Raise gesture detection in a device with preheating of a processor

• US 10,120,431 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tu, Xiaoyuan, Kandangath, Anil K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Calvin C
• Application Number:
  US14/796,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345173, 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A wearable computing device can detect device-raising gestures. For example, onboard motion sensors of the device can detect movement of the device in real time and infer information about the spatial orientation of the device. Based on analysis of signals from the motion sensors, the device can detect a raise gesture, which can be a motion pattern consistent with the user moving the device'"'"'s display into his line of sight. In response to detecting a raise gesture, the device can activate its display and/or other components. Detection of a raise gesture can occur in stages, and activation of different components can occur at different stages.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a preheat event corresponding to an initiation of a raise gesture in a wearable device, the method comprising:

operating a motion sensor of the device to collect data samples at a sampling rate;

detecting, by a first processor in the device, a possible initiation of a raise gesture based at least in part on analyzing one or more of the data samples including a most recent data sample;

in the event that a possible initiation of a raise gesture is not detected, repeating the analyzing for a subsequent data sample; and

in the event that a possible initiation of a raise gesture is detected;

evaluating, by the first processor, each of a sequence of subsequent data samples as either consistent or inconsistent with a raise gesture;

incrementing a first count of data samples for each data sample of the sequence of subsequent data samples that is evaluated as consistent with a raise gesture;

incrementing a second count of data samples for each data sample of the sequence of subsequent data samples that is evaluated as inconsistent with a raise gesture; and

notifying, by the first processor, another component of the device of a preheat event in the event that the first count reaches a first threshold number before the second count reaches a second threshold number.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the event that the second count reaches the second threshold number before the first count reaches the first threshold number:

returning to an initial state in which a possible initiation of a raise gesture has not been detected; and

repeating the detecting of a possible initiation of a raise gesture.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the other component includes an applications processor, the method further comprising:

transitioning the applications processor from a sleep state to a wake state in response to the notification of the preheat event.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein transitioning the applications processor from the sleep state to the wake state does not affect a state of a user interface component of the device.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the applications processor transitions from the wake state to the sleep state in the event that the notification of the preheat event is not followed by a notification of a raise gesture within a timeout period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a possible initiation of a raise gesture includes:

comparing two most recent data samples to detect a change in position or orientation of the device; and

determining whether the detected change is in a direction consistent with initiation of a raise gesture.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the motion-sensor data includes accelerometer data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a possible initiation of a raise gesture is based at least in part on a starting pose determined from the data samples.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating one or more of the subsequent data samples is based at least in part on one or more of:

an evaluation of whether a change in one or both of a position or an orientation of the device, as determined from the data samples, is consistent with continuing a raise gesture;

a measurement of a smoothness of the motion based on the data samples;

a starting pose at a time when the possible initiation of the raise gesture was detected;

or

a trajectory of the device inferred from the data samples.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, subsequently to notifying the other component of the preheat event:

continuing to evaluate, by the first processor, each of a sequence of subsequent data samples as either consistent or inconsistent with a raise gesture; and

notifying the other component of a loss-of-preheat event in the event that the subsequent data samples become inconsistent with a raise gesture.

11. A device comprising:

a user interface component having an active state and an inactive state;

a motion sensor to detect motion of the device; and

a first processor configured to;

operate a motion sensor of the device to collect data samples at a sampling rate;

detect in the device, a possible initiation of a raise gesture based at least in part on a most recent data sample;

in the event that a possible initiation of a raise gesture is not detected, repeat the analyzing for a subsequent data sample; and

in the event that a possible initiation of a raise gesture is detected;

evaluate each of a sequence of subsequent data samples as either consistent or inconsistent with a raise gesture;

increment a first count of data samples for each of the sequence of subsequent data samples that is evaluated as consistent with a raise gesture;

increment a second count of data samples for each of the sequence of subsequent data samples that is evaluated as inconsistent with a raise gesture; and

notify another component of the device of a preheat event in the event that the first count reaches a first threshold number before the second count reaches a second threshold number.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the device is a wearable device.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the device is a wrist-wearable device.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the user interface component includes one or more of:

a display;

a touch-screen display;

a microphone;

a speaker;

or

a button.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the motion sensor includes one or more of:

an accelerometer;

or

a gyroscopic sensor.

16. The device of claim 11 further comprising an applications processor, wherein the first processor is a coprocessor and the other component includes the applications processor.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein program instructions that, when executed by a first processor in a device, cause the first processor to perform a method comprising:

operating a motion sensor of the device to collect data samples at a sampling rate;

detecting, by a first processor in the device, a possible initiation of a raise gesture based at least in part on a most recent data sample;

in the event that a possible initiation of a raise gesture is not detected, repeating the analyzing for a subsequent data sample; and

in the event that a possible initiation of a raise gesture is detected;

evaluating, by the first processor, each of a sequence of subsequent data samples as either consistent or inconsistent with a raise gesture;

incrementing a first count of data samples for each data sample of the sequence of subsequent data samples that is evaluated as consistent with a raise gesture;

incrementing a second count of data samples for each data sample of the sequence of subsequent data samples that is evaluated as inconsistent with a raise gesture; and

notifying, by the first processor, another component of the device of a preheat event in the event that the first count reaches a first threshold number before the second count reaches a second threshold number.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the other component includes an applications processor, the method further comprising:

transitioning the applications processor from a sleep state to a wake state in response to the notification of the preheat event.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein evaluating one or more of the subsequent data samples is based at least in part on one or more of:

an evaluation of whether a change in one or both of a position or an orientation of the device, as determined from the data samples, is consistent with continuing a raise gesture;

a measurement of a smoothness of the motion based on the data samples;

a starting pose at a time when the possible initiation of the raise gesture was detected;

or

a trajectory of the device inferred from the data samples.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising, subsequently to notifying the other component of the preheat event:

continuing to evaluate, by the first processor, each of a sequence of subsequent data samples as either consistent or inconsistent with a raise gesture; and

notifying the other component of a loss-of-preheat event in the event that the subsequent data samples become inconsistent with a raise gesture.