Abstract:
Apparatuses and methods directed to adjusting a visual characteristic of a user interface. Ultrasonic detection times are received from a first ultrasonic transceiver, a second ultrasonic transceiver, and a fourth ultrasonic transceiver. A height of a feature above the user interface is determined from the first ultrasonic detection time, the second ultrasonic detection time, and the third ultrasonic detection time. If the height of the feature is less than a predetermined threshold a visual characteristic of the user interface is adjusted.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/139,099, filed Mar. 27, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This application relates to ultrasonic transceivers and utilizing these devices to determine whether to adjust characteristics of a user interface or characteristics of items presented at a user interface. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Different types of user interfaces exist and one type of user interface is a keyboard or keypad. Smart phones and tablets often present the keyboard to a user as part of a touch screen. In these cases, alphanumeric keys are displayed on the touch screen and the user touches the screen about the key they wish to select. Unfortunately, the displays presented on touch screens are sometimes small. If the display is too small, the user has a hard time contacting or striking the correct key or in some cases strikes an incorrect key. 
         [0004]    Still another type of interface also utilizes a touch screen but presents icons (instead or in addition to alphanumeric keys) on the interface to a user. For example, this type of interface may be utilized as part of a cellular phone or smart phone. As with the displays involving keyboards, the icons may sometimes be too small for a correct selection to be made. If the display is small, the user has a hard time contacting or striking the intended icon and sometimes contacts the incorrect icon. 
         [0005]    When the incorrect key or icon is contacted, the user may have to re-do their work. For example, if the user were typing an email, they may have to re-type portions of the message or even start over. If a user selects the incorrect icon, an unintended application may launch wasting both user and system resources. 
         [0006]    Previous approaches have not adequately addressed these problems. As a result, some user dissatisfaction with these previous approaches has occurred. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    For a more complete understanding of the disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  comprises a block diagram of a system using ultrasonic information to alter characteristics of features displayed on a user interface according to various embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  comprises a diagram of a grid or bin pattern used to identify locations on a user interface according to various embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  comprises a flow chart showing one approach for adjusting features on a user interface according to various embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  comprises a flow chart and associated block diagrams showing one approach for determining the location of a feature at a user interface according to various embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  comprises a flow chart and associated block diagrams showing one approach for determining the location of a feature at a user interface according to various embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  comprises a flow chart and associated block diagrams showing one approach for determining the height of a feature according to various embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The present approaches provide an adjustable interface whereby characteristics (e.g., the size) of displayable graphic units or graphic display units (e.g., alphanumeric keys or icons) are adjusted as a feature of interest (e.g., a finger) approaches a displayable graphic unit. These approaches utilize one or more ultrasonic transceivers that transmit an ultrasonic signal (and receive a reflected ultrasonic signal in return). The received ultrasonic signal(s) are used to identify a graphic display unit (e.g., key) and determine whether the feature of interest (e.g., the finger) is within a predetermined distance (e.g., height) of the graphic display unit so that characteristics of the graphical display unit can be altered. 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , one example of an apparatus or system  100  arranged to detect a reflective feature and alter one or more display characteristics of graphic display units (e.g., keys or icons) of an interface or what is being displayed on the interface is described. The apparatus  100  includes a user interface  102 , a first ultrasonic transceiver  104 , a second ultrasonic transceiver  106 , a third ultrasonic transceiver  108 , a fourth ultrasonic transceiver  110 , a processor  112 , and a display controller  114 . The number and position of these transceivers is not limited to those shown in the drawings, which represents one possible example configuration. Other examples are possible. 
         [0017]    The user interface  102  is any type of user display that presents information to a user. In one example, the user interface is a touch screen that as described elsewhere herein is divided into bins (i.e., a grid pattern). Graphical display units (e.g., alphanumeric keys or icons) are presented to the user on the user interface. Characteristics such as the length, width, color, intensity, and resolution of the graphical display units may be changed. The graphical display units are the collection of pixels that form an image. For example, the pixels may form an image of the letter “A” or an icon representing a website. Other examples are possible. 
         [0018]    The first ultrasonic transceiver  104 , second ultrasonic transceiver  106 , third ultrasonic transceiver  108 , and fourth ultrasonic transceiver  110  transmit ultrasonic signals and receive reflected ultrasonic signals back. As used herein, “ultrasonic” means signals in the 20-200 KHz frequency range. The transceivers  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  also convert the returned signal into the appropriate format that can be processed by a digital signal processing device. For example, the transceivers  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  convert the received signals into distance information in an appropriate format for a digital processing device (e.g., the processor  112 ). 
         [0019]    In these regards, the transceivers  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  measure signal path times and object detection times for features approaching the user interface. As used herein, signal path time is the time from which the signal is generated at the transceiver, propagates at the speed of sound to the reflective feature (e.g., a finger), travels back from the reflective feature to the transceiver (at the speed of sound) and is sensed by the transceiver. In other words, this is the total time a signal takes to go from the transceiver to the reflective feature and then back to the transceiver. The object detection time is one-half the signal path time. 
         [0020]    The processor  112  receives information from the transceivers  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  (which indicates potentially that a feature of interest is approaching the user interface  102 ) and maps this information to a particular bin (an area as described below) on the display. The identified bin then maps to a particular graphic display unit (e.g., key on a keyboard or icon). When the feature (e.g., the finger) approaching the graphical display unit is a predetermined distance from the user interface  102 , a command is sent to the display controller  114  to alter a characteristic of the visual item (e.g., increase the size of a key or icon). 
