3D Gesture Interface with TimeClick Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current user interfaces, particularly those based on three-dimensional sensing, lack efficient methods for selecting interactive items in mid-air without physical contact, leading to cumbersome interaction processes.
Innovation Solution
A non-tactile three-dimensional user interface system that utilizes a depth sensor to detect explicit select gestures and activates TimeClick functionality, allowing users to select interactive items using a combination of gestures and a hold-time mechanism, enabling efficient selection of subsequent items without physical contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a depth sensor is used to detect gestures in mid-air, then physical contact is eliminated, but the complexity of gesture recognition and selection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines explicit select gestures with TimeClick functionality into a unified selection mechanism. When a user performs an explicit select gesture (such as pointing or reaching) toward an interactive item, the system activates TimeClick mode, where the user simply needs to hold the gesture for a predetermined time period to complete the selection. This merging of gesture recognition with temporal validation simplifies the overall interaction model while maintaining contactless operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting the explicit select gesture first, then activating TimeClick functionality as a preparatory step before final selection. The hold-time mechanism serves as a preliminary validation that confirms user intent without requiring additional complex gestures. This preliminary action reduces the complexity of subsequent selection operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interactive items are presented on display, then user choices increase, but the time required to select items increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through the TimeClick mechanism, where the user holds a gesture for a predetermined time period to confirm selection. This temporal periodicity provides a clear start and end to the selection process, making it easier for users to manage selections across multiple interactive items. The consistent time-based validation rhythm helps users efficiently navigate through numerous items without cognitive overload.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of selection from complex multi-step gestures to a simple temporal parameter (hold time). By transforming the selection criterion into a time-based parameter, the system allows users to efficiently select among multiple interactive items using a consistent, learnable interaction pattern regardless of the number of items displayed.
3Measurement precision
If explicit select gestures are used for item selection, then selection precision improves, but the number of gestures required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the explicit select gesture universal by combining it with TimeClick functionality. The same gesture (pointing or reaching toward an item) serves dual purposes: initial item identification and final selection confirmation, provided the user holds it for the predetermined time. This multi-functionality reduces the number of different gesture types users must learn while maintaining precise item selection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method including presenting, by a computer, multiple interactive items on a display coupled to the computer, and receiving, from a depth sensor, a sequence of three-dimensional (3D) maps containing at least a hand of a user of the computer. An explicit select gesture performed by the user toward one of the interactive items is detected in the maps, and the one of the interactive items is selected responsively to the explicit select gesture. Subsequent to selecting the one of the interactive items, a TimeClick functionality is actuated for subsequent interactive item selections to be made by the user.