Camera-Based Hover Detection for Touch Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch interfaces on mobile devices lack the ability to detect hover actions, limiting usability and functionality compared to pointer-style interfaces, which restricts the ability to provide additional features like tooltip displays and orientation awareness.
Innovation Solution
Implementing camera-based hover detection systems that capture and process image data to generate hover events, allowing for enhanced user interaction and contextual information display on touch-based mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If touch interface is used on mobile devices, then additional functionality and ease of operation are improved, but the ability to detect hover actions and provide contextual information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of image capture devices (cameras) and image processing algorithms that mediate between the touch interface and hover detection needs. The camera captures images of the display screen, and image processing software identifies hover actions by analyzing pixel changes, thereby enabling hover functionality on touch devices without direct physical contact detection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical hover detection mechanism (used in pointer-style interfaces) with an optical system. Instead of using physical sensors or mechanical switches to detect hover, the system uses image capture devices to optically monitor the display screen for pixel changes that indicate hover actions, substituting mechanical detection with optical sensing
2Adaptability or versatility
If camera-based hover detection is implemented, then hover detection capability and contextual information display are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the existing camera hardware on mobile devices, which serves multiple functions including photography, video recording, and now hover detection. By repurposing the camera for hover detection, the system adds functionality without requiring dedicated hover detection hardware, thereby reducing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the device's own existing resources (camera, processor, display) to enable hover detection functionality. The mobile device serves itself by utilizing its built-in components for the new function, rather than requiring external add-on devices or specialized hardware, thus minimizing complexity increases
3Measurement precision
If image data processing is performed continuously, then hover detection accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic image capture and processing rather than continuous operation. The system captures images at intervals suitable for detecting hover actions, processes these periodic images to detect pixel changes, and generates hover events based on the periodic analysis. This periodic approach maintains detection accuracy while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous processing
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for providing camera-based hover detection for touch-based mobile devices. One computer-implemented method includes receiving image data from at least one image capture device associated with a particular client device, comparing, by operation of a computer, the received image data to existing image data, wherein the existing image data partially includes extrapolated imaged data, determining that the received image data does not compare with existing image data and transmitting the received image data to a server for post-processing, processing, by operation of a computer, post-processed image data received from the server, wherein the processing includes updating a user configuration with the post-processed image data, and generating a hover event based upon the received image data.