Configurable device switching mechanism that enables seamless interactions with multiple devices

• US 10,698,498 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2018
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komodo Openlab Inc.
• Original Assignee: Komodo Openlab Inc.
• Inventors: Silva Arce, Jorge, Meza, Mauricio, Nantais, Tom, Kwok, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheng, Tom V
• Application Number:
  US16/204,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20190163283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/74 Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient indicating measured values G01D7/00; user input means input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/113 Recognition of static hand signs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/00 Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch wherein the operating part is flexible H01H17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

Various embodiments are described herein for an assistive device and associated method for interacting with at least one electronic device. In one example embodiment, the assistive device can include at least one communication interface, a memory, and at least one processing unit. The memory can store a whitelist of the at least one electronic device; and a gesture-to-command map of input signals in linked association with commands, including a selection command and a control command. The processing unit can be configured for sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device; receiving an input signal generated from user manipulation of a physical interface; searching the gesture-to-command map based on the input signal to determine a command; and using the at least one communication interface to transmit the command to the at least one electronic device thereby allowing the user to use the same assistive device for selecting and/or controlling at least one electronic device.

Claims

1. An assistive device for interacting with at least one electronic device, the assistive device comprising:

at least one communication interface;

a memory to store;

a whitelist having a list including the at least one electronic device; and

a gesture-to-command map comprising a plurality of input signals, each input signal in linked association with one of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands comprising at least one selection command and at least one control command; and

at least one processing unit configured for;

using the at least one communication interface to sustain an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device that is in the whitelist;

receiving at least one input signal generated from user manipulation of at least one physical interface;

searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command; and

using the at least one communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device.

2. The assistive device of claim 1, further comprising the at least one physical interface.

3. The assistive device of claim 1, further comprising at least one peripheral port for connecting a physical interface of the at least one physical interface to the assistive device.

4. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least one locally connectable electronic device; and

the processing unit is further configured for;

using the at least one communication interface to pair to the locally connectable electronic device; and

adding the locally connectable electronic device to the whitelist.

5. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least one remotely connectable electronic device;

the processing unit is further configured for;

providing authentication information to a device management server that is in electronic communication with the remotely connectable electronic device; and

adding the remotely connectable electronic device to the whitelist.

6. The assistive device of claim 5, wherein when the target electronic device is a remotely connectable electronic device, the at least one communication interface is used to transmit the target command to the target electronic device by transmitting the target command to the device management server.

7. The assistive device of claim 1, the at least one communication interface is used to transmit an innocuous command to the target electronic device in order to sustain the electronic communication connection to the target electronic device.

8. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to attempt to re-establish the electronic communication to the target electronic device in response to determining that an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device has failed.

9. The assistive device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is further configured to establish an electronic communication connection to another target electronic device in the whitelist in response to determining that an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device has failed.

10. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least two electronic devices;

the target command comprises a selection command;

the sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device comprises sustaining an electronic communication connection to a first target electronic device;

the searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command comprises searching the gesture-to-command map to determine that the at least one input signal corresponds to the selection command; and

the using the at least one communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device comprises establishing and sustaining an electronic communication connection to a second target electronic device in the whitelist.

11. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least two electronic devices;

the target command comprises a device-specific control command;

the sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device comprises sustaining an electronic communication connection to a first target electronic device;

the searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command comprises searching the gesture-to-command map to determine that the at least one input signal corresponds to the device-specific control command, the device-specific control command corresponding to a second target electronic device in the whitelist; and

the using the at least one communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device comprises using the at least one communication interface to transmit the device-specific command to the second target electronic device.

12. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein:

the target command comprises a generic control command;

the sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device comprises sustaining an electronic communication connection to a first target electronic device;

the searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command comprises searching the gesture-to-command map to determine that the at least one input signal corresponds to the generic control command; and

the using the at least one communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device comprises using the at least one communication interface to transmit the generic control command to the first target electronic device.

13. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein the gesture-to-command map is configurable by a user.

14. The assistive device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured for using the at least one communication interface to receive data from the at least one electronic device.

15. A method for interacting with at least one electronic device, the method comprising:

providing an assistive device having a memory and at least one communication interface;

storing, in the memory, a whitelist having a list including the at least one electronic device and a gesture-to-command map comprising a plurality of input signals, each input signal in linked association with one of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands comprising at least one selection command and a control command;

using the at least one communication interface to sustain an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device that is in the whitelist;

receiving, at the assistive device, at least one input signal generated from user manipulation of at least one physical interface;

searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command; and

using the at least one communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least one locally connectable electronic device; and

the method further comprises;

using the at least one communication interface to pair to the locally connectable electronic device; and

adding the locally connectable electronic device to the whitelist.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least one remotely connectable electronic device;

the method further comprises;

providing authentication information to a device management server that is in electronic communication with the remotely connectable electronic device; and

adding the remotely connectable electronic device to the whitelist.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when the target electronic device is a remotely connectable electronic device, the at least one communication interface is used to transmit the target command to the target electronic device by transmitting the target command to the device management server.

19. The method of claim 15, the at least one communication interface is used to transmit an innocuous command to the target electronic device in order to sustain the electronic communication connection to the target electronic device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising attempting to re-establish the electronic communication to the target electronic device in response to determining that an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device has failed.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising establishing an electronic communication connection to another target electronic device in the whitelist in response to determining that an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device has failed.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least two electronic devices;

the target command comprises a selection command;

the sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device comprises sustaining an electronic communication connection to a first target electronic device;

the searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command comprises searching the gesture-to-command map to determine that the at least one input signal corresponds to the selection command; and

the using the at least one communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device comprises establishing and sustaining an electronic communication connection to a second target electronic device in the whitelist.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one electronic device comprises at least two electronic devices;

the target command comprises a device-specific control command;

the sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device comprises sustaining an electronic communication connection to a first target electronic device;

the searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a command comprises searching the gesture-to-command map to determine that the at least one input signal corresponds to the device-specific control command, the device-specific control command corresponding to a second target electronic device in the whitelist; and

the using the at least one wireless communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device comprises using the at least one wireless communication interface to transmit the device-specific command to the second target electronic device.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the target command comprises a generic control command;

the sustaining an electronic communication connection to a target electronic device comprises sustaining an electronic communication connection to a first target electronic device;

the searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command comprises searching the gesture-to-command map to determine that the at least one input signal corresponds to the generic control command; and

the using the at least one wireless communication interface to transmit the target command to the at least one electronic device comprises using the at least one wireless communication interface to transmit the generic control command to the first target electronic device.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the at least one communication interface to receive data from the at least one electronic device.

26. An assistive device for interacting with at least one electronic device, the assistive device comprising:

a memory to store;

a whitelist including a list of the at least one electronic device; and

a gesture-to-command map comprising a plurality of input signals, each input signal in linked association with one of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands comprising at least one selection command and at least one control command;

at least one physical interface for receiving at least one input signal from user manipulation of the at least one physical interface;

a gesture analyzer for searching the gesture-to-command map based on the at least one input signal to determine a target command based on the linked command for the at least one input signal; and

at least one communication interface to sustain an electronic communication with a target electronic device that is on the whitelist and to transmit the target command to the target electronic device.