Methods and systems for gesture classification in 3D pointing devices

• US 20070113207A1
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IDHL Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gritton, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/600,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113207A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention provide the ability for a system to realize when a handheld device is performing a gesture and to execute the associated command.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

at least one sensor for outputting data associated with motion of said handheld device;

a processing unit for evaluating said data to determine whether a predetermined gesture has been performed by said handheld device,

wherein said processing unit performs said evaluation in response to a receipt of a gesture indication input.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said handheld device includes at least one button and said gesture indication input is a button press.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input is a special gesture.

4. The handheld device of claim 3, wherein said special gesture is a punching motion away from a user of said handheld device.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said processing unit performs said evaluation only in response to said receipt of said gesture indication input.

6. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said processing unit evaluates said data to determine whether a first set of gestures has been performed without receipt of said gesture indication input and evaluates said data to determine whether a second set of gestures has been performed only after receipt of said gesture indication input, said first set of gestures being different than said second set of gestures.

7. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input begins with pressing and releasing a button, and said gesture indication input ends with pressing and releasing said button.

8. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input begins with pressing and releasing a button, and said gesture indication input ends when minimal motion of said handheld device occurs over a predetermined period of time.

9. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input occurs when a pointer location is proximate to a designated location on a graphical user interface for a predetermined period of time.

10. The handheld device of claim 9, wherein said gesture indication input ends with a button press.

11. The handheld device of claim 9, wherein said gesture indication input ends with a button press and release.

12. The handheld device of claim 9, wherein said gesture indication input ends when minimal motion of said handheld device occurs over a predetermined period of time.

13. The handheld device of claim 9, wherein said gesture indication input ends when a pointer location is proximate to a designated location on a graphical user interface for a predetermined period of time.

14. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input occurs when motion of said handheld device exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold

15. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input occurs when motion of said handheld device exceeds a predetermined amount of angular motion.

16. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein different gesture sets exist for different graphical user interface display levels.

17. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said predetermined gesture can also indicate a magnitude of an associated command.

18. The handheld device of claim 17, wherein an opposite of said predetermined gesture can be performed to indicate an opposite version of an associated command.

19. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture ends based upon relative cursor distance traveled.

20. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said gesture indication input begins with a first speech command and said gesture indication input is terminated with a second speech command.

21. A method for processing gestures originating from a handheld device comprising:

outputting data associated with motion of said handheld device;

evaluating by a processing unit said data to determine whether a predetermined gesture has been performed by said handheld device,

wherein upon receipt of a gesture indication input, said processing unit performs said evaluating.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of evaluating by a processing unit is performed by a processing unit associated with a system with which said handheld device communicates movement data.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of evaluating by a processing unit is performed by a processing unit associated with said handheld device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of evaluating by a processing unit is performed by a combination of a first processing unit associated with said handheld device and a second processing unit associated with a system with which said handheld device communicates movement data.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said handheld device includes at least one button and said gesture indication input is a button press.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input is a special gesture.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a punching motion away from a user of said handheld device is said special gesture.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said processing unit performs said evaluation only in response to said receipt of said gesture indication input.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein evaluating said data to determine whether a first set of gestures has been performed without receipt of said gesture indication input and evaluates said data to determine whether a second set of gestures has been performed only after receipt of said gesture indication input, said first set of gestures being different than said second set of gestures, is performed by said processing unit.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input begins with pressing and releasing a button, and said gesture indication input ends with pressing and releasing said button.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input begins with pressing and releasing a button, and said gesture indication input ends when minimal motion of said handheld device occurs over a predetermined period of time.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input occurs when a pointer location is proximate to a designated location on a graphical user interface for a predetermined period of time.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein ending said gesture indication input occurs with a button press.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein ending said gesture indication input occurs with a button press and release.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein ending said gesture indication input occurs when minimal motion of said handheld device occurs over a predetermined period of time.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein ending said gesture indication input ends when a pointer location is proximate to a designated location on a graphical user interface for a predetermined period of time.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input occurs when motion of said handheld device exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold.

38. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input occurs when motion of said handheld device exceeds a predetermined amount of angular motion.

39. The method of claim 21, wherein, different gesture sets exist for different graphical user interface display levels.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein said predetermined gesture can also indicate a magnitude of an associated command.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein an opposite of said predetermined gesture can be performed to indicate an opposite version of an associated command.

42. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture ends based upon relative cursor distance traveled.

43. The method of claim 21, wherein said gesture indication input begins with a first speech command and said gesture indication input is terminated with a second speech command.

44. A means for processing gestures originating from a handheld device comprising:

means for outputting data associated with motion of said handheld device;

means for evaluating by a processing unit said data to determine whether a predetermined gesture has been performed by said handheld device,

wherein upon receipt of a gesture indication input, said processing unit performs said evaluating.

45. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed on a computer, perform the steps of:

outputting data associated with motion of said handheld device;

evaluating by a processing unit said data to determine whether a predetermined gesture has been performed by said handheld device,

wherein upon receipt of a gesture indication input, said processing unit performs said evaluating.