Hand-Mounted Camera for 3D GUI Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional GUI interaction devices like mice and touchpads are limited to two-dimensional control and require physical surfaces for operation, restricting their use in three-dimensional applications and introducing latency and inaccuracies in gesture recognition.
Innovation Solution
A camera-mounted apparatus on the hand or thumb that captures and processes images to determine hand movement, allowing for three-dimensional control of GUI elements without the need for physical contact with a surface, using a processor to analyze images and communicate with the GUI for intuitive and precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a mouse or touchpad is used for GUI control, then two-dimensional control is achieved, but three-dimensional control capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional mouse/touchpad control to three-dimensional hand gesture control by mounting a camera on the user's hand. The camera captures successive images of the environment, and hand movements in three-dimensional space are translated into GUI control commands, enabling control in multiple dimensions including depth, which is impossible with traditional flat-surface devices.
2Ease of operation
If a mouse is used for GUI interaction, then control over a flat surface is achieved, but control range is restricted by surface size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mouse system that requires a flat physical surface with an optical-based camera system mounted on the hand. The camera optically tracks hand movements through successive image capture and comparison, eliminating the need for a physical flat surface and thereby expanding the control range to unlimited three-dimensional space without adding mechanical complexity.
3Ease of operation
If gesture recognition systems are used for intuitive interaction, then ease of use is improved, but latency and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by continuously capturing successive images with the camera mounted on the hand, maintaining a ready stream of visual data. This allows the system to immediately process and respond to hand gestures as they occur, reducing latency compared to systems that wait for complete gesture sequences before processing.
4Measurement precision
If sophisticated sensors are used for gesture capture, then movement detection capability is improved, but processing capability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture optical copies (images) of the environment from the user's hand perspective. By analyzing changes in these visual copies between successive frames, the system determines hand movement with high precision. This optical copying approach is less computationally intensive than using sophisticated motion sensors, as it leverages the camera's natural image processing capabilities rather than requiring complex sensor data analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for enabling a user to interact with movable control elements of a graphical user interface (GUI) by moving a hand 12, or one or more fingers 16, 18 of said hand 12 relative to a thumb 14 on said hand, in which the apparatus comprises: a camera adapted to be releasably mounted to said hand, and a processor adapted to receive signals representative of successive images captured by the camera during movement of said hand, or movement of the finger(s) of said hand relative to said thumb, to analyze said successive images to determine said movement, and to communicate with the GUI to control elements thereof in accordance with the determined movement.