Electronic device with gesture detection system and methods for using the gesture detection system

• US 10,606,365 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Alameh, Rachid Mohsen, Cauwels, Patrick J., Paitl, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US16/055,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20180348884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• 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 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method in an electronic device, the method includes projecting infrared (“IR”) light from a plurality of light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) disposed proximate to the perimeter of the electronic device, detecting, by a sensor, IR light originating from at least two of the plurality of LEDs reflected from off of a person, and carrying out a function based on the relative strength of the detected IR light from the LEDs.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:

causing light to be projected from a plurality of light sources;

detecting, using a sensor, light originating from at least two light sources of the plurality of light sources that is reflected from an eye of a user of the electronic device;

generating at least one signal based on the detected light, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating an angle at which the detected light is detected;

determining movement of the eye based on the at least one signal; and

carrying out a function on the electronic device based on the at least one signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrying out a function on the electronic device comprises carrying out a function on the electronic device based on relative strength of the detected light originating from the at least two light sources.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reselecting at least one light source of the plurality of light sources if the detected light originating from at least one of the at least two light sources becomes weaker than detected light originating from the at least one light source.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, based on the relative strength of the detected light, a difference between detected light originating from at least one light source of the at least two light sources having a stronger detected light and detected light originating from at least one light source of the at least two light sources having a weaker detected light; and

causing an increased amount of light to be projected from the at least one light source from which the weaker detected light originated based on the determined difference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating a strength of the detected light.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating a direction from which the detected light is detected.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising reselecting at least one light source of the plurality of light sources based on the at least one signal indicating the direction from which the detected light is detected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources is disposed proximate to the perimeter of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a front facing camera of the electronic device.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a plurality of light sources;

a sensor for detecting light originating from one or more of the plurality of light sources; and

a hardware processor that is configured to;

cause light to be projected from a plurality of light sources;

detect, using the sensor, light originating from at least two light sources of the plurality of light sources that is reflected from an eye of a user of the electronic device;

generate at least one signal based on the detected light, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating an angle at which the detected light is detected;

determine movement of the eye based on the at least one signal; and

carry out a function on the electronic device based on the at least one signal.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

carry out a function on the electronic device based on relative strength of the detected light originating from the at least two light sources.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to reselect at least one light source of the plurality of light sources if the detected light originating from at least one of the at least two light sources becomes weaker than detected light originating from the at least one light source.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

determine, based on the relative strength of the detected light, a difference between detected light originating from at least one light source of the at least two light sources having a stronger detected light and detected light originating from at least one light source of the at least two light sources having a weaker detected light; and

cause an increased amount of light to be projected from the at least one light source from which the weaker detected light originated based on the determined difference.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating a strength of the detected light.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating a direction from which the detected light is detected.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to reselecting at least one light source of the plurality of light sources based on the at least one signal indicating the direction from which the detected light is detected.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of light sources is disposed proximate to the perimeter of the electronic device.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a front facing camera of the electronic device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method in an electronic device, the method comprising:

causing light to be projected from a plurality of light sources;

detecting, using a sensor, light originating from at least two light sources of the plurality of light sources that is reflected from an eye of a user of the electronic device;

generating at least one signal based on the detected light, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one signal indicating an angle at which the detected light is detected;

determining movement of the eye based on the at least one signal; and

carrying out a function on the electronic device based on the at least one signal.