Portable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772690-B2
Application number	US-201615259538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2011
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A portable device, e.g. a laptop, includes a first part ( 110 ), e.g. a base element, and a second part ( 120 ), e.g. a lid element. The second part ( 120 ) contains an optical remote sensing system ( 300 ). The second part ( 120 ) is pivotably attached to the first part ( 110 ) via a hinge means ( 115 ), such that the portable device may be arranged in an open and a closed position respectively. The optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is configured to track at least one distinctive feature of a user of the portable device when arranged in the open position. The first and second parts ( 110; 120 ) have a respective essentially flat inner surface ( 111; 121 ), which when the portable device is arranged in the closed position are parallel and face one another. The first part ( 110 ) further includes a recess ( 112 a) which is arranged relative to a position of the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) such that, in the closed position, the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is at least partly contained in the recess ( 112 a).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable device comprising:
a first part ( 110 ); and
a second part ( 120 ) comprising an optical remote sensing system ( 300 ),
wherein:
the second part ( 120 ) is pivotably attached to the first part ( 110 ) via a hinge means ( 115 ) such that the portable device may be arranged in an open and a closed position respectively;
the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is configured to remotely track at least one facial feature of a user of the portable device when arranged in the open position;
the first and second parts ( 110 ; 120 ) have respective essentially flat inner surfaces ( 111 ; 121 ), which when the portable device is arranged in the closed position are parallel and face one another; and
the first part ( 110 ) comprises a recess ( 112 a ; 112 b ), which is arranged relative to a position of the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) such that, in the closed position, the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is at least partly contained in the recess ( 112 a ; 112 b ).

2. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the recess ( 112 a ) is co-located with a first piece of the hinge means ( 115 ) and the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is disposed in a projection ( 125 a ) of the second part ( 120 ) where a second piece of the hinge means ( 115 ) is located, the first and second pieces defining a pivot axis of the hinge means ( 115 ) via which the first and second parts ( 110 ; 120 ) of the portable device are interconnected.

3. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second parts ( 110 ; 120 ) of the portable device are interconnected via the hinge means ( 115 ) along a proximal side of the second part ( 120 ); and
the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is disposed in a projection ( 125 b ) extending along a distal side of the second part ( 120 ), the distal side being opposite to the proximal side.

4. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the second essentially flat surface ( 121 ) of the second part ( 120 ) includes a display unit ( 122 ) configured to present information to the user.

5. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the first essentially flat surface ( 111 ) of the first part ( 110 ) includes a keyboard configured to receive input commands from the user.

6. The portable device according to claim 4 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is arranged such that a view angle (a) thereof has a fixed spatial relation to the display unit ( 122 ) irrespective of an orientation of the second part ( 120 ) relative to the first part ( 110 ).

7. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the first part ( 110 ) is a base element and the second part ( 120 ) is a lid element, and during operation, the base element ( 110 ) is configured to be placed on an essentially flat supporting surface while the lid element ( 120 ) is positioned so that its essentially flat inner surface ( 121 ) is visible to the user.

8. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises an image registering unit configured to register image data representing the user.

9. The portable device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator configured to illuminate the user with structured light, which when registered by the image registering unit, creates resulting data adapted for generating a depth map of the user.

10. The portable device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator configured to produce near-infrared light.

11. The portable device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator configured to produce a light beam whose direction is controllable to track a varying position of the user.

12. The portable device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator which is based on LED technology.

13. The portable device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator which is configured to produce coherent light.

14. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the portable device is at least one electronic device selected from a group consisting of: a laptop, a note book, an ultrabook, a tablet with a keyboard, a personal digital assistant, and a smartphone.

15. The portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises an eye tracker configured to at least one of repeatedly determine a position of at least one eye of the user or repeatedly determine a point of regard of the user relative to the portable device.

16. A method comprising the steps of:
providing a portable device comprising first and second parts ( 110 ; 120 ), the second part ( 120 ) comprising an optical remote sensing system ( 300 ), and the second part ( 120 ) being pivotably attached to the first part ( 110 ) via a hinge means ( 115 ) such that the portable device may be arranged in an open and a closed position respectively, the first and second parts ( 110 ; 120 ) having respective essentially flat inner surfaces ( 111 ; 121 ), which when the portable device is arranged in the closed position are parallel and face one another; and the first part ( 110 ) comprising a recess ( 112 a ; 112 b ), which is arranged relative to a position of the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) such that, in the closed position, the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) is at least partly contained in the recess ( 112 a ; 112 b ); and
remotely tracking, via the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ), at least one facial feature of a user of the portable device when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein:
the second essentially flat surface ( 121 ) of the second part ( 120 ) includes a display unit ( 122 ), and
the method further comprises the step of presenting information to the user via display unit ( 122 ) when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein:
the first essentially flat surface ( 111 ) of the first part ( 110 ) includes a keyboard, and
the method further comprises the step of receiving input commands from the user via the keyboard when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein:
the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises an image registering unit, and
the method further comprises the step of registering image data representing the user via the image registering unit when the portable device is arranged in the open position.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein:
the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator, and
when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the method further comprises the steps of:
illuminating the user with structured light from the at least one illuminator;
registering image data via the image registering unit; and
based upon the registered image data, creating resulting data configured for generating a depth map of the user.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein:
the optical remote sensing system ( 300 ) comprises at least one illuminator, and
when the portable device is arranged in the open position, the

Assignees

• Tobii Ab

Inventors

• Skogoe Marten
• Elvesjoe John
• Lundkvist Jan-Erik

Classifications

• G06F1/1681 Primary

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · 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

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title