         [0021]    The display controller  114  is configured to drive the user interface  102 . For example, the display controller  114  receives information from the processor telling it how to adjust the screen and then has appropriate hardware/software to make the changes to the user interface  102 . In one example, the user interface  102  is a touch screen with keys (as the graphic display units) and the display controller  114  increases the size (e.g., doubles or triples) of a particular key that is identified in the command from the processor  112 . 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , one example of a user interface (e.g., a touch screen) and its divisions are described. The interface  200  is presented against a coordinate system that is a Cartesian plane (having x-axis  201 , y-axis  203 , and origin  205 ). The interface  200  is divided into vertical columns or bins  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 , and  212 . The interface  200  is also divided into horizontal columns or bins  222 ,  224 ,  226 , and  228 . Each column is defined by a width in arbitrary units, while each row is defined by a width in arbitrary units. The intersection of columns and rows also forms a smaller bin, for example, bin  230 , where column  204  intersects row  224 . Within each bin are a multitude of Cartesian (x, y) points. The goal of the many of the approaches described herein is to determine which bin (e.g., bin  230 ) an external feature (e.g., finger) is approaching, to map the identified bin to a graphical display unit (e.g., to map that the finger is approaching the letter “X”), and to alter the characteristics (e.g., size) of that graphical display unit (e.g., to increase the size of the letter “X”). The number of row and column bins is not limited by the drawing references, but can vary based upon the specific display or keyboard application. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , one example of an overall approach for altering characteristics of a user interface is described. At step  302 , ultrasonic detection times are received from one or more ultrasonic transceivers. These may include the signal path time and the object detection time for a feature (e.g., a finger) approaching the user interface. 
         [0024]    At step  304 , the feature location is determined from the ultrasonic detection times that have been received from one or more ultrasonic transceivers. Various approaches may be utilized to accomplish this functionality and one such example is described elsewhere herein. 
         [0025]    At step  306 , the height of the feature is determined from the ultrasonic detection times. For example, the height of the finger that is approaching the user interface (the height being the distance between the finger and the interface) is determined. 
         [0026]    At step  308 , it is determined if the height is below a predetermined threshold. If the answer is negative, the system does nothing (e.g., no alteration to the user interface is made) at step  310 . If the answer is affirmative, at step  312 , characteristics of the feature are adjusted. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , one example of an approach for determining feature location at an interface is described. The approach of  FIG. 4  may implement step  304  of  FIG. 3 . The example of  FIG. 4  assumes that there is a first ultrasonic transceiver  452 , a second ultrasonic transceiver  454 , a third ultrasonic transceiver  456 , and a fourth ultrasonic transceiver  458  arranged around the periphery of an interface  450 . In this example, the first ultrasonic transceiver  452  is across from the second ultrasonic transceiver  454 , and the third ultrasonic transceiver  456  is across from the fourth ultrasonic transceiver  458 . 
         [0028]    At step  402 , objection detection times are received from the first ultrasonic transceiver  452  and the second ultrasonic transceiver  454 . At step  404 , the times define circles  422  and  424  on the display that intersect at points  432  and  434  and these points are determined at this step. These points also identify a vertical bin  433 . 
         [0029]    At step  406 , objection detection times are received from the third ultrasonic transceiver  456  and the fourth ultrasonic transceiver  458 . At step  408 , the times define circles  426  and  428  on the display that intersect at points  436  and  438  and these points are determined at this step. These points also identify a vertical bin  435 . 
         [0030]    At step  410 , the common bin (the intersection of bin  433  and bin  435 ) is determined. 
         [0031]    At step  412 , the common bin is mapped to a visual item (the graphical display unit) associated with the bin (e.g., in this example, bin  437  may be mapped to a key or icon). 
         [0032]    At step  414 , the identified graphical display unit is returned to the main calling approach, for example, as the result of step  304  of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , another example of an approach for determining feature location at an interface is described. The approach of  FIG. 5  may implement step  304  of  FIG. 3 . The example of  FIG. 5  assumes that there is a first ultrasonic transceiver  552 , a second ultrasonic transceiver  554 , and a third ultrasonic transceiver  556  arranged around the periphery of an interface  550 . In this example, the first ultrasonic transceiver  552  is across from the second ultrasonic transceiver  554 . 
         [0034]    At step  502 , objection detection times are received from the first ultrasonic transceiver  552 , the second ultrasonic transceiver  554 , and the third ultrasonic transceiver  556 . At step  504 , the times are used to define three circles  522 ,  524 , and  526  that intersect at point  532  and determined at step  506 . At step  508 , this point  532  also identifies a unique bin  533 . 
         [0035]    At step  510 , the bin  533  is mapped to a visual item (the graphical display unit) associated with the bin (e.g., in this example, bin  533  may be mapped to a key or icon). 
         [0036]    At step  512 , the identified graphical display unit is returned to the main calling approach, for example, as the result of step  304  of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , one example of an approach for determining feature height at an interface is described. The approach of  FIG. 6  may implement step  306  of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0038]    At step  602 , the object detection times for all transceivers are taken. At step  604 , the intersection of these times is determined. In these regards, it will be appreciated that the times define three-dimensional spheres. When four sensors are used, there will be a unique intersection of four spheres (each sphere having a radius equal to the object detection time as measured at a particular sensor). The intersection will be a point and this point can be determined be various mathematic approaches as known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0039]    At step  606 , the height of the feature can be determined, for example, by knowing the coordinates of the plane representing the user interface and by knowing the point of intersection determined at step  604 , a distance there between can be determined using appropriate mathematical techniques known to those skilled in the art. At step  608 , the identified graphical display unit is returned to the main calling approach, for example, as the result of step  306  of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0040]    Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.