Mobile Device Gesture Interface via Front Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic device interfaces are cumbersome and unintuitive, particularly when used with touch inputs, as they can be cluttered with icons and require users to remember which icon corresponds to each application operation, and often obscure the screen, making one-handed use difficult.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a mobile electronic device with multiple front-facing cameras and inertial sensors that allow for gesture-based interactions, such as peek, tilt, swivel, and roll gestures, to navigate through interfaces without touching the screen, using a carousel and panel layout to display content and provide additional information upon user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If touch inputs are used to interact with electronic devices, then users can directly select and control applications, but the screen becomes obscured and one-handed use becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of external sensors (cameras, microphones, depth sensors) that detect user gestures and translate them into device commands. This mediator allows users to interact with the device without touching the screen, eliminating obscuration while maintaining ease of operation through gesture recognition and voice commands
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple application icons are displayed on the screen, then users can access various applications, but the interface becomes cluttered and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the application selection function from the visual display domain and transfers it to the gesture recognition domain. Instead of presenting multiple icons that clutter the screen, the system extracts only the necessary interaction elements and presents them through spatial gestures in air, reducing visual clutter while maintaining application accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the interface from a two-dimensional screen plane to a three-dimensional spatial domain. Applications are accessed through gestures in the air above the device, adding a vertical dimension to interaction and eliminating the need to display numerous icons on the limited screen real estate
3Productivity
If traditional icon-based interfaces are used, then applications can be launched, but users must remember which icon corresponds to each application operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual feedback through color changes and lighting effects to indicate application states and active gestures. The display and LED indicators provide real-time feedback about which application is active and what gestures are recognized, making the interface more intuitive without requiring users to memorize icon meanings
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback through visual displays, LED indicators, and haptic responses that confirm gesture recognition and application selection. This feedback loop allows users to understand the current state and make corrections, reducing the cognitive load of remembering icon functions while maintaining fast application access
Data Source
AI summary
Electronic devices, interfaces for electronic devices, and techniques for interacting with such interfaces and electronic devices are described. For instance, this disclosure describes an example electronic device that includes sensors, such as multiple front-facing cameras to detect orientation and/or location of the electronic device relative to an object and one or more inertial sensors. Users of the device may perform gestures on the device by moving the device in-air and/or by moving their head, face, or eyes relative to the device. In response to these gestures, the device may perform operations.