Virtual Keyboard Gesture Recognition for Wearable Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gesture recognition techniques for character input on miniaturized touch panels in wearable terminals are prone to errors due to difficulties in accurately distinguishing between tap and flick operations, especially when using virtual keyboards with multiple characters allocated to a single key, leading to confusion and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a range image sensor and software to recognize gestures in space by registering definition information for virtual keyboard layouts, allowing users to switch movement directions to select characters accurately, employing a virtual keyboard structure with multiple layers to differentiate character keys and allocated characters, and providing visual feedback for correct selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a virtual keyboard with multiple characters allocated to a single key is used on a miniaturized touch panel, then character input efficiency is improved, but gesture recognition accuracy deteriorates due to confusion between tap and flick operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hierarchical spatial structure with multiple layers (first layer for character keys, second layer for allocated characters) to resolve the ambiguity between tap and flick gestures. By organizing characters in vertical layers rather than horizontal arrangements, the system can distinguish gesture intentions based on movement depth and direction, thereby maintaining high character input efficiency while improving gesture recognition accuracy on miniaturized screens.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual keyboard is segmented into distinct hierarchical layers: the first layer contains character keys and the second layer contains allocated characters. This segmentation allows the system to process gesture operations in a structured manner, determining whether a gesture targets a character key or an allocated character based on the gesture's spatial characteristics, thus resolving the confusion between tap and flick operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the entire image of a virtual keyboard is displayed on a miniaturized screen, then character selection capability is improved, but input errors increase due to difficulty in distinguishing gesture operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent displays the entire virtual keyboard image on the miniaturized screen by utilizing vertical spatial arrangement with multiple layers. The first layer displays character keys and the second layer displays allocated characters, allowing full keyboard functionality to be visible while using gesture direction (horizontal for key selection, vertical for character selection) to prevent input errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying the virtual keyboard image with indicated positions for character keys and allocated characters. This feedback mechanism helps users understand the current selection state and gesture recognition results, thereby reducing input errors while maintaining comprehensive character selection capability on miniaturized displays.
3Area of stationary object
If a 12-key keyboard layout is used with multiple characters per key, then screen space utilization is improved, but gesture interpretation reliability deteriorates due to positional displacement during finger movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a traditional horizontal 12-key layout to a hierarchical vertical layout where character keys are arranged in the first layer and allocated characters are arranged in the second layer. This dimensional change allows efficient screen space utilization while improving gesture interpretation reliability by using vertical gesture components to distinguish character selection from key selection, eliminating errors caused by horizontal positional displacement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The layout of a character keys 100 each having a plurality of characters allocated thereto is established on a virtual surface (first layer L1) including a detection position of a gesture that satisfies predetermined conditions, and when a gesture moving along the first layer L1 is detected, a selection position with respect to the layout of character keys 100 is moved in accordance with the gesture movement. When the movement direction of the gesture is switched to a direction away from the first layer L1 under the condition that a prescribed character key in the layout is selected, each character allocated to the character key 100 being selected is arranged outside the first layer L1 at individually different positions relative to a virtual axis passing through the character key 100; thereafter, in response to detection of a gesture moving toward any character, a character disposed at a moving destination is selected as an input character.