Acquisition of a user expression and a context of the expression

• US 20060208085A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/32 Digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, and method. In an embodiment, a portable system is provided. The system includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item, and an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

Claims

1. A portable system comprising:

a) a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item; and

b) an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a handheld context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a human wearable context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the human wearable context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a head mountable context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes a handheld annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item include a human wearable annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to distinguish a characteristic of the recognizable aspect of an item from respective characteristics of at least two recognizable aspects of the item.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to distinguish a representation of the item from respective representations of at least two items.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a machine recognizable aspect of an item.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of an optically recognizable aspect of an item.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable native text of an item.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable shape aspect of an item.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item in response to an input received from the user.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item in response to an input responsive to a gesture by the user.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a module operable to recognize data indicative of the recognizable aspect of an item.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the module operable to recognize data indicative of the recognizable aspect of an item includes an artificial intelligence module operable to recognize data indicative of the recognizable aspect of an item.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the module operable to recognize data indicative of the recognizable aspect of an item includes a pattern recognition module operable to recognize data indicative of the recognizable aspect of an item.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a tracking module operable to track an eye gaze directed proximate to the recognizable aspect of the item.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a receiver circuit operable to receive a signal containing data indicative of a recognizable aspect of the item.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes an image capture module operable to acquire an image of a recognizable aspect of the item.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes an image capture module operable to acquire an image of a recognizable aspect of the item in response to a signal indicative of a received user command.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user verbal expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user handwritten expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user hand drawn expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a preformed user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user gesture associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating device includes an annotating device having a configuration selected from a group consisting of a handheld device, a wearable device, and a head mountable device and the context-detecting device includes a context-detecting device having a configuration other than that the selected configuration of the annotating device.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the context-detecting device includes a context-detecting device having a configuration selected from a group consisting of a handheld device, a wearable device, and a head mountable device and the annotating device includes an annotating device having a configuration other than that the selected configuration of the context-detecting device.

39. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

c) a communications device.

41. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

c) a storage device.

7. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

43. A handheld apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a) a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item; and

b) an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a machine recognizable aspect of an item.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a context-detecting device operable to generate information indicative of an optically recognizable aspect of an item.

47. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes an annotating device operable to generate information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item, wherein the user expression includes at least one of a hand formed user expression, a verbal user expression, a preformed user expression, or a gestural user expression.

48. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising:

c) a communications device.

49. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising:

c) a storage device.

45. (canceled)

50. A method comprising:

a) generating in a portable apparatus a first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item; and

b) generating in the portable apparatus a second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the generating in a portable apparatus a first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item includes a generating in a head mountable apparatus a first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the generating in the portable apparatus a second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item includes a generating in the head mountable apparatus a second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

53. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

c) saving at least one of the first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item and the second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

54. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

c) transmitting least one of the first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item and the second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

56. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising:

c) a communications module operable to transmit at least one of the first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item and the second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

57. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising:

c) a storage module operable to save at least one of the first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item and the second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.

55. A wearable apparatus, the comprising:

a) a context module operable to generate a first information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item; and

b) an annotation module operable to generate a second information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.