3D Gesture Interface Using Velocity Fields for Layered Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Interpreting user gestures in a three-dimensional (3D) free space in front of a device is challenging due to the lack of clear indication of engagement and determining the specific portion or hierarchical level of interaction, especially when using touch gestures.
Innovation Solution
The technology senses the movement and orientation of a control object in a 3D sensor space, defines a control plane tangential to its surface, and interprets gestures based on the normality or parallelism of movement relative to this plane, allowing navigation of multi-layer presentation trees and control of virtual objects without requiring the object to exit the sensor space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If touch gestures are used on a touch screen, then user interaction is well-defined and reliable, but the interface is limited to two-dimensional screen contact and lacks free space interaction capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the interaction space from 2D touch screen to 3D free space by introducing depth dimension. Sensors detect gestures in three-dimensional space, allowing users to interact with virtual objects suspended in air, thereby adding spatial dimensionality while maintaining interaction reliability through sensor-based detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a velocity field as an intermediary between the user's hand and the virtual interface. The velocity field maps hand motion characteristics to control actions, serving as a mediator that translates physical gestures into digital commands without requiring direct screen contact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If gestures are interpreted in 3D free space, then free space interaction is enabled, but there is no clear indication of engagement and it is challenging to determine the specific portion or hierarchical level of interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs velocity field feedback to provide clear indication of engagement. The system continuously monitors hand velocity and position, comparing against threshold values to determine when a gesture is actively engaged. This feedback mechanism provides real-time information about interaction state, solving the ambiguity problem in 3D gesture recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different velocity thresholds and interpretation rules to different regions and hierarchical levels of the interface. By making the velocity field interpretation local and context-dependent, the system can distinguish between gestures targeting different portions or levels of a multi-layer interface, enabling precise engagement detection.
3Reliability
If the control object exits the sensor space to specify control engagement, then clear control specification is achieved, but the interaction requires resetting gestures and loses continuity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous gesture control within the sensor space by using velocity field interpretation throughout the entire interaction sequence. Users can perform sequential gestures without exiting the sensor space, as the velocity field continuously tracks hand motion and translates it into control commands, eliminating the need for resetting gestures.
Solution Approach 2:
The velocity field acts as a persistent intermediary that maintains control specification without requiring the hand to exit sensor space. The velocity field continuously maps hand velocity to control parameters, providing ongoing control specification while the hand remains within the sensor space, thus maintaining gesture continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
The technology disclosed relates to automatically interpreting motion of a control object in a three dimensional (3D) space by sensing a movement of the control object in the (3D) space, interpreting movement of the control object, and presenting the interpreted movement as a path on a display. The path may be displayed once the speed of the movement exceeds a pre-determined threshold measured in cm per second. Once the path is displayed, the technology duplicates a display object that intersects the path on the display. In some implementations, the control object may be a device, a hand, or a portion of a hand (such as a finger).