METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED USER INTERFACES USING WEARABLE DEVICES TO CONTROL MOBILE AND CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20110022196A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Michaelis, Oliver, Jaime, Manuel Eduardo, Linsky, Joel Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A method for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body is disclosed. The method includes detecting relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and generating an indication of the relative movement for use in controlling the controlled device. A method for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body is also disclosed. The method includes receiving a message indicating a relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and generating an action to control the controlled device based on a command associated with the relative movement. Apparatuses for performing the methods are disclosed herein as well.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body, comprising:

detecting relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

generating an indication of the relative movement for use in controlling the controlled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the body is a human body.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a signal based on one or more or any combination of:

sensors capable of detecting contact, sensors capable of detecting lateral movements of two surfaces against each other, sensors capable of detecting directional or rotational spatial motion, sensors capable of detecting tilting spatial motion, or sensors capable of lateral or longitudinal structural forces.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing sensor data received from multiple sensors within the wearable device for gesture detection.

5. An apparatus for controlling a controlled device with a device being wearable on a portion of a body, the apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

a processing system configured to generate an indication of the relative movement for use in controlling the controlled device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the body is a human body.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detector is further configured to receive a signal based on one or more or any combination of:

sensors capable of detecting contact, sensors capable of detecting lateral movements of two surfaces against each other, sensors capable of detecting directional or rotational spatial motion, sensors capable of detecting tilting spatial motion, or sensors capable of lateral or longitudinal structural forces.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detector is further configured to process sensor data from multiple sensors within the wearable device for gesture detection.

9. An apparatus for controlling a controlled device with a device being wearable on a portion of a body, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

means for generating an indication of the relative movement for use in controlling the controlled device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the body is a human body.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising receiving a signal based on one or more or any combination of:

sensors capable of detecting contact, sensors capable of detecting lateral movements of two surfaces against each other, sensors capable of detecting directional or rotational spatial motion, sensors capable of detecting tilting spatial motion, or sensors capable of lateral or longitudinal structural forces.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the detector further comprises means for processing sensor data from multiple sensors within the wearable device for gesture detection.

13. A watch, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a detector configured to detect relative movement between a wearable device and a portion of a body; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna, an indication of the relative movement for use in controlling a controlled device.

14. A computer-program product for communicating control information from a device worn on a portion of a body to a controlled device, comprising a computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

detect relative movement between a first wearable device and the portion of the body; and

transmit an indication of the relative movement for use in controlling the controlled device.

15. A method for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body, comprising:

receiving a message indicating a relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

generating an action to control the controlled device based on a command associated with the relative movement.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message comprises raw sensor data obtained by the wearable device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising interpreting the raw sensor data as a gesture.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the relative movement corresponds to at least one of a sliding, a tilting, a tapping, or a rotating of the wearable device.

19. An apparatus for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message indicating relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

a processing system configured to perform an action to control the controlled device based on a command associated with the relative movement.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the message comprises raw sensor data obtained by the wearable device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the raw sensor data is interpreted as a gesture.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the relative movement corresponds to at least one of a sliding, a tilting, a tapping, or a rotating of the wearable device.

23. An apparatus for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body, comprising:

means for receiving a message indicating relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

means for performing an action to control the controlled device based on a command associated with the relative movement.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the message comprises raw sensor data obtained by the wearable device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the raw sensor data is interpreted as a gesture.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the relative movement corresponds to at least one of a sliding, a tilting, a tapping, or a rotating of the wearable device.

27. A watch for controlling a controlled device by a device worn on a portion of a body, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a receiver configured to receive a message, via the at least one antenna, indicating relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

a processing system configured to perform an action to control the controlled device based on a command associated with the relative movement.

28. A computer-program product for controlling a controlled device with a device wearable on a portion of a body, comprising a computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

receive a message indicating relative movement between the wearable device and the portion of the body; and

perform an action to control the controlled device based on a command associated with the relative movement.