Apparatus and method for detecting finger-motion

• US 20040210166A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Goog, Cho, Joon-Kee, Soh, Byung-Seok, Koo, Ji-Hun
• Application Number:
  US10/735,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210166A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for detecting finger-motion in a wireless manner through a small finger-motion detecting apparatus without an additional battery, which is inexpensive and convenient to use. The apparatus includes a finger-motion signal receiving unit, which outputs a wireless power signal and receives and reads a wireless finger-motion signal to determine the corresponding finger-motion, a finger-motion signal transmitting unit, which generates a predetermined amount of power using the wireless power signal, receives a finger-motion signal corresponding to finger-motion using the predetermined amount of power, modulates the finger-motion signal into a finger-motion signal having a predetermined frequency, and outputs the modulated finger-motion signal in a wireless manner, and a finger-motion detecting unit, which detects whether or not finger-motion exists and generates a finger-motion signal corresponding to the finger-motion.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting finger-motion in a wireless manner comprising:

a finger-motion signal receiving unit, which outputs a wireless power signal and receives and reads a wireless finger-motion signal corresponding to finger-motion to detect which finger is moved;

a finger-motion signal transmitting unit, which generates a predetermined amount of power using the wireless power signal, receives a finger-motion signal corresponding to finger-motion using the predetermined amount of power, modulates the finger-motion signal into a finger-motion signal having a predetermined frequency, and outputs the modulated finger-motion signal in a wireless manner; and

a finger-motion detecting unit, which determines whether or not finger-motion exists and generates the finger-motion signal corresponding to the finger-motion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the finger-motion signal transmitting unit includes:

a coil unit which generates the predetermined amount of power using the wireless power signal, and outputs the modulated finger-motion signal in a wireless manner; and

a control unit which is driven by the predetermined amount of power, is adapted to store the finger-motion signal inputted from the finger-motion detecting unit, and converts the finger-motion signal into the modulated finger-motion signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit converts an alternating current power generated by the coil unit into a direct current power to generate the predetermined amount of power.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit modulates the finger-motion signal into the finger-motion signal having a predetermined frequency, depending on which finger is moved, and outputs the modulated finger-motion signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the coil unit is wound about a finger whose motion is to be detected, and the control unit is positioned on top of the finger in the form of a chip.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the finger-motion detecting unit is configured in the form of a switch, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when the switch is turned on.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the switch is mounted on a predetermined joint of a user'"'"'s finger, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when the switch is turned on by user flexing a joint.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the switch is mounted on an end of a user'"'"'s finger, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when the switch is turned on by a user tapping with the finger.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the switch is installed between a user'"'"'s adjacent fingers, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when a first finger, on which the switch is installed, and a second finger, adjacent to the first finger, come in contact with each other and the switch is turned on.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the switch is installed on a user'"'"'s finger, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when the finger, on which the switch is installed, and the thumb come in contact with each other and the switch is turned on.

11. A method for detecting finger-motion in a wireless manner comprising:

(a) converting a predetermined wireless power signal into a predetermined amount of power;

(b) detecting a motion of a user'"'"'s finger using the predetermined amount of power and generating a finger-motion signal corresponding to the finger-motion;

(c) modulating the finger-motion signal into a finger-motion signal having a predetermined frequency and outputting the modulated finger-motion signal in a wireless manner; and

(d) receiving and reading the wireless finger-motion signal having the predetermined frequency and determining which finger is moved.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step (a) comprises converting an alternating current power induced by the wireless power signal into the predetermined amount of power by rectifying the alternating current power.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step (c) comprises modulating the finger-motion signal into the finger-motion signal having a predetermined frequency, depending on which finger is moved, and outputting the modulated finger-motion signal in the wireless manner.

14. The method of claim11, wherein the step (b) comprises generating the finger-motion signal when a switch installed on the user'"'"'s finger is turned on.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch is mounted on a predetermined joint of the user'"'"'s finger, and is adapted to generate a finger-motion signal when the switch is turned on by a user flexing a joint.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch is mounted on an end of the user'"'"'s finger, and is adapted to generate a finger-motion signal when the switch is turned on by a user tapping on a surface with the finger.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch is mounted between adjacent fingers, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when a first finger, on which the switch is mounted, and a second finger, adjacent to the first finger, come in contact with each other and the switch is turned on.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch is mounted on the user'"'"'s finger, and is adapted to generate the finger-motion signal when the finger, on which the switch is mounted, and a thumb come in contact with each other and the switch is turned on.