RotoView FAQ
The RotoView App
Q: What should I expect from the
RotoView app?
A: The RotoView app is a simple proof-of-concept
demonstration of the RotoView technology that was invented by INNOVENTIONS in
the late 90s. We did our best to enable the user to have a good glimpse of what
RotoView has to offer.
Q: Who are the target audiences
for this app? Why does the More section of the app seem to be so complex
(numerous settings, the graph editor and the ballistics table)?
A:
The RotoView app in its default mode is targeted to the general public,
enabling anyone who is curious to see the future of view navigation in action,
by using the photos stored on their iPhone or iPod Touch. To use RotoView, just
open a photo, shake the device and navigate. Advanced end-users, product
engineers and programmers can use the More section to review many
sophisticated features of the technology and experiment with numerous
navigation profiles.
Q: Does the RotoView app
implement all aspects of RotoView technology?
A: The app
implements many important features of the RotoView technology, but not all.
Important features that will be implemented in future versions include hand
gesture exit, voice commands, smart coloring of the View Navigation Progress
Monitor, non-linear rotation response graphs and more.
Q: What is the best way to learn
all the features of the RotoView app?
A: We have prepared several
tutorials that cover many features in
depth. Anyone who is carefully evaluating the technology must review these
tutorials. A summary of the main features appears in this
page. Limited 'How to' and
'RotoView Quick Start' sections appear in the app itself (tap More, About). You
can experiment freely with all settings, and if needed, reset to default
setting as described in tutorial 6.2.
Q: Why are my photos magnified
when opened?
A: The app default setting automatically magnify
small pictures when they are opened. This is done to insure that you have
"room" to navigate. You can turn off the 'magnify a photo when it is opened' as
described in tutorial 6.1.
Q: Are you developing RotoView
applications for other platforms?
A: Yes, we plan similar
RotoView applications for the Android and Windows Mobile platforms. We are also
developing a paid app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Please monitor our
road map page for further information.
Q: What is the best way to
implement RotoView in modern smartphones?
A: RotoView provides the
very fundamental task of view navigation, which can be used by every display
application. Therefore, it should be best deployed within the operating system
of the device and provided to application developers via the scroll view
encapsulation. We are negotiating with many smartphone manufacturers regarding
the purchase or license of RotoView. However, if you are a developer, you can
license this technology now and add RotoView to your own application right
away.
Q: What keeps the display from
unwanted changes when I just move the device? How does the user switch between
Fixed and Navigation modes?
A: RotoView employs two main modes,
Fixed mode and Navigation mode. Fixed mode is the default, so you can freely
move the device without fearing that you inadvertently changes the display.
RotoView switches from Fixed mode to Navigation mode based on a touch (or
switch), hand gesture, or voice command. It returns to Fixed mode based on
similar commands, and/or by combination of inactivity detection and fixed exit
timer.
Q: What happens if a user's hand
bumps into an obstacle while navigating the display?
A: RotoView
employs a ballistic trail of the navigation
path during navigation mode. Any abrupt movement, like the one registered when
the user's hand bumps into an obstacle, can be detected. The view is
automatically returned to its trail's state just prior to the bump.
Q: Does a hand gesture to exit
Navigation mode inadvertently change the final view contents?
A:
An exit command by hand gesture will initially affect the view, since it
comprises changes in orientation. However, using the RotoView
ballistic trail discussed above, the view
is returned to its trail's state just prior to the hand gesture once an exit
command is identified. This feature is not yet implemented in the RotoView app
although it is well described in our patents.
Q: Is the RotoView
PC-Based Evaluation and
Development System still available for purchase?
A: Yes, it is
available for purchase. However, please note that this is an older system still
designed with external sensor board. We've sold these systems since 2003, many
years before the emergence of the smartphones. Most of its functionality is
duplicated in the new smartphone
applications.
The RotoView
Patents
Q: Are you planning to license or
sell the RotoView patent portfolio?
A: Although INNOVENTIONS is an
R&D and manufacturing company, we are too small to manufacture smart
hand-held media devices in high volume. Therefore, we are looking for strategic
partners who may license or even purchase the RotoView technology and IP. RotoView is clearly an
idea whose time has come and we are offering an affordable licensing agreement
to every small and large company that wishes to legally use our invention in
their products.
Q: I like your patents and would
like to use them in my own apps. However, I am a small developer, so how can I
afford to buy a RotoView license?
A: Small developers can obtain a
very low cost license, and in many cases you may even pay no royalties at all.
Please contact us for more details.
Q: My company plans to use the
smartphone's built-in accelerometer to navigate the device's view. Do we need
to acquire a RotoView license?
A: INNOVENTIONS have patents in the
USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy covering the basic
functionality of tilt-based view navigation. If your products are sold or
manufactured in these countries you must sign a license. You can review the
details of our patents here.
Q: My company plans to use the
smartphone's camera as a tilt sensor to navigate the device's view. Do we need
to acquire a RotoView license?
A: RotoView patents cover
tilt-based view navigation regardless of the sensor type. Therefore, if you
implement the RotoView patents with camera-based tilt sensor, or magnetic
sensor, or gyroscope sensor, you still need a license in the USA and the
European countries mentioned above.
Q: Most smartphones already have
accelerometers built in. Why are your patents valuable?
A: It is
very easy to lose perspective of the sequence of events when judging an
invention! INNOVENTIONS invented the RotoView technology during the late 90s,
many years before the emergence of the accelerometers or gyroscopes in
smartphones. In fact, we have been contacting most of the major manufacturers
for many years in order to demonstrate the benefits of our technology and
convince them to incorporate a tilt sensor into their platform. It is no
surprise that the technology now seems to be materializing everywhere.
Currently, most devices use the accelerometers for auto detection of "portrait"
or "landscape" modes, which is not covered by the RotoView patents. Use of the
accelerometer to navigate the display in all direction will typically be
covered by the RotoView patents. It is interesting to note that as of May 2010,
our US6,466,198 and US6,933,923 patents have been
cited as prior art in 101
separate US patents.
Q: What is the special importance
of your European patents?
A: Obtaining a patent in Europe requires
a complete examination and approval process by the European Patent Office. This
process is completely independent of the US Patent Office examination process.
Therefore, in addition to a significant commercial protection in the UK,
Germany, France and Italy, our European patent provides additional independent
approval for the RotoView invention.
Q: Are you offering any design
help for your licensees?
A: It is quite possible to implement
RotoView in your application based upon the information contained in our
patents and on this web site. Therefore,
licensees do not need to purchase our design services in addition to the
license fees. However, INNOVENTIONS has accumulated considerable know-how
regarding many real-world user interface issues related to tilt-based view
navigation. Therefore, we do offer fee-based design assistance to any of our
licensees who wish it. Please contact us for more details.
FAQ