CONTENT TRANSFER VIA SKIN INPUT

• US 20130265437A1
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thrn, Ola, Bengtsson, Henrik, Jonsson, Hkan, Aronsson, Pr-Anders, Mrtensson, Linus
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724095 Worn on the wrist, hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for transferring content between electronic devices via skin input. An exemplary method includes detecting, by an interface device, an input received on a user'"'"'s skin, wherein the interface device is in electronic communication with at least one of the first device or the second device; in response to detecting the input, determining the type of input; and at least one of: in response to determining the type of input is a first type of input, initiating transmission of content from the first device to the second device; or in response to determining the type of input is a second type of input, initiating reception of content at the second device.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting content from a first device to a second device, the method comprising:

detecting, by an interface device, an input received on a user'"'"'s skin, wherein the interface device is in communication with at least one of the first device or the second device, wherein the interface device comprises at least one sensor, microphone, or camera that detects a vibration associated with the user'"'"'s body when the input is received on the user'"'"'s skin;

in response to detecting the input, determining the type of input; and

at least one of;

in response to determining the type of input is a first type of input, initiating transmission of content from the first device to the second device;

or

in response to determining the type of input is a second type of input, initiating reception of content at the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device projects a user interface associated with at least one of the first device, the second device, or the interface device onto at least one of the user'"'"'s skin or a head-mounted display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the content is dragged towards an edge of a visual interface associated with the first device, wherein the content is dragged towards the edge of the visual interface using at least one of input received at the first device or input received on the user'"'"'s skin.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining whether the content is dragged towards an edge of a visual interface associated with the first device is executed at least one of prior to or after receiving the input on the user'"'"'s skin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device projects a clipboard interface onto at least one of the user'"'"'s skin or a head-mounted display, the clipboard interface presenting the content being transmitted from the first device to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device projects a user interface associated with at least one of the first device, the second device, or the interface device onto a location of a user'"'"'s skin, wherein at least one of the location or a type of information presented on the user interface is based at least partially on whether the interface device is at least one in contact with the user'"'"'s skin or in contact with a different user'"'"'s skin.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating reception of content at the interface device, the content being transmitted from the first device; and

initiating transmission of content from the interface device to the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

completing transmission of content from the first device to the second device based on input received by at least one of the interface device, the first device, the second device, or the user'"'"'s skin.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a location of projection of the user interface onto the user'"'"'s skin or a different user'"'"'s skin;

distinguishing sensitive information from non-sensitive information, wherein the content received at the interface device comprises at least one of sensitive information and non-sensitive information; and

at least one of;

in response to determining the location of projection on the user'"'"'s skin or the different user'"'"'s skin is a substantially public location, projecting the non-sensitive information onto the user interface and screening the sensitive information;

in response to determining the location of projection on the user'"'"'s skin is a substantially private location, projecting both the sensitive information and the non-sensitive information onto the user interface;

or

in response to determining the location of projection on the different user'"'"'s skin is a substantially private location, screening both the sensitive information and the non-sensitive information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user intends to interact with at least one of the first device or the second device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining step further comprises:

using at least one image-capturing device associated with at least one of the interface device, the first device, or the second device;

determining whether a body part of the user is pointing substantially in a direction of at least one of the first device or the second device, and

determining movement of the body part; and

converting the movement of the body part into an input instruction to at least one of the first device, the second device, or the interface device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using at least one of the interface device or a separate gaze-determining device, a direction associated with the user'"'"'s gaze; and

at least one of;

determining the user intends to interact with the first device when the user'"'"'s gaze is directed substantially at the first device;

determining the user intends to interact with the second device when the user'"'"'s gaze is directed substantially at the second device;

or

determining the user intends to interact with a user interface presented on the user'"'"'s skin when the user'"'"'s gaze is directed substantially at the user'"'"'s skin.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device comprises at least one of a bracelet wearable on the user'"'"'s arm or a visor wearable on the user'"'"'s head.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device comprises at least one of an image-capturing module or a wireless communication module, and wherein the at least one sensor or camera comprises an infrared (IR) sensor or camera.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device is either in contact with or not in contact with the user'"'"'s skin.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface device is not in contact with the user'"'"'s skin, and is in contact with a different user'"'"'s skin.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the input received on the user'"'"'s skin comprises a contact on the user'"'"'s skin, wherein the contact on the user'"'"'s skin comprises a contact of at least one of a body part or an object on the user'"'"'s skin, and wherein the determining step comprises determining at least one of:

a type of contact on the user'"'"'s skin, an approximate location of contact on the user'"'"'s skin, a duration of contact with the user'"'"'s skin, a speed or acceleration associated with the contact on the user'"'"'s skin, a pressure or force associated with the contact on the user'"'"'s skin, a quantity of distinct contacts with the user'"'"'s skin, a duration between distinct contacts with the user'"'"'s skin, a direction of the user'"'"'s gaze when the contact occurs, or a direction associated with the user'"'"'s body part when the contact occurs.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first device or the second device comprises at least one of a portable mobile communication device, a television, a computing device, a tablet, or a watch.

19. A system for transmitting content from a first device to a second device, the system comprising:

an interface device comprising at least one sensor, microphone, or camera that detects a vibration associated with the user'"'"'s body; and

a processor configured to

determine a type of input based at least partially on the vibration; and

at least one of;

in response to determining the type of input is a first type of input, initiate transmission of content from the first device to the second device;

or

in response to determining the type of input is a second type of input, initiate reception of content at the second device,

wherein the system is in communication with at least one of the first device or the second device.

20. A computer program product for transmitting content from a first device to a second device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code configured to;

initiate communication with at least one of the first device or the second device;

determine a type of input based at least partially on detecting a vibration associated with a user'"'"'s body; and

at least one of;

in response to determining the type of input is a first type of input, initiate transmission of content from the first device to the second device;

or

in response to determining the type of input is a second type of input, initiate reception of content at the second device.