Operating user interfaces

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, using an optical-based sensor associated with a first processing apparatus, data indicative of a pose of a control element and a gesture performed by the control element, wherein the data indicative of the pose corresponds to an orientation and position of the control element relative to the optical-based sensor and a reference surface;

determining a vector corresponding to a change between the data indicative of the pose and gesture and a previous data indicative of a previous pose and gesture;

delivering the vector from the first processing apparatus to a second processing apparatus, the second processing apparatus associated with a computing device for displaying a user interface, wherein the second processing apparatus is remote from the first processing apparatus;

generating, based on the vector, a representation of the control element to be presented on the user interface;

presenting the representation of the control element on the user interface; determining, using the second processing apparatus, an operation corresponding to the performed gesture; and

performing the operation in respect of the user interface on the computing device.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

presenting a representation of the user interface for display to the operator; and

presenting the representation of the control element on the representation of the user interface.

3. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

delivering the data indicative of the pose and the gesture from the first processing apparatus to a display associated with the first processing apparatus; wherein presenting the representation of the user interface comprises presenting the representation of the user interface on the display.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of the pose includes at least an outline of the control element.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the representation of the control element comprises generating a representation through which the user interface remains visible.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining data indicative of a touch event performed by the control element on a touch input surface associated with the first processing apparatus;

determining, using the second processing apparatus, a touch operation corresponding to the touch event; and

performing a touch operation in respect of the user interface on the computing device.

7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

encoding, using the first processing apparatus, the data indicative of the pose and the gesture prior to delivering the data to the second processing apparatus; and

decoding, using the second processing apparatus, the data upon receipt of the data at the second processing apparatus.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a biometric evaluation of a feature in the data indicative of a pose of the control element; and

determining, based on the biometric evaluation, whether or not the operator is authorized to operate the user interface.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the representation of the control element comprises:

determining, based on the data indicative of the pose, a boundary of the control element; and

modifying an appearance of the user interface outside the boundary of the control element.

10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based on the obtained data, that the control element is tilted in a particular direction with respect to a reference plane; and

causing the representation of the control element to move relative to the user interface in a direction based on the particular direction of tilt.

11. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining when the representation of the control element crosses a boundary defining an edge of the user interface; and

presenting a representation of at least part of the control element on an auxiliary display;

wherein the part of the representation of the control element presented on the auxiliary display comprises a portion of the representation of the control element which has crossed the boundary.

12. An apparatus, comprising: a first display unit to display a user interface; and processing circuitry to: receive data representing a pose of a control element and a gesture performed by the control element, the data having been captured by an optical-based sensor remote from the apparatus, wherein the data representing the pose corresponds to an orientation and position of the control element relative to the optical-based sensor and a reference surface; determine a vector corresponding to a change between the data representing a pose and a previous data representing a previous second pose; generate, based on the vector, a portrayal of the control element to be displayed on the first display unit; display the portrayal of the control element on the first display unit; establish, from the received data, an operation associated with the gesture performed by the control element; and execute the operation in respect of the user interface on the apparatus.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

determine when the portrayal of the control element crosses a boundary defining an edge of the user interface; and

display a portrayal of at least part of the control element on a second display unit.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the part of the control element displayed on the second display unit comprises a portion of the portrayal of the control element which has crossed the boundary.