Microsoft Envisions Surface Cover As A Holographic Interaction Device

We use various gestures to interact with a device and it may be difficult for a user to determine which operations are available to be initiated by a gesture, how to perform the gesture, and so on. To solve this problem, Microsoft describes a holographic interaction device. This device may indicate available functionality of the computing device through use of a hologram, such as to indicate gestures that may be supported by the device. Imagine, Xbox Controller layout being displayed on a Surface keyboard.

For example, a holographic recording mechanism may be disposed over an input device, such as a thin film secured over one or more keys of a pressure sensitive keyboard. A light source may then be positioned (e.g., a laser included as part of the computing device) such that light emitted by the source on the holographic recording mechanism causes a hologram to be displayed above the input device.

This is not just for displaying the content, users can actually interact with these holograms.

The hologram may be configured to indicate gestures that are available for recognition by the computing device, such as part of a near-field user interface (NUI, also referred to as a natural user interface) that does not involve contact with a surface through detection using one or more sensors, such as an image sensor, long range capacitive sensor, and so on. The hologram, for instance, may be configured as a display of a navigation control. Movement of one or more fingers of a user’s hand in relation the displayed hologram may then be recognized as gestures involving navigation. In this way, a user may be readily informed as to a range of gestures that are available for interaction with a computing device.

Abstract:

A holographic interaction device is described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes an input portion comprising a plurality of controls that are configured to generate signals to be processed as inputs by a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the controls. The input device also includes a holographic recording mechanism disposed over a surface of the input portion, the holographic recording mechanism is configured to output a hologram in response to receipt of light, from a light source, that is viewable by a user over the input portion.

Summary:

A holographic interaction device is described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes an input portion comprising a plurality of controls that are configured to generate signals to be processed as inputs by a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the controls. The input device also includes a holographic recording mechanism disposed over a surface of the input portion. The holographic recording mechanism is configured to output a hologram in response to receipt of light, from a light source, that is viewable by a user over the input portion.

In one or more implementations, a hologram is caused to be displayed by a computing device, the hologram indicating how one or more gestures are to be performed by a user to interact with the computing device. The one or more gestures are recognized by the computing device from an input detected using one or more sensors of the computing device. Responsive to this recognition, performance of one or more operations is initiated by the computing device that correspond to the recognized one or more gestures, respectively.

In one or more implementations, a system includes an input device having an input portion comprising a plurality of controls that are configured to generate signals and a holographic recording mechanism disposed over a surface of the input device. The system also includes a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the input device to receive and process the generated signals as inputs, the computing device including a light source configured to cause the holographic recording mechanism to expose a hologram that is viewable by a user.