Enhanced 3d interfacing for remote devices

Abstract

Operating a computerized system includes presenting user interface elements on a display screen. A first gesture made in a three-dimensional space by a part of a body of a user is detected. In response to the first gesture, an area of the display screen selected by the user is identified, and a magnification level of one or more of the user elements appearing in the selected area on the display screen is increased. After increasing the magnification level, a second gesture made by the part of the body of the user is detected so as to select one of the user interface elements that appear in the selected area.

1 . A method for operating a computerized system, comprising:
 presenting user interface elements on a display screen of the computerized system;   detecting respective movements of two hands of a user in a three-dimensional space, including a gesture in which one of the hands moves away from the other of the hands in the three-dimensional space; and   responsively to the gesture, increasing a magnification level of one or more of the user interface elements appearing in an area on the display screen.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , and comprising detecting, in the respective movements prior to the gesture, an initial gesture comprising the other of the hands moving from a first position to a second position in the three-dimensional space, and identifying the area on the display screen responsively to the initial gesture. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , and comprising presenting a pointer on the display screen, and moving the pointer responsively to the initial gesture, and wherein the identified area comprises an area around the pointer. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , and comprising highlighting a given user interface element responsively to the initial gesture, and wherein the one or more of the user interface elements comprises the highlighted user interface element. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , and comprising detecting, in the respective movements subsequent to the gesture, an additional gesture made by the other of the hands, and selecting one of the one or more of the user interface elements responsively to the additional gesture. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein increasing the magnification level comprises at least one of exposing new details on the display and exposing relevant options on the display. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein selecting the one of the one or more user interface elements comprises selecting a given relevant option. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , and comprising detecting, in the respective movements subsequent to the gesture, an additional gesture comprising moving the one of the hands toward the other of the hands in the three-dimensional space, and decreasing the magnification level of the one or more of the user interface elements responsively to the additional gesture. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein detecting the respective movements comprise detecting three-dimensional locations of the hands and mapping, by the computerized device, the three-dimensional locations from the three-dimensional space to a two-dimensional coordinate system. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a display screen;   a sensing device configured to detect respective movements of the two hands of a user in a three-dimensional space; and   a processor configured:
 to present user interface elements on the display screen; 
 to recognize, in the respective movements, a gesture in which one of the hands moves away from the other of the hands in the three-dimensional space; and 
 responsively to the gesture, to increase a magnification level of one or more of the user interface elements appearing in an area on the display screen. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, in the respective movements prior to the gesture, an initial gesture comprising the other of the hands moving from a first position to a second position in the three-dimensional space, and to identify the area on the display screen responsively to the initial gesture. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to present a pointer on the display screen, and to move the pointer responsively to the initial gesture, and wherein the identified area comprises an area around the pointer. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to highlight a given user interface element responsively to the initial gesture, and wherein the one or more of the user interface elements comprises the highlighted user interface element. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, in the respective movements subsequent to the gesture, an additional gesture made by the other of the hands, and to select one of the one or more of the user interface elements responsively to the additional gesture. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein increasing the magnification level comprises at least one of exposing new details on the display and exposing relevant options on the display. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to select the one of the one or more user interface elements by selecting a given relevant option. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, in the respective movements subsequent to the gesture, an additional gesture comprising moving the one of the hands toward the other of the hands in the three-dimensional space, and to decrease the magnification level of the one or more of the user interface elements responsively to the additional gesture. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to detect three-dimensional locations of the hands and to map the three-dimensional locations from the three-dimensional space to a two-dimensional coordinate system. 
     
     
         19 . A computer software product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer:
 to present user interface elements on a display screen of the computerized system, to   to detect respective movements of two hands of a user in a three-dimensional space, including a gesture in which one of the hands moves away from the other of the hands in the three-dimensional space; and   responsively to the gesture, to increase a magnification level of one or more of the user interface elements appearing in an area on the display screen.   
     
     
         20 . The computer software product according to  claim 19 , and comprising additional program instructions, which when read by the computer, cause the computer to detect, in the respective movements subsequent to the gesture, an additional gesture comprising moving the one of the hands toward the other of the hands in the three-dimensional space, and to decrease the magnification level of the one or more of the user interface elements responsively to the additional gesture.