Method and Device to Control Touchless Recognition

• US 20080111710A1
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navisense
• Original Assignee: Navisense
• Inventors: Boillot, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/228 of three-dimensional handwriting, e.g. writing in the air
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/113 Recognition of static hand signs
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94005 activated by voice or sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A sensor device (100) and method (300) for touchless finger signing and recognition is provided. The method can include detecting (304) a first pause of a finger in a touchless sensory space (101), tracking (306) a movement (140) of the finger, detecting (308) a second pause of the finger, creating (310) a trace (145) of the finger movement from the tracking, and recognizing (312) a pattern (146) from the trace. The pattern can be an alphanumeric character or a finger gesture. A user can accept or reject the recognized pattern via touchless finger control.

Claims

1. A method for touchless character recognition, comprising:

detecting a first pause of a finger in a touchless sensory space;

after the first pause, tracking a movement of the finger in the touchless sensory space;

detecting a second pause of the finger in the touchless sensory space;

after the second pause, creating a trace of the finger movement between the first pause and the second pause from the tracking; and

recognizing a pattern from the trace,

wherein the pattern is an alphanumeric character or a finger gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing the trace comprises generating a differential trajectory for an x, y, and a z component of the movement.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the pattern in response to the second pause;

detecting a continuation of the second pause; and

accepting the pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the pattern in response to the second pause;

detecting a finger discard action; and

rejecting the pattern,

wherein the finger discard action is at least one of an up and down finger movement, a finger swipe movement, a jitter finger movement, or a finger sweep movement.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the pattern in response to the second pause;

detecting a finger confirm action; and

accepting the pattern,

wherein the finger confirm action is at least one of an up and down finger movement, a finger swipe movement, a jitter finger movement, or a finger sweep movement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a software action in response to recognizing a finger gesture.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pause of a first pattern is the first pause for a second pattern.

8. A method for touchless finger signing, comprising:

at a first time, detecting a finger at a first location in a touchless sensory space;

tracking a movement of the finger in the touchless sensory space;

detecting the finger at a second location in the touchless sensory space;

creating a trace of the finger movement between the first location and the second location from the tracking; and

recognizing a pattern from the trace.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting the pattern in response to a pause at the second location;

detecting a return movement of the finger from the second location to the first location; and

accepting the pattern.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting the pattern in response to a pause at the second location;

detecting a continued pause of the finger at the second location; and

rejecting the pattern.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing continuous pattern recognition of finger movements based on a return of the finger at a center location in the touchless sensory space.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first location in the touchless sensory space corresponds to a center region in a display presenting the trace.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a second pause at the first location; and

repeating the method for touchless finger gesturing.

14. A mobile device for finger signing having a a sensor device for tracking a movement of a finger in a touchless sensing space;

and

a recognition engine for identifying at least one pattern in the movement,

wherein the pattern is an alphanumeric character, letter, or symbol.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising a controller for creating a trace from the movement, wherein the trace is a differential trajectory that incorporates spatial and temporal information.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising a display for presenting the pattern.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the recognition engine includes a neural network that processes the trace and classifies the at least one pattern as an alphanumeric character or a finger gesture.

18. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising an audio module for audibly presenting the at least one pattern.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the audio module includes a voice recognition engine for recognizing a voice command and accepting or rejecting the pattern in response to the voice command.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is a cell phone, a portable music player, a laptop, a headset, or an earpiece.