Inertial Sensor Input Device

• US 20080211768A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Emotiv Systems Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Emotiv Systems Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Breen, Randy, Gerasimov, Vadim
• Application Number:
  US11/950,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements

Abstract

Head motion input devices for providing control to a computer are described.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a headset configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head;

a sensor secured by the headset, wherein the sensor is configured to determine a movement of the headset; and

a processing component in electrical communication with the sensor and configured to suppress a portion of signals received from the sensor, wherein suppression is based on a speed, direction or distance of the movement of the headset;

wherein the sensor or processing component is configured to produce position information for controlling a computer element.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to suppress a portion of the signals when the signals indicate the user'"'"'s head is moving in a reverse motion following a faster forward motion.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to suppress a portion of the signals when the signals indicate the user'"'"'s head is moving faster than a threshold velocity.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to suppress a portion of the signals when the signals indicate that the headset has moved less than a predefined threshold.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a gyroscope and a transmitter is in communication with the processing component and secured by the headset.

6. The input device of claim 5, further comprising a second gyroscope in communication with the transmitter and secured by the headset.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to provide signals for inputting to a computer that is remote from the input device.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a gyroscope and the device further comprises an accelerometer secured by the headset and in communication with the processing component.

9. The input device of claim 8, further comprising a magnetometer secured by the headset.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the processing component is further configured to use the signal received from the accelerometer and a signal received from the magnetometer to modify a signal generated by the processing component.

11. The input device of claim 10, wherein the processing component is configured to remove integration error propagated by the gyroscope.

12. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone secured by the headset; and

a transmitter configured to transmit signals generated by the microphone and the sensor.

13. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a bioelectric sensor;

a transmitter configured to transmit signals generated by the bioelectric sensor and the sensor.

14. The input device of claim 1, wherein position changes are determined with respect to a coordinate system of the headset.

15. An input device, comprising:

a headset configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head;

a sensor secured by the headset, wherein the sensor is configured to determine a movement of the headset; and

a processing component in electrical communication with the sensor and configured to transform the movement of the headset into input for a computer which indicate a change in camera angle, wherein greater movement corresponds to a faster change in camera angle and lesser movement corresponds to a slower change in camera angle.

16. An input device, comprising:

a headset configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head;

a state sensor secured by the headset, wherein the state sensor is configured to determine a movement of the headset;

a biometric sensor secured by the headset, wherein the biometric sensor is configured to determine electric activity from the user'"'"'s head; and

a processing component in electrical communication with the state sensor and the biometric sensor configured to create an input signal for a computing device from signals received from the state sensor and the biometric sensor.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing component is configured to suppress a portion of the signals received from the state sensor, wherein suppression is based on a speed, direction or distance of movement of the headset.

18. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor, where the signal corresponds to movement of a user'"'"'s head on which the sensor is located;

suppressing a portion of the signal from the sensor to create a modified signal, wherein the suppressing is based on a speed, direction or distance of movement of the user'"'"'s head as indicated by the signal;

transforming the signal to input for a computer, wherein the input includes position information for controlling a computer element; and

sending the input to a computer.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

determining whether the user'"'"'s head moves faster than a threshold velocity; and

suppressing a portion of the signal includes suppressing a portion of the signal received from the sensor after the fast head motion.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein the suppressed signal has a duration of less than about a half second.

21. The product of claim 18, wherein the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

determining whether the user'"'"'s head moves faster than a threshold velocity; and

suppressing a portion of the signal includes suppressing the signal received from the gyroscope that is in reverse of movement faster than the threshold velocity.

22. The product of claim 18, wherein the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

determining whether the user'"'"'s head moves beyond a threshold distance within a predetermined time period; and

suppressing a portion of the signal includes suppressing the signal received from the gyroscope if movement is not beyond the threshold distance.

23. The product of claim 18, wherein the input is sensor based input and the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving an audio signal;

corresponding the audio signal with an instruction to move a computer element to create an audio based input; and

sending the audio based input to the computer along with the sensor based input.

24. The product of claim 18, wherein the input is sensor based input and the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a bioelectric signal;

transforming the bioelectric signal to a bioelectric based input for a computer; and

sending the bioelectric based input to the computer along with the sensor based input.

25. The product of claim 18, wherein the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a correction signal from an accelerometer or a magnetometer; and

before sending the input, correcting error in the signal from the sensor with the correction signal.

26. The product of claim 25, wherein the error is integration error.

27. The product of claim 18, wherein the input is a first input and the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a signal from a magnetometer; and

transforming the signal from the magnetometer to second input for a computer; and

sending the second input to the computer.

28. The product of claim 27, wherein the first input and the second input are combined into a single input signal.

29. The product of claim 18, wherein the input is a first input and the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a signal from an accelerometer; and

transforming the signal from the accelerometer to second input for a computer; and

sending the second input to the computer.

30. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving input from a head motion input device, wherein the input corresponds to motion or orientation detected by a gyroscope, a magnetometer or a combination thereof,

corresponding the input to instructions to move a computer element a distance;

selecting an anchor point in a grid;

at a predetermined time, determining whether the distance is above or below a threshold; and

if the distance is below the threshold, not moving the computer element and if the distance is above the threshold, moving the computer element the distance.

31. The product of claim 30, wherein if the computer element is moved, the product is further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising selecting a new anchor point that is at a grid point closest to an absolute position corresponding to the instruction.

32. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor, where the signal corresponds to movement or orientation of a user'"'"'s head on which the sensor is located;

suppressing a portion of the signal from the sensor to create a modified signal, wherein the suppressing is based on a speed, direction or distance of movement of the user'"'"'s head as indicated by the signal;

transforming the signal to input for a computer; and

sending the input to a computer

33. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a state signal from a state sensor, where the signal corresponds to movement or orientation of a user'"'"'s head on which the state sensor is located;

receiving a biometric signal from a biometric sensor, wherein the biometric sensor is configured to determine electric activity from the user'"'"'s head;

transforming the state signal and biometric signal to input for a computer; and

sending the input to a computer.

34. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor, where the signal corresponds to movement of a user'"'"'s head on which the sensor is located;

transforming the signal to input for a computer, wherein the input includes camera angle information for controlling a computer element, wherein greater movement corresponds to faster camera angle change and lesser movement corresponds to slower camera angle change; and

sending the input to a computer.