GESTURE-BASED USER INTERFACE FOR A WEARABLE PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20100156676A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pillar Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Mooring, David J., Fitzgerald, Alissa M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 systems for providing a gesture-based user interface for a wearable portable device are described. A gesture including a movement of the wearable portable device is received, and at least one character associated with the gesture is identified and displayed on the wearable portable device, thereby allowing entry of characters on the user interface of the wearable portable device using the gestures.

Claims

1. A method for providing a gesture-based user interface for a wearable portable device, comprising:

receiving a gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

identifying at least one character associated with the gesture; and

displaying the at least one character on the wearable portable device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the gesture comprises receiving a voltage signal associated with the gesture.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the at least one character comprises receiving the voltage signal, wherein the voltage signal comprises signal data comprising at least one axis of movement, a frequency, and a force magnitude of the gesture, and comparing the signal data with prestored signal data values associated with a plurality of characters to find at least one character associated with substantially similar prestored signal data values as the gesture.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the gesture comprises sensing a number of taps on the wearable portable device and the displaying the at least one character comprises displaying the number of taps sensed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the gesture comprises sensing a message in Morse code tapped on the wearable portable device and the displaying the at least one character comprises displaying the sensed message in text form.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the gesture comprises sensing use of the wearable portable device to mime the at least one character.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the gesture is defined by a user using a software tool.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one character is defined by a user using a software tool.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the gesture further comprises sensing at least one of a pressure on the wearable portable device, a temperature range, and an amount of light upon the portable device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second gesture comprising a second movement of the wearable portable device, identifying a predetermined function of a user interface associated with the second gesture, and executing the predetermined function on the user interface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving the second gesture comprises sensing a tap on a side of the wearable portable device and the executing the predetermined function comprises returning to a previous screen of the user interface.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving the second gesture comprises sensing inversion of the wearable portable device and maintenance of an inverted position for one second, and the executing the predetermined function comprises returning to a main menu of the user interface.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving the second gesture comprises sensing rotating the wearable portable device by at least a predetermined angle and the executing the predetermined function comprises displaying images corresponding to playing cards on the user interface.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the wearable portable device comprises a module configured to execute the method of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising deriving signal data from a raw signal describing the gesture, wherein identifying at least one character comprises comparing the signal data to a plurality of gesture rules in a gesture store on a continuous basis to find a match.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the gesture rules comprise conditions associated with a gesture performed with a left hand of a user, in addition to conditions associated with a gesture performed with a right hand of the user.

17. A wearable portable device having a gesture-based user interface, comprising:

an inertial sensor

a display;

a processor; and

a user interface application executing on the processor, wherein the user interface application is configured to;

receive at least one signal from the inertial sensor corresponding to a sensed gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

compare the at least one signal against a set of pre-established rules to identify at least one character associated with the sensed gesture; and

display the at least one character on the display.

18. The wearable portable device of claim 17 wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one axis of movement, a frequency, and a force magnitude.

19. The wearable portable device of claim 17 wherein the at least one signal has a magnitude that is proportional to sensed movement.

20. The wearable portable device of claim 17 wherein the at least one signal comprises two voltage signals corresponding to a movement in the X and Y axes.

21. The wearable portable device of claim 17 wherein the at least one signal comprises three voltage signals corresponding to a movement in the X, Y, and Z axes.

22. The wearable portable device of claim 17 wherein the inertial sensor senses angular motion, and the at least one signal corresponds to angular motion in the φ

, θ

, and ψ

directions.

23. An executable software product stored on a computer-readable medium containing program instructions for providing a gesture-based user interface for a wearable portable device, the program instructions for:

receiving a gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

identifying at least one character associated with the gesture; and

displaying the at least one character on the wearable portable device.

24. A system for providing a gesture-based user interface, comprising:

a wearable portable device comprising one or more gesture profiles that each include at least one gesture and a predetermined function associated with the at least one gesture; and

a profile web service, wherein the portable device is in communication with the profile web service and is configured to download from the profile web service to the wearable portable device a customizable gesture profile comprising at least one modified gesture that differs from the at least one gesture.

25. A wearable portable device having a gesture-based user interface, comprising:

means for tracking motion of the wearable portable device;

a display; and

processing means, wherein processing means is coupled to the display and the processing means is configured to;

receive at least one signal from the means for tracking motion corresponding to a sensed gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

compare the at least one signal against a set of pre-established rules to identify at least one character associated with the sensed gesture; and

display the at least one character on the display.

26. A wearable portable electronic device having a gesture-based user interface, comprising:

a case; and

a module, wherein the module is configured to be removably received by the case and comprises;

an inertial sensor

a display; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive at least one signal from the inertial sensor corresponding to a sensed gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

compare the at least one signal against a set of pre-established rules to identify at least one character associated with the sensed gesture; and

display the at least one character on the display.