Remote control via proximity data

• US 10,551,918 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2019
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Billau, Michael R., Hartenbaum, Alissa J., Johnson, Trenton J., Vennam, Saikrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US16/288,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20190196583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments relate to use of proximity sensors to control a digital interface. More specifically, proximity detection and analysis of the sensors, and translating the proximity into one or more commands is utilized to control the interface. In various embodiments, a system is provided with a set of sensors operatively coupled to a secondary surface. The sensors are in communication with a hub positioned proximal to the sensors. The hub is configured to be in communication with a remote interface. Similarly, the remote interface is configured operatively coupled to a remote physical device (e.g. digital interface). As changes in the sensor position data are measured, the remote interface device communicates an action based on a set of rules. The action is communicated from the interface to the remote physical device and functions to physically transform a functional aspect of the device.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a first set of sensors including two or more sensors operatively coupled to a sensor hub, the first of the sensors, Si, fixed to a first location, a second of the sensors, Sj, fixed to a second location, and the hub fixed to a third location;

the sensor hub in communication with a remote interface;

the remote interface operatively coupled to a device;

a tool in communication with the sensor hub to utilize sensor position data to interface with the device, including;

measure an initial set of sensor positions, including a first distance between sensors, Si and Sj;

measure, through sensors Si and Sj, a secondary characteristic associated with at least one of the sensors and assign the secondary characteristic to a secondary measurement and saving it as sensor metadata;

associate a secondary rule with the metadata, wherein the secondary rule defines a translation between the secondary characteristic and the sensor position data;

read a changed position of the sensors from the initial set of sensor positions, including a second distance between sensors Si and Sj;

search a corpus with the secondary rule and the changed position data for evidence of at least one action matching the changed position; and

select the at least one action, and communicate the at least one action, Aij, to a remote physical device, the at least one action to physically transform a functional aspect of the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor metadata includes the measured initial set of sensor positions and the measured first distances.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the tool to search the corpus for evidence of the sensor metadata, and generate a first outcome set of actions wherein the at least one action is selected from the first outcome set.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

secondary surface size, secondary surface flexibility, and secondary surface length.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising the tool to amend the corpus, including assign the secondary measurement and sensor position data to a rule, generate an amended rule, and save the amended rule in the corpus.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary rule is associated to the metadata by searching the corpus for evidence of the sensor metadata, and generating a new secondary rule.

7. A computer program product for utilizing proximity sensor positioning for interfacing with a device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processing unit to:

measure an initial set of sensor positions, including a first distance between wearable sensors, Si and Sj;

measure, through wearable sensors Si and Sj, a secondary characteristic associated with at least one of the sensors, and assign the measured secondary characteristic to a secondary measurement and saving it as sensor metadata;

associate a secondary rule with the sensor metadata, wherein the secondary rule defines a translation between the secondary characteristic and the sensor position data;

read a changed position of the sensors from the initial set of sensor positions, including measure a second distances between wearable sensors, Si and Sj for the changed position;

search the corpus with the secondary rule and the changed position data for evidence of at least one action matching the changed position; and

select the at least one action, and communicate the at least one action, Aij, to a remote physical device, the at least one action to physically transform a function aspect of the device.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the sensor metadata includes the measured initial set of sensor positions and the measured first distances.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program code to search the corpus for evidence of the sensor metadata, and generate a first outcome set of actions wherein the at least one action, Aij, is selected from the first outcome set.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the secondary characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

secondary surface size, secondary surface flexibility, and secondary surface length.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program code to amend the corpus, including assigning the secondary measurement and sensor position data to a rule, generating an amended rule, and saving the amended rule in the corpus.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the secondary rule is associated to the sensor metadata by searching the corpus for evidence of the sensor metadata, and generating a new secondary rule.

13. A method for utilizing proximity sensor positioning for interfacing with a device, comprising:

positioning wearable sensors, Si and Sj;

measuring an initial set of sensor positions, including a first distance between wearable sensors, Si and Sj;

measuring a secondary characteristic associated with at least one of the sensors, and assigning the measured secondary characteristic to a secondary measurement and saving it as sensor metadata;

associating a secondary rule with the sensor metadata, wherein the secondary rule defines a translation between the secondary characteristic and the sensor position data;

reading a changed position of the sensors from the initial set of sensor positions, including measure a second distance between wearable sensors Si and Sj for the changed position;

searching the corpus with the secondary rule and the changed position data for evidence of at least one action matching the changed position; and

selecting the at least one action, and communicating the at least one action, Aij, to a remote physical device, the action to physically transform a functional aspect of the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor metadata includes the measured initial set of sensor positions and the measured first distances.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising searching the corpus for evidence of the sensor metadata, and generating a first outcome set of actions wherein the at least one action, Aij, is selected from the first outcome set.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein, the secondary characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

secondary surface size, secondary surface flexibility, and secondary surface length.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising amending the corpus, including assigning the secondary measurement and sensor position data to a rule, generating an amended rule, and saving the amended rule in the corpus.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the secondary rule is associated to the metadata by searching a corpus for evidence of the sensor metadata, and generating a new secondary rule.