METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FORCE SENSING GESTURE RECOGNITION

• US 20130147850A1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Hao, Wei, Yi, Maniar, Papu D.
• Application Number:
  US13/314,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147850A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method and device for force sensing gesture recognition includes a processor, a motion detector, and a force detector. A motion detector senses a motion of the mobile device corresponding to a gesture and generates gesture data, the gesture data indicative of a command to be executed. A force sensor senses a magnitude of applied force and generates force data. The magnitude of applied force is indicative of a mode in which the command is to be executed. The processor is coupled to the motion detector and the force sensor. The processor executes the command as a function of the gesture data and the force data.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a motion detector sensing a motion of the mobile device corresponding to a gesture and generating gesture data, the gesture data indicative of a command to be executed;

a force sensor sensing a magnitude of applied force and generating force data, the magnitude of applied force indicative of a mode in which the command is to be executed; and

a processor coupled to the motion detector and the force sensor, the processor executing the command as a function of the gesture data and the force data.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the motion detector is chosen from the group comprising an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a mercury switch.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying information related to the command.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor comprises a control switch.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor comprises a force-sensing touch screen display.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the applied force comprises a plurality of discrete ranges of force corresponding to different modes in which the command is to be executed.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the applied force comprises a constantly varying application of force.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing at least one of the gesture data and the force data.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a scroll command and the mode comprises a scroll rate.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein tilting the mobile device activates the scroll command and modifying the magnitude of the applied force varies the scroll rate.

11. A method for executing a command of a mobile device, comprising:

sensing a motion of the mobile device corresponding to a gesture and generating gesture data, the gesture data indicative of a command to be executed;

sensing a magnitude of applied force on a force sensor and generating force data, the magnitude of applied force indicative of a mode in which the command is to be executed; and

executing the command as a function of the gesture data and the force data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the motion is sensed using a motion detector chosen from the group comprising an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a mercury switch.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying information related to the command.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensing the magnitude of the applied force comprises applying pressure to the force sensor.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the magnitude of the applied force comprises a plurality of discrete ranges of force corresponding to different modes in which the command is to be executed.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the magnitude of the applied force comprises a constantly varying application of force.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing at least one of the gesture data and the force data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the command comprises a scroll command and the mode comprises a scroll rate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein tilting the mobile device activates the scroll command and modifying the magnitude of the applied force varies the scroll rate.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

means for sensing a motion of the mobile device corresponding to a gesture and generating gesture data, the gesture data indicative of a command to be executed;

means for sensing a magnitude of applied force on a force sensor and generating force data, the magnitude of applied force indicative of a mode in which the command is to be executed; and

means for executing the command as a function of the gesture data and the force data.