Methods and systems for enabling depth and direction detection when interfacing with a computer program

A system for detecting pointing direction of an object directed toward a display screen that can render graphics of a computer program, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having embodied therein one or more computer executable instructions configured to implement, upon execution, a method for detecting depth and direction when interfacing with a computer program, the method comprising:
• (a) capturing one or more images with one or more depth camera, wherein the one or more depth camera has a capture location in a coordinate space;
• (b) identifying a first object in the image and assigning the first object a first object location in the coordinate space;
• (c) identifying a second object in the image and assigning the second object a second object location in coordinate space;
• (d) identifying a relative position in coordinate space between the first object location and the second object location when viewed from the capture location, wherein identifying the relative position includes computing an azimuth angle and an altitude angle between the first object location and the object location in relation to the capture location, wherein the relative position includes a dimension of depth with respect to the coordinate space, wherein the dimension of depth is determined from analysis of the one or more images;
• and
• (e) changing a state of the program based on the relative position.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied therein one or more computer executable instructions configured to implement, upon execution, a method for detecting detecting depth and direction when interfacing with a computer program, the method comprising:

• (a) capturing one or more images with one or more depth camera, wherein the one or more depth camera has a capture location in a coordinate space;
• (b) identifying a first object in the image and assigning the first object a first object location in the coordinate space;
• (c) identifying a second object in the image and assigning the second object a second object location in coordinate space;
• (d) identifying a relative position in coordinate space between the first object location and the second object location when viewed from the capture location, wherein identifying the relative position includes computing an azimuth angle and an altitude angle between the first object location and the object location in relation to the capture location, wherein the relative position includes a dimension of depth with respect to the coordinate space, wherein the dimension of depth is determined from analysis of the one or more images;
• and
• (e) changing a state of the program based on the relative position.