Method and Apparatus for Wearable Remote Interface Device

• US 20120019373A1
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Kruse, Barbara, Steger, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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

A method and apparatus of using a wearable remote interface device capable of detecting inputs from movements are disclosed. The wearable remote interface device, which could be attached to a finger or a hand or any parts of a body, includes a sensor, a filter, an input identifier, and a transmitter. The sensor, in one embodiment, is capable of sensing the movement of the finger or any part of body in which the wearable remote interface device is attached with. Upon detecting the various movements associated with the finger, the filter subsequently removes any extraneous gestures from the detected movements. The input identifier, which could be a part of the filter, identifies one or more user inputs from the filtered movements. The transmitter transmits the input(s) to a processing device via a wireless communications network.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

an actuator capable of receiving haptic signals and generating haptic feedback;

a wireless detecting device coupled to the actuator and configured to generate haptic signals to indicate the system is near a hidden switch;

a calibrator coupled to the wireless detecting device and operable to calibrate a virtual switch utilizing haptic feedback;

a sensor coupled to the calibrator and capable of detecting the motion of the system in accordance with the virtual switch; and

a filter coupled to the sensor and configured to send a command to the hidden switch in response to the motion.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor coupled to the calibrator and capable of detecting the motion of the system is further capable of detecting a collision input and a contact input.

3. The security system of claim 1, wherein the hidden switch includes a keypad capable of receiving secret codes for authentication.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor and the actuator are configured as a single device.

5. The security system of claim 4, wherein the single device comprises a piezo-electric material.

6. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is further configured to sense a force of the system.

7. The security system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a piezo-electric actuator, a shape-memory alloy actuator, an eccentric rotating mass actuator, or a linear resonant actuator.

8. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a motion associated with a manipulation of a user interface.

9. The security system of claim 8, wherein the manipulation of the user interface comprises a point and drag function or a button click function.

10. The security system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured as a fingernail tip device.

11. The security system of claim 10, wherein the system is adapted to be worn underneath a fingernail.

12. The security system of claim 1, further comprising:

a touch screen configured to receive touch input, wherein the actuator is configured to generate the haptic feedback based at least in part on the touch input.

13. A system for sensing user input, comprising:

a touch screen configured to receive touch input;

a processing device coupled to the touch pad, the processing device configured to generate a haptic feedback signal based on the touch input; and

a wearable apparatus adapted to be worn on a body part and configured to receive the haptic feedback signal, the wearable apparatus comprising;

an actuator configured generate a haptic feedback based on the haptic feedback signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the actuator comprises a piezo-electric actuator, a shape-memory alloy actuator, an eccentric rotating mass actuator, or a linear resonant actuator.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the wearable apparatus is configured as a fingernail tip device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the fingernail tip device is adapted to be worn underneath a fingernail.

17. A fingertip remote haptic device for sensing user input, the wearable apparatus adapted to be worn on a body part of a user, the wearable apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a motion of the fingertip remote haptic device;

a filter configured to filter the detected motion;

a generator configured to generate one or more commands based on the filtered motion; and

an actuator configured to generate haptic feedback based on the one or more commands.

18. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 17, wherein the sensor and the actuator are configured as a single device.

19. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 18, wherein the single device comprises a piezo-electric material.

20. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 17, wherein the sensor is further configured to sense a magnitude of force associated with the motion, and wherein the generator is configured to generate one or more commands based on the force.

21. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 17, wherein the actuator comprises a piezo-electric actuator, a shape-memory alloy actuator, an eccentric rotating mass actuator, or a linear resonant actuator.

22. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 17, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a motion associated with a manipulation of a user interface.

23. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 22, wherein the manipulation of the user interface comprises a point-and-drag function or a button click function.

24. The fingertip remote haptic device of claim 17, wherein the fingertip remote haptic device is adapted to be worn underneath a fingernail.