DISPLAYING PROXIMATE KEYS IN A VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT

Number: 20180095546
Published: 2018-04-05
Filed: 2016-09-30
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: FRANK; Daniel
CPC: G06F3/04895; G06F3/0236; G06F3/0489; G06F3/011; G06F3/0426; G06F1/163
Verdict: Set aside VR keyboard-display UI feature, generic
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed for generating a visual representation of at least one of a plurality of input keys. The embodiments receive a first signal form one or more proximity sensors indicating that a user is proximate to a first plurality of input keys on an I/O device. The embodiments receive a second signal from one or more activation sensors indicating the user has activated a second plurality of input keys on the I/O device. The embodiments compare the first plurality of input keys to the second plurality of input keys to identify a subset of the first plurality of input keys that the user is proximate to but has not activated. The embodiments generate a visual representation of the subset of the first plurality of input keys for display.

Background

BACKGROUNDField of the Invention

The embodiments herein are generally directed to determining proximity to an input.Description of the Related Art

Computing devices generally require an input system for users to provide information to the computing devices—e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, and so forth—by providing signals which correspond to an activated input. However, a user generally needs to visually or tactually determine the location of a specific key or button to ensure the user activates the proper input. A visually impaired user—e.g., a person using a virtual reality headset, physically handicapped, and so forth—may not be able to determine the location of the specific input button they are searching for without activating the button. That is, if a user cannot see the input keys, the user may not know if she is about to activate the correct input until after the key is pressed and the computing system outputs a prompt—e.g., an audio prompt.SUMMARY

One embodiment described herein is a method that includes receiving a first signal form one or more proximity sensors indicating that a user is proximate to a first plurality of input keys on an I/O device. The method includes receiving a second signal from one or more activation sensors indicating the user has activated a second plurality of input keys on the I/O device. The method includes comparing the first plurality of input keys to the second plurality of input keys to identify a subset of

Claims

1. A method, comprising: receiving a first signal from one or more proximity sensors indicating that a user is proximate to a first plurality of input keys on an I/O device; receiving a second signal from one or more activation sensors indicating the user has activated a second plurality of input keys on the I/O device; comparing the first plurality of input keys to the second plurality of input keys to identify a subset of the first plurality of input keys that the user is proximate to but has not activated; and generating a key proximity map of the subset of the first plurality of input keys for display. 8. A system, comprising: one or more computing processors; and a memory comprising a program that when executed by the one or more computer processors performs an operation for generating a visual representation of at least one of a plurality of input keys, the operation comprising: receiving a first signal from one or more proximity sensors indicating that a user is proximate to a first plurality of input keys on an I/O device; receiving a second signal from one or more activation sensors indicating the user has activated a second plurality of input keys on the I/O device; comparing the first plurality of input keys to the second plurality of input keys to identify a subset of the first plurality of input keys that the user is proximate to but has not activated; and generating a key proximity map of the subset of the first plurality of input keys for display. 15. A computer program product to generate a visual representation of at least one of a plurality of input keys, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured: receive a first signal from one or more proximity sensors indicating that a user is proximate to a first plurality of input keys on an I/O device; receive a second signal from one or more activation sensors indicating the user has activated a second plurality of input keys on the I/O device; compare the first plurality of input keys to the second plurality of input keys to identify a subset of the first plurality of input keys that the user is proximate to but has not activated; and generate a key proximity map of the subset of the first plurality of input keys for display.