Gesture based user interface
A gesture based user interface includes a movement monitor configured to monitor a user's hand and to provide a signal based on movements of the hand. A processor is configured to provide at least one interface state in which a cursor is confined to movement within a single dimension region responsive to the signal from the movement monitor, and to actuate different commands responsive to the signal from the movement monitor and the location of the cursor in the single dimension region.
1. Computing apparatus, comprising:
a movement identifier, which is configured to detect gestures made by a hand along three axes in space; and
a processor, which is coupled to the movement identifier and is configured to specify a minimal extent of movement of the hand in a predefined direction along one of the axes, to provide commands to a controlled application responsively to the detected gestures in the predefined direction with an extent of the movement of the hand that is greater than the minimal extent, and to ignore the gestures detected in the predefined direction with an extent of the movement of the hand in the predefined direction that is less than the minimal extent,
wherein the processor is configured to automatically adjust the minimal extent responsively to the gestures made by the hand by tracking cancellation of instructions subsequent to the detected gestures in response to which the processor provided the commands that gave the instructions.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined direction is a downward direction.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the three axes is a depth axis, and wherein the predefined direction is along the depth axis.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to move a cursor within a predetermined region on a display responsively to the detected gestures, wherein the predetermined region is formed of a plurality of sub-regions associated with respective control commands.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined direction is an upward direction.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the minimal extent responsively to the gestures made by the hand by tracking the extent of the movement of the hand in the detected gestures in response to which the commands were provided that gave the instructions and a corresponding time passing between when the instructions were given and when the instructions were cancelled subsequent to the detected gestures.
7. A method for computing, comprising:
detecting, by a movement identifier, gestures made by a hand along three axes in space;
specifying a minimal extent of movement of the hand in a predefined direction along one of the axes;
providing commands from a processor to a controlled application responsively to the gestures detected by the movement identifier in the predefined direction with an extent of the movement of the hand that is greater than the specified minimal extent;
automatically adjusting the minimal extent of movement of the hand in the predefined direction along the one of the axes responsively to the gestures made by the hand by tracking cancellation of instructions subsequent to the detected gestures in response to which the processor provided the commands that gave the instructions; and
ignoring the gestures detected in the predefined direction with an extent of the movement of the hand in the predefined direction that is less than the minimal extent.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the predefined direction is a downward direction.
9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein one of the three axes is a depth axis, and wherein the predefined direction is along the depth axis.
10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein providing the commands comprises moving a cursor within a predetermined region on a display responsively to the detected gestures, wherein the predetermined region is formed of a plurality of sub-regions associated with respective control commands.
11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the predefined direction is an upward direction.
12. A computer software product, comprising a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to detect gestures made by a hand along three axes in space, to specify a minimal extent of movement of the hand in a predefined direction along one of the axes, to provide commands to a controlled application responsively to the detected gestures in the predefined direction with an extent of the movement of the hand that is greater than the minimal extent, and to ignore the gestures detected in the predefined direction with an extent of the movement of the hand in the predefined direction that is less than the minimal extent,
wherein the instructions cause the computer to automatically adjust the minimal extent responsively to the gestures made by the hand by tracking cancellation of instructions subsequent to the detected gestures in response to which the computer provided the commands that gave the instructions.
13. The product according to claim 12 , wherein the predefined direction is a downward direction.
14. The product according to claim 12 , wherein one of the three axes is a depth axis, and wherein the predefined direction is along the depth axis.
15. The product according to claim 12 , wherein the predefined direction is an upward direction.