Methods and apparatus to detect vibration inducing hand gestures

• US 10,013,069 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dibbur, Viswanath
• Primary Examiner(s): POLO, GUSTAVO D
• Application Number:
  US15/264,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20180074593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to detect vibration inducing hand movements are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a sensor to detect a vibration in a hand of a user wearing the apparatus. The example apparatus further includes a processor to analyze the vibration to identify a user selection of a virtual control associated with an input to an electronic device.

Claims

1. An apparatus to detect vibration inducing hand gestures, the apparatus comprising:

a first sensor to detect a vibration in a hand of a user wearing the apparatus, the vibration associated with a point of origin on the hand of the user;

a second sensor to detect the vibration in the hand of the user, the first and second sensors spaced apart such that a first duration for the vibration to travel from the point of origin to the first sensor is different than a second duration for the vibration to travel from the point of origin to the second sensor; and

a processor to analyze at least one of outputs of the first and second sensors to identify a user selection of a virtual control associated with an input to an electronic device.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the vibration results from a finger being tapped against a thumb of the user.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is held against at least one of a wrist or a forearm of the user.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is held by a band.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is held by a removable adhesive.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is to detect the vibration without the apparatus directly contacting any part of the hand of the user.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the vibration is generated by a movement of the hand.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the processor is to compare a waveform of the vibration to a reference vibration signal, the processor to identify the movement based on the comparison.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the movement is a first movement and the vibration is a first vibration corresponding to the first movement, at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor to detect a second vibration in the hand corresponding to a second movement, a waveform of the second movement being distinguishable from the waveform of the first vibration.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are held against the hand of the user.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the first sensor is proximate to an index finger of the hand and the second sensor is proximate to a little finger of the hand.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the processor is to identify the user selection of the virtual control based on a difference between a first time of the detection of the vibration by the first sensor and a second time of the detection of the vibration by the second sensor.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the processor is to identify the user selection of the virtual control based on a difference between a first phase of the vibration as detected by the first sensor and a second phase of the vibration as detected by the second sensor.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the vibration is indicative of an identity of the user.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first sensor is secured against the hand between a base of an index finger of the hand and a base of a thumb of the hand.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second sensor is secured against the hand between a base of a little finger of the hand and a wrist of the user.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, further including a reference database to store the reference vibration signal, the reference vibration signal stored in the reference database before the first and second sensors detect the vibration in the hand of the user.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the vibration is a first vibration corresponding to a first movement of the hand, the first and second sensors to detect a second vibration in the hand corresponding to a second movement of the hand, the difference between the first time of the detection of the first vibration by the first sensor and the second time of the detection of the first vibration by the second sensor is distinguishable from a difference between a third time of the detection of the second vibration by the first sensor and a fourth time of the detection of the vibration by the second sensor.

15. A method, comprising:

accessing, with at a processor, a first signal from a first sensor in response to a vibration inducing movement of a hand of a user, the movement corresponding to a user selection of an input for an electronic device;

accessing, with the processor, a second signal from a second sensor detecting the vibration inducing movement, the vibration inducing movement to generate a first vibration at a first location on the hand of the user, the first and second sensors spaced apart such that a first time of travel of the first vibration from the first location to the first sensor is different than a second time of travel of the first vibration from the first location to the second sensor; and

analyzing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first and second signals to identify the user selection of the input for the electronic device.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, further including:

comparing a waveform associated with at least one of the first signal or the second signal to a reference vibration signal; and

identifying the user selection of the input for the electronic device based on the comparison.

17. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the first sensor is proximate to a first edge of the hand and the second sensor is proximate to a second edge of the hand opposite the first edge.

18. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein a second vibration inducing movement is to generate a second vibration originating at a second location on the hand of the user, the first time of travel of the first vibration subtracted from the second time of travel of the first vibration defining a first time difference, a third time of travel of the second vibration from the second location to the first sensor subtracted from a fourth time of travel of the second vibration from the second location to the second sensor defining a second time difference, the first time difference being different than the second time difference.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

obtain a first signal from a first sensor based on a vibration inducing movement of a hand of a user, the movement corresponding to a user selection of an input for an electronic device;

obtain a second signal from a second sensor based on the vibration inducing movement, the vibration inducing movement to generate a first vibration originating at a first location on the hand of the user, the first and second sensors to be spaced apart such that a first time for the first vibration to travel from the first location to the first sensor is different than a second time for the first vibration to travel from the first location to the second sensor; and

analyze the first and second signals to identify the user selection of the input for the electronic device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

compare a waveform associated with at least one of the first signal or the second signal to a reference vibration signal; and

identify the user selection of the input for the electronic device based on the comparison.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the first and second sensors are positioned proximate a base of fingers of the hand.