When Google first unveiled its Project Glass and showcased Google glasses to the world, many of us wondered about the navigation system that will be used by those tooling the glasses. Google hadn’t explained it well enough and some had speculated that it will probably be done with the help of an input mechanism on the side of the glasses. Now, a new Google patent more or less confirms this.
A new patent now grants Google rights over an ‘integrated finger-tracking input sensor device’ on a heads-up display. This is quite probably related to Project Glass since such an input device will go quite well with Google glasses.
The track-pad will be installed on either side of the glasses. One of these pads will allow the user to maintain fine motor control. The other will enable him for other, more broad movements. Apparently, Google hasn’t yet decided on what material to use in making the track-pad and the possibilities include metal oxide, glass or plastic.
The controls of the track-pad will be flexible in that left-handed users can tweak the settings to control which side controls what functions. So, for instance, if you are a left-handed user, you can choose the side with which you wish to maintain fine control.
Making it even more relevant to Google glasses, the company says in the filing that the trackpad will either be transparent or at least translucent so as to ensure peripheral vision for the user. Moreover, a number of functions could be accomplished on such a trackpad including single or double-tapping, scrolling through lists and flipping through different options.
Source: USPTO
Courtesy: The Verge
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