Virtual Device Buttons

• US 20110018814A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boogio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kruglick, Ezekiel
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

Various implementations of virtual device button simulation are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for simulating virtual device buttons, the method comprising:

receiving, via one or more motion sensors in a device, an indication of a particular physical impact incurred by the device;

determining whether the indication corresponds to one or more of a plurality of predetermined characteristics; and

invoking a device function in response to determining that the indication corresponds to one or more of the plurality of predetermined characteristics,

wherein the plurality of predetermined characteristics comprise indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein invoking the device function comprises simulating a function of a virtual device button.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of a particular physical impact comprises:

receiving a first signal at a first motion sensor of the device;

receiving a second signal at a second motion sensor of the device; and

comparing the first signal to the second signal to generate the indication of a particular physical impact.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second signals comprise one or more of first and second amplitude values, first and second frequency values and/or first and second direction values.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein comparing the first signal to the second signal comprises one or more of determining a differential frequency value from the first and second frequency values, determining a differential amplitude value from the first and second amplitude values and/or determining a differential direction value from the first and second direction values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device comprise one or more of a plurality of predetermined differential frequency values, a plurality of predetermined differential amplitude values, and/or a plurality of predetermined differential direction values.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second motion sensors comprise accelerometers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device comprise a plurality of predetermined frequency values, each of the plurality of predetermined frequency values corresponding to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more motion sensors comprise a gyroscopic sensor, and wherein receiving the indication of the particular physical impact comprises receiving a signal at the gyroscopic sensor indicative of a torsional motion of the device in response to the particular physical impact.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal indicative of a torsional motion of the device comprises a signal indicative of a direction of torque placed on the device by the particular physical impact.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device comprise a plurality of torsional motion values corresponding to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular physical impact incurred by the device comprises tapping of the device.

13. An apparatus configured to simulate virtual device buttons responsive to a physical impact incurred at a location, the apparatus comprising:

an exterior case;

a motion sensor disposed within the exterior case and arranged to generate a motion signal responsive to physical impact incurred by the exterior case; and

processing logic configured to;

receive the motion signal from the motion sensor; and

evaluate the motion signal to determine the location of the physical impact incurred on the exterior case.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the motion sensor comprises a gyroscopic sensor, and wherein the signal comprises a signal indicative of tortional motion of the exterior case.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the signal indicative of tortional motion of the case comprises a signal indicative of a direction of torque placed on the device by the physical impact.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the physical impact comprises a tapping motion applied to the case.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the motion sensor comprises first and second accelerometers, and wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

receive a first signal from the first accelerometer;

receive a second signal from the second accelerometer; and

compare the first signal to the second signal to determine the location on the exterior case corresponding to the physical impact.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of spring elements disposed at locations on the case, each of the plurality of spring elements having a different resonant frequency, wherein the motion signal received from the motion sensor comprises an indication of a resonant frequency, and wherein the processing logic is configured to determine the location on the exterior case corresponding to the physical impact by correlating the indication of the resonant frequency with one or more of the plurality of spring elements.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the exterior case comprises an exterior case of a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a personal music player, a portable gaming device, or a computer peripheral device.

20. An article comprising:

a computer program product having stored therein instructions that, if executed, result in;

receiving, via one or more motion sensors in a device, an indication of a particular physical impact incurred by the device;

determining whether the indication corresponds to one or more predetermined characteristics; and

invoking a device function in response to determining that the indication corresponds to one of the predetermined characteristics,

wherein the one or more predetermined characteristics comprise one or more indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein invoking the device function comprises simulating a function of a virtual device button.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein the instructions for receiving the indication of a particular physical impact comprise instructions that, if executed, result in:

receiving a first signal at a first motion sensor of the device;

receiving a second signal at a second motion sensor of the device; and

comparing the first signal to the second signal to generate the indication of the particular physical impact.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the first and second signals comprise one or more of first and second amplitude values, first and second frequency values and/or first and second direction values.

24. The article of claim 23, wherein the instructions for comparing the first signal to the second signal comprise instructions that, if executed, result in one or more of determining a differential frequency value from the first and second frequency values, determining a differential amplitude value from the first and second amplitude values and/or determining a differential direction value from the first and second direction values.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein the indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device comprise one or more of a plurality of predetermined differential frequency values, a plurality of predetermined differential amplitude values, and/or a plurality of predetermined differential direction values.

26. The article of claim 20, wherein the indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device comprise a plurality of predetermined frequency values corresponding to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device.

27. The article of claim 20, wherein the one or more motion sensors comprise a gyroscopic sensor, and wherein the instructions for receiving the indication of a particular physical impact comprise instructions that, if executed, result in receiving a signal at the gyroscopic sensor indicative of a torsional motion of the device in response to the particular physical impact.

28. The article of claim 20, wherein the indications associated with responses of the device to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device comprise a plurality of torsional motion values corresponding to physical impacts incurred at different locations on the device.