Physical Object Input Control Through Environmental Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies lack efficient methods for controlling electronic devices using physical objects without direct communication or interaction, limiting user convenience and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
Electronic devices detect changes in the physical environment using sensors to interpret movements of physical objects, enabling actions such as volume control and system toggling through enrollment processes that associate objects with specific actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional input devices (mouse, touch sensor, proximity sensor) are used for user interaction, then direct communication and control are achieved, but user convenience and flexibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces physical objects as intermediaries between the user and the electronic device. Instead of direct interaction through traditional input devices, users manipulate physical objects in the environment, and the system detects these objects' states (position, movement, orientation) to interpret user intentions and execute corresponding actions, thereby enhancing convenience while maintaining manageable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electronic input mechanisms (mouse, touch sensor, keyboard) with environmental sensing. The system uses cameras and sensors to detect physical objects and their characteristics in the real-world environment, substituting direct mechanical interaction with non-contact environmental perception and interpretation
2Adaptability or versatility
If physical objects are used for control without direct communication, then user flexibility is enhanced, but detection and measurement difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional sensors (particularly cameras) that can detect various characteristics of physical objects including position, movement, orientation, and visual appearance. This universal sensing approach enables the system to interpret diverse user intentions through a single detection mechanism, enhancing control flexibility while managing detection complexity through standardized sensing protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary enrollment processes where users define the relationship between physical objects and desired actions. Before actual control occurs, the system learns and stores the correspondence between object characteristics and control functions, enabling intuitive and flexible control without requiring complex real-time interpretation during actual usage
Data Source
AI summary
Some examples described in this disclosure are performed at a first electronic device (e.g., a computer system) that is in communication with a display and one or more input devices. In some examples, the first electronic device detects a change in a physical environment of the first electronic device due to movement of one or more physical objects in the physical environment indicative of a user input. In some examples, the first electronic device performs a first action at the first electronic device or at a second electronic device in communication with the first electronic device in accordance with the change in the physical environment due to movement of the one or more physical objects in the physical environment.