Bioacoustic control system, method and apparatus

• US 10,126,828 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amento, Brian, Hill, William Colyer, Terveen, Loren Gilbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Dorothy
• Application Number:
  US15/250,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20170052598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/00 Transmission systems characterised by the medium used for transmission, not provided for in groups H04B3/00 - H04B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

Bioacoustic sensors and wireless technologies are used for the control of electronic devices, such as wireless telephones, pagers, music/media players or personal laptops and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. Such control is implemented with certain systems, methods and apparatus which include bioacoustic sensors, a processor coupled to the bioacoustic sensors, and a transmitter coupled to the processor. The present invention is operative to detect particular hand and/or finger gestures, and to transmit control signals corresponding to the gestures for operative control of an electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wearable apparatus comprising a bioacoustic sensor and a processor, a bioacoustic signal via the bioacoustic sensor, the bioacoustic signal related to a particular hand gesture, the particular hand gesture associated with a particular command, the particular command associated with activation of a particular function performed by an electronic device, wherein the bioacoustic signal is conducted by way of at least one bone to the wearable apparatus;

identifying, by the wearable apparatus, the particular hand gesture related to the bioacoustic signal based on a positive correlation between the bioacoustic signal and predetermined hand gesture data;

selecting, by the wearable apparatus, the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture related to the bioacoustic signal; and

wirelessly transmitting, by the wearable apparatus, the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture to the electronic device to activate performance of the particular function by the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting, by the wearable apparatus, the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture prior to wirelessly transmitting the particular command to the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing feedback associated with the particular hand gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one bone comprises at least one bone of a hand.

5. A wearable apparatus comprising:

a bioacoustic sensor;

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, via the bioacoustic sensor, a bioacoustic signal, the bioacoustic signal related to a particular hand gesture, the particular hand gesture associated with a particular command, the particular command associated with activation of a particular function performed by an electronic device, wherein the bioacoustic signal is conducted by way of at least one bone to the wearable apparatus,

identifying the particular hand gesture related to the bioacoustic signal based on a positive correlation between the bioacoustic signal and predetermined hand gesture data,

selecting the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture related to the bioacoustic signal, and

wirelessly transmitting the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture to the electronic device to activate performance of the particular function by the electronic device.

6. The wearable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise encrypting the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture prior to wirelessly transmitting the particular command to the electronic device.

7. The wearable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise providing feedback associated with the particular hand gesture.

8. The wearable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one bone comprises at least one bone of a hand.

9. A non-transitory storage component that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor of a wearable apparatus comprising a bioacoustic sensor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via the bioacoustic sensor, a bioacoustic signal, the bioacoustic signal related to a particular hand gesture, the particular hand gesture associated with a particular command, the particular command associated with activation of a particular function performed by an electronic device, wherein the bioacoustic signal is conducted by way of at least one bone to the wearable apparatus;

identifying the particular hand gesture related to the bioacoustic signal based on a positive correlation between the bioacoustic signal and predetermined hand gesture data;

selecting the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture related to the bioacoustic signal; and

wirelessly transmitting the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture to the electronic device to activate performance of the particular function by the electronic device.

10. The non-transitory storage component of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise encrypting the particular command associated with the particular hand gesture prior to wirelessly transmitting the particular command to the electronic device.

11. The non-transitory storage component of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise providing feedback associated with the particular hand gesture.

12. The non-transitory storage component of claim 9, wherein the at least one bone comprises at least one bone of a hand.