MICROPHONES AS CONTACT SENSORS FOR DEVICE CONTROL

• US 20080234842A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Zhengyou
• Application Number:
  US11/689,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041

Abstract

A device controller that controls a device by tapping or rubbing the surface of microphones on the device. It allows microphones to be used as both speech sensors (to capture speech signals, the original functionality) and a device controller (the new functionality). Tapping or rubbing the surface of microphones on the device produces complex yet distinctive signals. By detecting these events, the present device controller can generate appropriate commands to control the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for controlling an electronic device having a microphone, comprising:

directly contacting the surface of the microphone in a contact pattern;

using the contact pattern to control the electronic device.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 wherein directly contacting the surface of a microphone comprises tapping on the surface of the microphone.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 2 wherein the number of possible patterns is determined by the number of contacts in subunits of a time unit.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 3 wherein the contact pattern corresponds to subunits of time and wherein each unit of time can be correlated to either a tap or a pause.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 wherein each contact pattern corresponds to a different command to control the computing device.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 wherein the same pattern can be used to control a different application on the electronic device.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 6 wherein the application comprises at least one of:

a music player;

a voice recorder;

an electronic mail application;

a scheduling application;

a cellular phone application;

a notebook computer;

or

a camera.

8. A computer-implemented process for controlling a computing device, comprising:

programming a computing device to respond in a certain manner in response to patterns of contacting the surface of one or more microphones of the device.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, further comprising:

contacting the surface of the one or more microphones of a computing device in a distinctive contact pattern to which the one or more microphones generate a distinctive signal pattern; and

using the distinctive signal pattern to control the computing device.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 8 wherein the possible contact patterns are determined by the number of microphones and subunits of a unit of time in which the contact with the one or more microphones occurs.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 9 wherein the contact pattern comprises rubbing from surface of one microphone to the surface of one or more other microphones.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 11 wherein there are four microphones and wherein the rubbing contact acts as a dial controller in controlling the computing device.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 9 wherein the contact pattern comprises tapping the surface of the one or more microphones in a pattern of taps and pauses.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the process recited in claim 9.

15. A system for controlling an electronic device, comprising:

a general purpose computing device;

a computer program comprising program modules executable by the general purpose computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to,

create a database of commands corresponding to patterns of contact with a sensing device;

capture one or more patterns of contact with a sensing device;

match the captured patterns to select a command to control the electronic device; and

use the selected command to control the electronic device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the sensing device is a microphone.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the sensing device is a light sensor.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the electronic device is one of:

a music player,

a voice recorder,

a cellular phone,

a personal data assistant,

a notebook computer, or

a camera.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the contact is one of:

a tapping of the surface of the sensor; and

a rubbing of the surface of the sensor.

20. The system of claim 15 comprising more than one sensing device.