MOBILE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR RECOGNIZING EXTERNAL INPUT

• US 20130222230A1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantech Co. Ltd. (Pantech Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Co. Ltd. (Pantech Incorporated)
• Inventors: CHOI, In Ho, KIM, Ki Cheol, KIM, Ji Yeon
• Application Number:
  US13/681,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/226 using non-speech characteristics

Abstract

A. mobile device includes a plurality of microphones to recognize a sound generated from an external input, a sensor to recognize an impulse generated from the external input, and a processor. The processor determines multiple regions around the mobile device, determines whether the external input is generated in a region among the multiple regions based on the recognized sound and the impulse, and executes an instruction corresponding to the region. A method that uses a processor to recognize an external input includes recognizing a sound generated from an external input, recognizing an impulse generated from the external input, determining, using the processor, a location of the external input around a mobile device based on the recognized sound and the impulse, and executing an instruction corresponding to the location of the external input.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a plurality of microphones to recognize a sound generated from an external input;

a sensor to recognize an impulse generated from the external input; and

a processor to determine multiple regions around the mobile device, to determine whether the external input is generated in a region among the multiple regions based on the recognized sound and the impulse, and to execute an instruction corresponding to the region.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microphones comprises a first microphone and a second microphone, and the processor calculates a distance difference between a first distance from the external input to the first microphone and a second distance from the external input to the second microphone based on the recognized sound.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the processor obtains a hyperbola trace based on the distance difference, and calculates candidates of a location of the external input.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the processor calculates a direction of the external input based on the recognized impulse.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the processor calculates the location of the external input among the candidates using the direction of the external input.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the recognized sound or the recognized impulse is greater than a reference value, and calculates a location of the external input if the recognized sound or the recognized impulse is greater than the reference value.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the processor calculates the location of the external input if the recognized sound is greater than a first reference value and the recognized impulse is greater than a second reference value.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor processes at least one of a location tracing of another mobile device, a pattern unlock, a releasing of a locked state of the mobile device, a call reception, a call rejection, a browser gesture, a game control, an application control, an instruction defined by a user, and a distance measurement by determining a location of the external input among the multiple regions.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a gyroscope sensor, an acceleration sensor, terrestrial magnetism sensor, and a direction sensor.

10. A method that uses a processor to recognize an external input, comprising:

recognizing a sound generated from an external input;

recognizing an impulse generated from the external input;

determining, using the processor, a location of the external input around a mobile device based on the recognized sound and the impulse; and

executing an instruction corresponding to the location of the external input.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating a distance difference between a first distance from the external input to a first microphone and a second distance from the external input to a second microphone based on the recognized sound.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining a hyperbola trace based on the distance difference; and

calculating candidates of a location of the external input.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

calculating a direction of the external input based on the recognized impulse.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

calculating the location of the external input among the candidates using the direction of the external input.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the recognized sound or the recognized impulse is greater than a reference value, and calculating the location of the external input if the recognized sound or the recognized impulse is greater than the reference value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

calculating the location of the external input if the recognized sound is greater than a first reference value and the recognized impulse is greater than a second reference value.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

processing at least one of a location tracing of another mobile device, a pattern unlock, a releasing of a locked state of the mobile device, a call reception, a call rejection, a browser gesture, a game control, an application control, an instruction defined by a user, and a distance measurement by determining the location of the external input among multiple regions around the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the sound is recognized by a plurality of microphones, and the impulse is recognized by at least one of a gyroscope sensor, an acceleration sensor, terrestrial magnetism sensor, and a direction sensor.

19. A mobile device, comprising:

a plurality of microphones to recognize a sound generated from an external input;

a sensor to recognize an impulse generated from the external input;

a distance calculation unit to calculate a time difference between a first receiving time from the external input to a first microphone and a second receiving time from the external input to a second microphone based on the recognized sound;

a direction calculation unit to calculate a direction of the external input based on the recognized impulse; and

a processor to determine a location of the external input based on the time difference and the direction, and to execute an instruction corresponding to the location of the external input.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, the distance calculation unit calculates a distance difference by multiplying the time difference and a velocity of the sound, and the processor calculates the location of the external input based on the distance difference and the direction.