METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RANGING DETECTION OF GESTURES

• US 20090271004A1
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gemini Projects, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gemini Projects, Inc.
• Inventors: Zecchin, Reese, Cross, William C., Sands, Spencer, Nystedt, Brendan, Bizzarri, Maurice
• Application Number:
  US12/430,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271004A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35444 Gesture interface, controlled machine observes operator, executes commands
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

In order for a user to control a machine using hand gestures, free of any contact with the machine, an apparatus generates one or more electromagnetic field, employing receivers to measure an electromagnetic signature caused by gestures of a person'"'"'s hand within the electromagnetic field. The gestures include variations of hand position, proximity, configuration, and movement. For each measured signature, the apparatus cross-references the electromagnetic signature in a predetermined library to identify a corresponding predefined machine-readable input. Ultimately, the apparatus controls a designated machine pursuant to the person'"'"'s hand gestures by transmitting the identified input to the machine.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a machine with hand gestures, comprising operations of:

generating one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing multiple receivers to measure an electromagnetic signature caused by gestures of a person'"'"'s hand within the electromagnetic fields, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement;

receiving measurements from at least one humidity sensor and normalizing the electromagnetic signature to account for variations in humidity;

for each measured signature, translating the normalized electromagnetic signature into a corresponding predefined machine-readable input; and

controlling a designated machine pursuant to the person'"'"'s hand gestures by performing operations including;

transmitting the identified input to the machine.

2. A computer-implemented method for controlling a machine with hand gestures, comprising operations of:

performing training operations including;

causing one or more emitters to generate one or more electromagnetic fields;

instructing a user to perform various predetermined hand gestures, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement;

employing multiple receivers to measure one or more electromagnetic signatures caused by the gestures occurring within the electromagnetic field;

storing the measured electromagnetic signatures in a predetermined library in association with the instructed gesture and one or more machine-readable inputs;

controlling a designated machine according to user performed hand gestures, comprising;

causing the emitters to generate one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing the receivers to measure one or more electromagnetic signatures caused by gestures of a person'"'"'s hand within the electromagnetic field, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement;

identifying one or more corresponding machine-readable inputs by cross-referencing the measured signatures in said library or by applying a predetermined computational translation to the measured signatures; and

transmitting the identified input to the designated machine.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising operations of:

responsive to user input initiating definition of a new gesture, performing operations comprising;

employing the receivers to measure one or more electromagnetic signatures caused by the new gesture of the person'"'"'s hand within the electromagnetic fields;

storing the measured electromagnetic signature in the library;

receiving user designation of a machine-readable input associated with the new gesture, and storing the associated input in the library; and

configuring the library to associate the measured signature with the associated input.

4. A computer-implemented method of providing human input to a machine while maintaining medically sterile environment, comprising operations of:

providing a hands free gesture sensing computer control module in a medically sterile environment;

operating the module to perform operations comprising;

generating one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing multiple receivers to measure electromagnetic signatures caused by gestures of a person'"'"'s hand or hands within the electromagnetic fields, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement, and occurring while the person'"'"'s hands remain free of contact with the module;

for each measured signature, identifying one or more corresponding machine-readable inputs by cross-referencing the measured signature in said library or by applying a predetermined computational translation to the measured signature; and

providing control input to a designated machine as dictated by the person'"'"'s hand gestures by performing operations including;

transmitting the identified input to the machine.

5. The method of claim 4, where the machine is an x-ray image viewer.

6. A computer-implemented method of providing human input to a machine while preserving a sterile environment, comprising operations of:

providing a hands free gesture sensing computer control module in a sterile environment, the module including a computer connected to multiple receivers and at least one emitter;

operating the module to perform operations comprising;

causing the emitter to generate one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing the receivers to measure electromagnetic signatures caused by gestures of a person'"'"'s hand or hands within the electromagnetic fields, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement, and occurring while the person'"'"'s hands remain free of contact with the module;

for each measured signature, identifying one or more corresponding machine-readable inputs by cross-referencing the measured signature in said library or by applying a predetermined computational translation to the measured signature; and

providing control input to a designated machine as dictated by the person'"'"'s hand gestures by performing operations including;

transmitting the identified input to the designated machine; and

where the designated machine comprises the module or another machine.

