METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING USER AUTHORIZATION FROM MOTION OF A GESTURE-BASED CONTROL UNIT

• US 20100083373A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmehl, Ian, White, Scott, Cansler, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining user authorization from motion of a gesture-based control unit are disclosed. An example method to determine user authorization from motion of a gesture-based control unit disclosed herein comprises detecting motion of the gesture-based control unit, the motion caused by a user, determining a detected gesture from a sequence of one or more detected motions of the gesture-based control unit, and identifying the user from the detected gesture to determine an authorization for use by the gesture-based control unit.

Claims

1. A method to determine user authorization from motion of a gesture-based control unit, the method comprising:

detecting motion of the gesture-based control unit, the motion caused by a user;

determining a detected gesture from a detected sequence of one or more motions of the gesture-based control unit; and

identifying the user from the detected gesture to determine an authorization for use by the gesture-based control unit.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

capturing detected motion indications generated in response to the motion of the movable device; and

converting a detected sequence of one or more of the detected motion indications to a device independent representation to represent the detected gesture.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the detected gesture to a gesture template mapped to a first user; and

identifying the user to be the first user when the detected gesture is determined to match the gesture template.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 further comprising identifying the user to be an unknown user when the detected gesture is determined not to match the gesture template.

5. A method as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

configuring the movable device to operate in a training mode;

capturing detected motion indications generated in response to detecting motion of the movable device during the training mode; and

converting a sequence of one or more detected motion indications to a device independent representation to store in the gesture template.

6. A method as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

determining whether the first user is authorized to use the movable device when the user is identified to be the first user; and

performing a command actuation mapped to the gesture template when the first user is determined to be authorized to use the movable device.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the detected gesture to a first plurality of gesture templates mapped to a first user and a second plurality of gesture templates mapped to a second user; and

identifying the user to be the first user and not the second user when the detected gesture is determined to match a first gesture template in the first plurality of gesture templates.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the detected gesture is a first detected gesture, the detected motion is first detected motion, and further comprising:

determining a second detected gesture from a second sequence of one or more detected motions of the movable device;

comparing the second detected gesture to the first plurality of gesture templates mapped to the first user and the second plurality of gesture templates mapped to the second user; and

identifying the user to be the second user and not the first user when the detected gesture is determined to match a second gesture template in the second plurality of gesture templates.

9. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the detected gesture is a first detected gesture, the detected motion is first detected motion, and further comprising:

determining a second detected gesture from a second sequence of one or more detected motions of the movable device; and

determining not to identify the user from the second detected gesture when the second gesture is determined to be included in a same gesture session as the first detected gesture and the user has already been identified from the first detected gesture.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein user identification is performed for each detected gesture determined from detected motion of the movable device.

11. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein user identification is performed using only one detected gesture from a gesture session comprising a sequence of detected gestures.

12. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

detect motion of a gesture-based control unit, the motion caused by a user;

determine a detected gesture from a sequence of one or more detected motions of the gesture-based control unit; and

identify the user from the detected gesture to determine an authorization for use by the gesture-based control unit.

13. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 12 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

compare the detected gesture to a first plurality of gesture templates mapped to a first user and a second plurality of gesture templates mapped to a second user;

identify the user to be the first user and not the second user when the detected gesture is determined to match a first gesture template in the first plurality of gesture templates; and

identify the user to be an unknown user when the detected gesture is determined not to match any gesture template in the first and second pluralities of gesture templates.

14. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 13 wherein the detected gesture is a first detected gesture, the detected motion is first detected motion, and wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

determine a second detected gesture from a second sequence of one or more detected motions of the movable device; and

determine not to identify the user from the second detected gesture when the second gesture is determined to be included in a same gesture session as the first detected gesture and the user has already been identified from the first detected gesture.

15. An apparatus supporting user authorization, the apparatus comprising:

a motion sensor to detect motion of the apparatus;

a gesture interpreter to determine a detected gesture from the motion detected by the motion sensor and to compare the detected gesture to a gesture template mapped to a command to be actuated by the apparatus; and

a user identifier to identify a user from user identification information mapped to the gesture template when the gesture interpreter determines the detected gesture matches the gesture template.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a gesture training unit to determine a plurality of gesture templates for use by the gesture interpreter for comparing with detected gestures, each gesture template in the plurality of gesture templates mapped to one user and at least one command to be actuated by the apparatus.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the gesture template is mapped to a command identifier corresponding to the command to be actuated by the apparatus, and further comprising a command actuator to:

process the user identification information mapped to the gesture template to determine whether the user is authorized to use the apparatus when the gesture interpreter determines the detected gesture matches the gesture template; and

perform a device dependent command actuation corresponding to the command identifier mapped to the gesture template when the user is determined to be authorized to use the apparatus.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein the command actuator is further configured to prevent device dependent command actuations from being performed by the apparatus when the user is not identifiable from the detected gesture or the user is determined to not be authorized to use the apparatus.

19. A system supporting user authorization from motion of a remote control unit, the system comprising:

the remote control unit, the remote control unit further comprising a plurality of motion sensors to detect motion of the remote control unit in a plurality of different directions; and

a gesture processing device to process motion indications received from the plurality of motion sensors, the gesture processing device further comprising;

a gesture interpreter to determine a detected gesture from a sequence of one or more received motion indications and to compare the detected gesture to a plurality of gesture templates mapped to a plurality of commands to be actuated by the gesture processing device; and

a user identifier to identify a user from user identification information mapped to a first gesture template from the plurality of gesture templates when the gesture interpreter determines the detected gesture matches the first gesture template.

20. A system as defined in claim 19 wherein the remote control unit comprises the gesture processing device.

21. A system as defined in claim 19 further comprising a controlled device configured to respond to commands output by the gesture processing device.

22. A system as defined in claim 21 wherein the gesture processing device is configured to output a first command mapped to the first gesture template for receipt by the controlled device when the gesture interpreter determines the detected gesture matches the first gesture template and the user identification information mapped to the first gesture template authorizes the user to at least one of use the remote control device or access the controlled device.