Enabling data entry based on differentiated input objects

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating virtual input in devices that differentiates input objects are provided. Various methods for automatically configuring component settings and features of such devices are described. Changes in the component settings of the device and the corresponding operational characteristics of the device that triggered said changes may be grouped into profiles and selected by users. The component settings may include useful assisting features such as additional lighting provide by a LED and illuminated visual guides of the virtual input interface projected by a laser or LED. The characteristics of such assisting features may be modified dynamically in response to changes in the state of a reference object.

1 . A method of configuring component settings of a virtual input device having an input region comprising:
 providing an input module and performing with the input module remote data acquisition on the input region;   providing a processor and, with the processor, determining from the data acquisition an actuation of the input region by at least one input object and the identity of the input object from a set of input objects;   providing an input assist module and providing with the input assist module input assisting features;   providing a configuration module and, with the configuration module:
 determining a change in an operational characteristic of the device; and 
 changing one or more of the component settings in response to the step of determining of a change; and 
   providing an output module and outputting with the output module a symbol or function assigned to the input object.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said operational characteristic includes environmental operating conditions of the system. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the change in an operational characteristic of the device comprises a user-initiated configuration of at least one component setting of the device, said user-initiated configuration includes: (a) launching an input software application, (b) making a particular gesture within the input region using at least one input object, and (c) selecting a profile comprising a combination of particular operational characteristics and particular component settings of said device. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the change in an characteristic of the system comprises a user-initiated configuration of a swivel video capturing device coupled to the system as the input module, said user-initiated configuration includes: (a) rotating said video capturing device, (b) adjusting the focus of said video capturing device, (c) adjusting the view angle of said video capturing device, and (d) adjusting the pointing of said video capturing device. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said component settings of the device include one or more of: (a) focus of a video capturing device coupled to the device as the input module, (b) view angle of a video capturing device coupled to the device as the input module, (c) pointing of a video capturing device coupled to the device as the input module, and (d) activation of the input module coupled to the device. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said component settings of the device include at least one input assisting feature of the input assist module. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining a change in an operational characteristic of the device comprises determining from the data acquisition a gesture made with at least one input object to activate or de-activate said input assisting feature. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said input assisting feature includes illumination of the input region provided by a light source of the device. 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the step of determining a change in an operational characteristic of the device comprises determining a change in environmental lighting conditions during operation, and wherein the step of changing one or more of the component settings comprises activating or de-activating said light source of the system. 
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said input assisting feature includes projecting from the input assist module an illuminated visual guide. 
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said visual guide includes one of (a) an illuminated point in the input region to indicate the center of a virtual input interface, (b) an illuminated line in the input region to indicate the center row of a virtual input interface, and (c) an illuminated outline in the input region to indicate the boundaries of a virtual input interface. 
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said visual guide includes an virtual keyboard interface, and wherein said virtual keyboard interface is divided into sections, and further wherein the step of changing one or more component settings comprises dynamically modifying the characteristics of the individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface in response to a change in the state of at least one reference object. 
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the step of dynamically modifying the characteristics of said individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface comprises dynamically modifying the location of a keyboard section in response to a change in the location of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the step of dynamically modifying the characteristics of said individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface comprises dynamically modifying the orientation of a keyboard section in response to a change in the orientation of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the step of dynamically modifying the characteristics of said individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface comprises dynamically modifying one or more of:
 a spacing between key regions in a keyboard section;   a size of a keyboard section;   
       in response to a change in one or more of:
 spread of a user's reference fingers; 
 change in the size of a user's reference hand; and 
 change in the size of a user's reference finger. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method of providing assisting features in a virtual input device having an input region, comprising:
 providing an input module and performing with the input module remote data acquisition on the input region;   providing a processor and, with the processor, determining from the data acquisition an actuation of the input region by an input object;   providing an input assist module and providing with the input assist module input assisting features;   providing a configuration module and modifying with the configuration module one or more characteristics of the input assisting features in response to a change in the state of a reference; and   providing an output module and outputting with the output module a symbol or function in response to the step of determining an input region actuation.   
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said input assisting features comprise an illuminated virtual keyboard interface, and further wherein the step of modifying one or more characteristics comprises modifying dynamically the location of said keyboard interface in response to a change in the location of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said input assisting features comprise an illuminated virtual keyboard interface, and further wherein the step of modifying one or more characteristics comprises modifying dynamically the orientation of said keyboard interface in response to a change in the orientation of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said input assisting features comprise an illuminated virtual keyboard interface, and further wherein the step of modifying the characteristics comprises modifying dynamically one or more of:
 a spacing between key regions in the keyboard interface; and   a size of the keyboard interface; and   
       in response to a change in one or more of:
 a spread of a user's reference fingers; 
 a change in the size of a user's reference hand; and 
 a change in the size of a user's reference finger. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the step of modifying the characteristics comprises one or more of: (a) disabling at least one assisting feature automatically after a period of time; (b) enabling and/or disabling at least one assisting feature by detecting within the input region a particular gesture made with an input object; (c) enabling at least one assisting feature automatically when an input object is detected within the input region; and (d) enabling at least one assisting feature automatically for a short time when input objects are no longer detected within the input region. 
     