7. A computer-implemented method of providing human input to a machine without violating sanitary conditions in a food preparation environment, comprising operations of:

providing a hands free gesture sensing computer control module in a restaurant, kitchen, factory, or other food preparation setting; and

operating the module to perform operations comprising;

generating one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing multiple receivers to measure electromagnetic signatures caused by gestures of a person'"'"'s hand or hands within the electromagnetic fields, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement, and occurring while the person'"'"'s hands remain free of contact with the module;

for each measured signature, identifying one or more corresponding machine-readable inputs by cross-referencing the measured signature in said library or by applying a predetermined computational translation to the measured signature; and

providing control input to a designated machine as dictated by the person'"'"'s hand gestures by performing operations including;

transmitting the identified input to the designated machine; and

where the designated machine is one of the following;

a computer, a kitchen appliance, a food processing machine, one or more machines in a manufacturing production line, a cash register, a telephone.

8. A computer-implemented method of providing biometric security, comprising operations of:

generating one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing multiple receivers to measure at least one electromagnetic signatures caused by presence of a person'"'"'s hand or hands in the electromagnetic field;

evaluating the electromagnetic signature to determine one or more of the following;

hand size, hand mass, moisture content, or other physiological hand feature; and

determining whether the electromagnetic signature is present in a library of stored electromagnetic signatures;

only if the electromagnetic signature is present in the library and any other prescribed conditions are met, activating a machine-controlled access point to permit access by the person.

9. A computer-implemented method of regulating the operation of a designated appliance according to prescribed safety criteria, comprising operations of:

providing a safety control module in conjunction with a designated appliance; and

operating the module to perform operations comprising;

generating one or more electromagnetic fields in prescribed configuration relative to the designated appliance;

employing multiple receivers to measure at least one electromagnetic signature caused by presence of a person'"'"'s hand or hands in the electromagnetic field;

evaluating the electromagnetic signature to determine one or more of the following;

(1) if the person'"'"'s hand occupies a prescribed position relative to the designated appliance or a feature of the designated appliance, or if the person'"'"'s hand fails to occupy a different prescribed position relative to a feature of the designated appliance, (2) if the person'"'"'s hand is smaller than a prescribed minimum size; and

if the evaluating operation answers YES, then disabling the appliance.

10. A computer-implemented method for operating a wireless telephone, comprising operations of:

generating one or more electromagnetic fields;

employing multiple receivers to measure electromagnetic signatures caused by one or more body parts of a person within the electromagnetic fields;

performing gesture control operations, comprising;

for each measured signature, cross-referencing the electromagnetic signature in a gesture library to determine if the signature corresponds to one of multiple predetermined gestures, each gestures including a different variation at least one of position, configuration, and movement of at least one hand or finger;

if the signature corresponds to one of the predetermined gestures, cross-referencing the predetermined gesture in a library to identify a corresponding predefined machine-readable input; and

controlling the telephone pursuant to the person'"'"'s gestures by performing operations including;

transmitting the identified inputs to the telephone for execution by the telephone;

additionally analyzing each measured signature to determine if the signature represents a person'"'"'s head coming into designated proximity with the telephone; and

whenever a person'"'"'s head comes into designated proximity with the telephone, disabling the gesture control operations.

11. A computer-implemented method for controlling a machine with hand gestures, comprising operations of:

operating a transmitter to generate an electromagnetic field;

operating a dual channel capacitance measurement device attached to multiple receivers to measure capacitive coupling between the transmitter and each of the receivers while a person performs one or more hand gestures within the electromagnetic field, the gestures including variations of any of hand position, hand configuration, and hand movement;

referencing a library containing different non-overlapping ranges of capacitance to identify one of said ranges containing said measured capacitive coupling, and further referencing the library to identify a prescribed machine-readable input corresponding to the identified range; and

controlling a designated machine pursuant to the person'"'"'s hand gestures by performing operations including;

transmitting the identified input to the machine for execution by the machine.

12. The method of claim 11, the operations further including:

initially operating the dual channel capacitance measurement device to measure idle capacitive coupling between the transmitter and each of the receivers without any hand gestures performed within the electromagnetic field; and

disabling the referencing and controlling operations whenever the measured capacitive coupling does not differ substantially from the idle capacitive coupling.

13. The method of claim 11, where the operations of referencing the library comprise one of the following:

accessing a lookup table, applying a predetermined computational translation.

14. The method of claim 11, where the identified input comprises one of the following:

a machine-readable instruction, a continuously updated cursor positioning input.