Apple are said to have been looking into different input methods for their handsets according to a patent. The new input method could soon find its way onto the Apple iPhone 6. A patent sighting has described how users could use sensors to recognise movements, distance and location and gestures. What this essentially means is that the owner could control the handset from a distance. So, could we see something like this built into the Apple iPhone 6?
The Apple patent would allow the owners to move from up close and personal input on the device to controlling it remotely with gestures. The technology works by way of a user-sensing interactive computer system. The patent has the name of Computer User Interface System and Methods. Sensors are able to measure metrics, which include where the owner of the handset is in the room. The device can identify gestures and then work out the coordinates of that person. One interesting thing in the patent is User Proximity Content.
The user interface can be changed depending on the proximity of the user to the handset. The filing said “An appearance of information displayed by the computer may be altered or otherwise controlled based on the user proximity context,” “For example, a size and/or a content of the information displayed by the computer may be altered or controlled.”
It is thought that display elements could be increased or decreased, such as the size of the text, depending on how far the user is away from the display. The UI will adapt and change based on where the owner is and how far away.
Apple gave another demonstration which indicated that the handset could transfer input controls automatically. This could mean that the handset could translate input controls from mouse and change to hand gestures, when the owner moves away from the device. The brightness of the display could be changed depending on how far away the user is and quality could be dependent on what the owner can see from where they are standing.
For now we will have to wait to see what Apple have in store for this new tech, but it does sound very exciting to think about being able to control the iPhone without needing to hold it in the hand.