     
         21 . A method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said assisting features comprise at least one of: (a) illumination of the input region provided by a light source of the device, and (b) illuminated visual guide(s) for a virtual input interface projected in the input region. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for configuring component settings of a virtual input device, comprising:
 a memory unit adapted to store information associating input symbols or functions with an input region of the device, wherein the input symbols or functions are individually assigned to corresponding input objects from a set of input objects;   an input module adapted to perform remote data acquisition on the input region;   a processor adapted to determine from the data acquisition an actuation of the input region by at least one input object and the identity of the input object from the set of input objects;   an input assist module adapted to provide input assisting features;   a configuration module adapted to determine a change in an operational characteristic of the device and to change one or more of the component settings in response to the change determined; and   an output module adapted to output a symbol or function assigned to the input object.   
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said operational characteristic includes environmental operating conditions of the system. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the change in an operational characteristic of the device comprises a user-initiated configuration of at least one component setting of the device, said user-initiated configuration includes: (a) launching an input software application, (b) making a particular gesture within the input region using at least one input object, and (c) selecting a profile comprising a combination of particular operational characteristics and particular component settings of said device. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the change in an characteristic of the system comprises a user-initiated configuration of a swivel video capturing device coupled to the virtual input device as the input module, said user-initiated configuration includes: (a) rotating said video capturing device, (b) adjusting the focus of said video capturing device, (c) adjusting the view angle of said video capturing device, and (d) adjusting the pointing of said video capturing device. 
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said component settings of the device include one or more of: (a) focus of a video capturing device coupled to the device as the input module, (b) view angle of a video capturing device coupled to the device as the input module, (c) pointing of a video capturing device coupled to the device as the input module, and (d) activation of the input module coupled to the device. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said component settings of the device include at least one input assisting feature of the input assist module. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the configuration module is adapted to determine a change in an operational characteristic by determining from the data acquisition a gesture made with at least one input object to activate or de-activate said input assisting feature. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said input assisting feature includes illumination of the input region provided by a light source of the device. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the configuration module is adapted to determine a change in an operational characteristic and to change one or more of the component settings by determining a change in environmental lighting conditions during operation and activating or de-activating said light source of the system in response. 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said input assisting feature includes projecting from the input assist module an illuminated visual guide. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 31 , wherein said visual guide includes one of: (a) an illuminated point in the input region to indicate the center of a virtual input interface, (b) an illuminated line in the input region to indicate the center row of a virtual input interface, and (c) an illuminated outline in the input region to indicate the boundaries of a virtual input interface. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 31 , wherein said visual guide includes an virtual keyboard interface, and wherein said virtual keyboard interface is divided into sections, and further wherein the configuration module is adapted to change one or more of the component settings by dynamically modifying the characteristics of the individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface in response to a change in the state of at least one reference object. 
     
     
         34 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the configuration module is adapted to dynamically modify the characteristics of the individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface by dynamically modifying the location of a keyboard section in response to a change in the location of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         35 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the configuration module is adapted to dynamically modify the characteristics of the individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface by dynamically modifying the orientation of a keyboard section in response to a change in the orientation of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the configuration module is adapted to dynamically modify the characteristics of the individual sections of the virtual keyboard interface by dynamically modifying one or more of:
 a spacing between key regions in a keyboard section;   a size of a keyboard section;   
       in response to a change in one or more of:
 spread of a user's reference fingers; 
 change in the size of a user's reference hand; and 
 change in the size of a user's reference finger. 
 
     
     
         37 . An apparatus for providing assisting features in a virtual input device, comprising:
 a memory unit adapted to store information associating input symbols or functions with an input region of the device;   an input module adapted to perform remote data acquisition on the input region;   a processor adapted to determine from the data acquisition an actuation of the input region by an input object;   an input assist module adapted to provide input assisting features;   a configuration module adapted to modify one or more characteristics of the input assisting features in response to a change in the state of a reference; and   an output module adapted to output a symbol or function in response to the actuation of the input region.   
     
     
         38 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said input assisting features comprise an illuminated virtual keyboard interface, and further wherein the configuration module is adapted to modify one or more characteristics of the input assisting features by modifying dynamically the location of said keyboard interface in response to a change in the location of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         39 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said input assisting features comprise an illuminated virtual keyboard interface, and further wherein the configuration module is adapted to modify one or more characteristics of the input assisting features by modifying dynamically the orientation of said keyboard interface in response to a change in the orientation of a user's reference palm or knuckles. 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said input assisting features comprise an illuminated virtual keyboard interface, and further wherein the configuration module is adapted to modify the characteristics of the input assisting features by modifying dynamically one or more of:
 a spacing between key regions in the keyboard interface; and   a size of the keyboard interface; and   
       in response to a change in one or more of:
 a spread of a user's reference fingers; 
 a change in the size of a user's reference hand; and 
 a change in the size of a user's reference finger. 
 
     
     
         41 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 37 , wherein the configuration module is adapted to modify the characteristics of the input assisting features by one or more of: (a) disabling at least one assisting feature automatically after a period of time; (b) enabling and/or disabling at least one assisting feature by detecting within the input region a particular gesture made with an input object; (c) enabling at least one assisting feature automatically when an input object is detected within the input region; and (d) enabling at least one assisting feature automatically for a short time when input objects are no longer detected within the input region. 
     
     
         42 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 41 , wherein said assisting features comprise at least one of: (a) illumination of the input region provided by a light source of the device, and (b) illuminated visual guide(s) for a virtual input interface projected in the input region.