Last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Samsung that reveals a future mobile device being controlled by a three-dimensional interface and controlling gestures. With special Time of Flight (TOF) cameras on the back and front of a tablet, the 3D system allows a hand filmed on the backside to control a virtual item on the face side of the tablet. In some ways it appears as though Samsung is describing the use of holographic-like UI.
Samsung Invents 3D Interface & Controlling Gestures
Samsung's invention relates to a gesture control method of a mobile device that provides a three-dimensional interface. The method includes displaying a virtual three-dimensional space using the three-dimensional interface. The smart device can detect at least one gesture from a user with a front-facing sensor and move an object that exists in the virtual three-dimensional space.
In some example embodiments, the gesture control method further comprises displaying a three-dimensional scene corresponding to a still space in the virtual three-dimensional space. The still space may display a three-dimensional scene as if a cube is floated in the still space. The user could interact with the cube using various gestures.
In Samsung's patent FIG. 2 noted below we're able to see a diagram illustrating an example in which a hand of a user is placed behind a screen of a mobile device within a virtual three-dimensional space.
Samsung's patent FIG. 3 noted below presents a diagram illustrating a see-through window to an improved immersion effect when a user watches a virtual three-dimensional scene by a mobile device. A three-dimensional interface of the mobile device may have an eye coordinate of the user, and may use an eyeball tracing technique to obtain the eye coordinate.
For example, at least one three-dimensional range (Time of Flight) TOF camera may be located in front of the mobile device for eye track activation of the user. When the TOF camera is used, it is easy to sense an eye of the user. The reason may be that a pupil of the eye reflects an infrared ray of the TOF camera. The mobile device may further include sensors to track direction and location of the eye in a space.
According to Samsung, the three-dimensional interface of the mobile device may display a virtual still scene super-imposed on an actual image. At least one front-facing camera may catch locations of objects in a physical three-dimensional scene in front of the mobile device to compute a three-dimensional view of the location.
The virtual three-dimensional space may be super-imposed on and/or integrated with a physical still scene in view of the user. For example, additional objects or subjects may be displayed in a virtual three-dimensional scene.
As illustrated in Samsung's patent FIG. 4 noted below, a virtual object may be selected by "pinching." The user may position his or her thumb and index finger fingertips to match the size of the object to be selected and optionally may hold for a moment to confirm the selection.
The selection may be released by opening fingers wider. The object may be made smaller by "squeezing" it. Holding the size constant for a desired time may terminate the resizing mode. The object may be enlarged by first squeezing it to initiate the resize mode and then opening the thumb and index fingers wider than the original distance. Again, the resizing mode may be terminated by not changing size for a desired time.
Once selected, objects may be moved within a 3D space--left, right, up, down, in and out. Once selected, objects may be rotated axially, pitch-wise and yaw-wise. If object resizing is not needed, just pinching an object to move it and rotate it may be appropriate to provide a sufficient and natural way for the user to interact with objects within the scene, as if the objects were floating in a physical volume.
As illustrated in Samsung's patent FIG. 6 above, object(s) may be moved to one side by "pushing" it with the hand. For a natural interaction, it may appear as if the hand actually pushes the objects.
Over the weekend, Patently Apple posted a report about new displays coming to market over the next 18-24 months that will be able to project holographic images. The company bringing this to technology to market is Ostendo and they're claiming to be working with "major" smartphone OEM's to bring this technology to life in the 2015-2016 time frame. It would appear that Samsung's latest invention may be conveying technology along the same lines.
Is Samsung one of the "major" smartphone OEM's working with Ostendo? Only time will tell.
Samsung filed their US patent application back in Q1 2013. Considering that this is a patent application, the actual timing of such a product to market remains unknown at this time.
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