect a user's intend to interact with a currently undisplayed user control. The user's intent may include, for example, a hand approaching a touch-sensitive screen device. In response to the detected intent, the currently undisplayed user control may be displayed. The choice and location of the displayed user control may be derived from a location associated with the detected intent. The user control may be displayed progressively giving the appearance of morphing, emerging or being extruded from the display screen. The user may interact with the displayed user control using, for example, gestures on the touch-sensitive screen device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for on-demand user control on a system having a display device, the method comprising:
detecting a user's intent to interact with a displayable control not yet shown on the display device by detecting the user's hand in relation to a touch sensitive display;
selecting the type of displayable control to be rendered on the touch sensitive display device in response to the detection of the user's hand in relation to the touch sensitive display;
displaying, on the touch sensitive display, the selected displayable control at a location on the touch sensitive display in response to detecting the user's intent and the location associated with the detected user's intent, displaying the selected displayable control
comprising progressively rendering different portions of the selected displayable control's three dimensional depth in response to the detection of the presence of the user's hand approaching the touch sensitive display of the selected displayable control, a final appearance of the selected displayable control being rendered when a portion of the user's hand is positioned above a portion of the display and at least a portion of the selected displayable control; and
receiving an interaction with the selected displayable control from the user;
the appearance of the selected displayable control first rendered on the touch sensitive display is being based on the user's detected intent; and the progressively rendering different portions of the selected displayable control's three dimensional depth corresponding to the changing distance between the user's hand and the selected displayable control; and
displaying the selected displayable control further comprising animating the touch sensitive display to cause the selected displayable control to appear to be morphed from a background image.

2. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , where displaying the selected displayable control further comprises rendering the selected displayable control proximate a predesignated location on the touch sensitive display associated with the detected user's intent and where final appearance is rendered when the user's hand comes in contact with the touch sensitive display.

3. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , where displaying the selected displayable control further comprises choosing a type of displayable control to display in response to a location, relative to the touch sensitive display device, associated with the detected user's intent.

4. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , where displaying the selected displayable control further comprises animating the touch sensitive display to cause the selected displayable control to appear to elevate from a surface of the touch sensitive display as the user's hand gets closer to the displayable control and appears tangible when the user's hand comes in contact with the touch sensitive display.

5. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , where the selected displayable control takes the place of or displaces an existing visual element.

6. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , where the selected displayable control is a representation of a physical control.

7. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , wherein
progressively rendering different portions of the displayable control comprises rendering the different portions of the displayable control as the user's hand approaches the location of the displayable control such that a final appearance of the displayable control is rendered when the portion of user's hand is in contact with the touch sensitive display.

8. A method for on-demand user control on a system having a display device, the method comprising:
detecting a user's intent to interact with a displayable control not yet shown on the display device by detecting the user's hand in relation to a touch sensitive display;
selecting the type of displayable control to be rendered on the touch sensitive display device in response to the detection of the user's hand in relation to the touch sensitive display;
displaying, on the touch sensitive display device, the selected displayable control at a location on the touch sensitive display in response to detecting the user's intent and the location associated with the detected user's intent, displaying the selected displayable control comprising progressively rendering different portions of the selected displayable control's three dimensional depth in response to the detection of the presence of the user's hand approaching the touch sensitive display of the selected displayable control, a final appearance of the selected displayable control being rendered when a portion of the user's hand is positioned above a portion of the display and at least a portion of the selected displayable control; and
receiving an interaction with the selected displayable control from the user to operate the selected displayable control;
providing haptic feedback proximate to the selected displayable control through the touch sensitive display in response to the user's operation of the selected displayable control; the appearance of the selected displayable control first rendered on the touch sensitive display being based on the user's detected intent; and the progressively rendering different portions of the selected displayable control's three dimensional depth corresponding to the changing distance between the user's hand and the selected displayable control.

9. The method for on-demand user control of claim 8 , where the haptic feedback is modified in response to the use of the selected displayable control and the method provides a transient feedback that simulates the audio detents, audio clicks, or sounds associated with a physical control that the displayable control represents as the user operates the displayable control.

10. The method for on-demand user control of claim 9 , where the interaction is characterized responsive to a gesture made by the user and a type of control associated with the selected displayable control.

11. The method for on-demand user control of claim 10 , further comprising sending the characterization of the interaction to one or more other processing elements.

12. The method for on-demand user control of claim 1 , further comprising updating the selected displayable control to reflect a change in appearance of the displayable control responsive to the received interaction.

13. A system for on-demand user control comprising: a display device having a touch sensitive screen;
one or more processors; and a memory containing instructions executable by the one or more processors to configure the system to:
detect a user's intent to interact with a displayable control not shown on the display device by detecting the user's hand in relation to a display the touch sensitive screen without physical contact with the touch sensitive screen;
select a type of displayable control to be rendered on the display device in response to the detection of the user's hand in relation to the touch sensitive screen of the display device;
display the displayable control at a location on the touch sensitive screen of the display device in response to detecting the user's intent and a location associated with the detected user's intent, the display of the displayable control on the touch sensitive screen of the display device comprisg progressively rendering different portions of the displayable control's three dimensional depth in response to the changing distance between the user's hand and the displayable control as the user's hand gets closer to the location of the displayabled control, a

Assignees

• Qnx Software Systems Ltd
• Ontario Inc 2236008

Inventors

• Dodge Danny Thomas

Classifications

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04101

  2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup · CPC title