Tabletop Model Interaction via Mobile Device Coordinate Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Interacting with tabletop models, such as transportation operating systems, can be difficult when objects are out of physical reach, as existing methods lack effective solutions for navigating and selecting objects in three-dimensional spaces.
Innovation Solution
A display system that combines a tabletop model with a mobile device, using a touchscreen to control a cursor on a two-dimensional digital map, with haptic and visual feedback to enhance navigation and object selection, and a transformation matrix to align mobile device coordinates with tabletop coordinates, allowing for intuitive interaction with three-dimensional physical models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users directly interact with objects on the tabletop model, then interaction accuracy is improved, but objects must be within physical reach which limits accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the user and the tabletop model objects. The mobile device's touchscreen serves as a mediator that translates user gestures into cursor movements and selections on the tabletop display, allowing users to interact with objects regardless of their physical distance from the tabletop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the tabletop model on the mobile device's touchscreen display. This virtual representation allows users to interact with a replicated version of the model through touch gestures, which are then translated back to the physical tabletop model, enabling interaction without direct physical contact with distant objects.
2Ease of operation
If a touchscreen interface is added to enable remote interaction, then accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the mobile device's existing touchscreen interface, which is a universal component already present in smartphones and tablets. By utilizing this existing multi-functional device for both its original purposes and as an interface for the tabletop model, the system avoids adding dedicated complex hardware while still achieving enhanced accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device uses its own built-in sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, compass) and processing capabilities to determine its position, orientation, and gestures. This self-service approach allows the device to autonomously calculate the transformation matrix and map touch gestures to tabletop coordinates without requiring external control systems, thereby minimizing additional complexity.
3Measurement precision
If coordinate transformation is implemented to map mobile device coordinates to tabletop coordinates, then interaction precision is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calibration by establishing the transformation matrix before actual interaction begins. The system pre-determines the relationship between the mobile device's coordinate system and the tabletop's coordinate system through initial positioning and orientation detection. This preliminary setup allows for accurate real-time coordinate mapping during interaction without requiring complex calculations for each gesture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the coordinate mapping problem from a complex geometric transformation into a parameter-based calculation using the transformation matrix. By representing the relationship between coordinate systems through matrix parameters (rotation, translation, scaling), the system simplifies the computational process while maintaining high precision in coordinate mapping during gesture recognition.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods interacting with tabletop models using a handheld device are provided herein. A display system includes a tabletop model, including a horizontal display that is configured to display a two-dimensional digital map and a three-dimensional physical model that is configured to overlay the two-dimensional digital map. The display system includes a mobile device including a touchscreen display. The display system transforms a movement on the touchscreen display to a movement of a cursor on the two-dimensional digital map.