Hand-Specific Virtual Interface Projection for Palm Input Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-precision laser scanners and 3D depth sensors face limitations in projecting detailed virtual interfaces on small surfaces like a user's palm, restricting the number and types of user interactions and applications.
Innovation Solution
A wearable multimedia device with a projector subsystem projects light onto a user's hand to create a virtual interface, distinguishing between left and right hands for different operations and applications based on detected hand presence, reducing erroneous inputs and enhancing interaction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a laser projected VI is projected onto the palm of a user's hand, then the user can interact with virtual interface elements, but the limited surface area restricts the number and types of user interactions and applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D hand surface projection to 3D mid-air holographic projection. The holographic display device projects virtual interface elements in three-dimensional space above the hand, allowing interactions that extend beyond the limited palm surface area while maintaining intuitive hand-based control gestures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the interaction space into multiple zones: the hand surface for gesture input detection and the mid-air space for displaying multiple virtual interface elements. This segmentation allows simultaneous presence of multiple interactive elements without crowding the limited hand surface area.
2Measurement precision
If the system projects detailed virtual interfaces on small surfaces, then interaction precision may improve, but the number of simultaneous interface elements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By projecting virtual interface elements in 3D mid-air space rather than confining them to the 2D hand surface, the system can display multiple detailed interface elements simultaneously without overlapping or reducing their size, thereby maintaining both precision and quantity.
3Ease of operation
If the system distinguishes between left and right hands for different operations, then interaction organization and intuitiveness improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects and differentiates between left and right hands using the camera and depth sensor, assigning appropriate virtual interfaces and operations without requiring explicit user configuration. This self-service approach maintains ease of operation while managing system complexity through automated hand identification algorithms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system allows users to interact with the device in a more organized, consistent, and intuitive manner, reducing resource expenditure by minimizing errors and enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a projector subsystem configured to present information visually to a user in the form of projected light
Implementation Method 2
Three-dimensional (3D) depth sensors (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) camera) can be used to detect user gestures
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, devices and non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediums are disclosed for a wearable multimedia device and cloud computing platform with an application ecosystem for processing multimedia data captured by the wearable multimedia device. In an embodiment, a wearable multimedia device obtains first configuration data specifying first operations associated with a first hand of a user of the wearable multimedia device, and second configuration data specifying second operations associated with a second hand of the user. Further, the device captures sensor data from a camera and/or a depth sensor of the wearable multimedia device, and determines a presence of the first hand and/or the second hand based on the sensor data. Further, the device performs at least one of (i) the first operations responsive to determining the presence of the first hand, or (ii) the second operations responsive to determining the presence of the second hand.