METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USER-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM CONTROL USING BIO-INPUT

• US 20140159862A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Texas Technology Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: Atheer, Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Allen Yang, Chehade, Mohamed Nabil Hajj, Fateh, Sina, Itani, Sieiman
• Granted Patent: US 10,045,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A wearable sensor vehicle with a bio-input sensor and a processor. When the vehicle is worn, the sensor is arranged so as to sense bio-input from the user. The sensor senses bio-input, the processor compares the bio-input to a standard, and if the standard is met the processor indicates a response. The user may be uniquely identified from the bio-input. One or more systems on or communicating with the vehicle may be controlled transparently, without requiring direct action by the user. Control actions may include security identification of the user, logging in to accounts or programs, setting preferences, etc. The sensor collects bio-input substantially without instruction or dedicated action from the user; the processor compares bio-input against the standard substantially without instruction or dedicated action from the user; and the processor generates and/or implements a response based on the bio-input substantially without instruction or dedicated action from the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle adapted to be worn by a subject;

at least one sensor disposed on said vehicle, said sensor being adapted to sense at least one bio-input of said subject; and

a processor in communication with said sensor;

wherein;

said vehicle and said sensor are configured such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is substantially disposed with respect to said subject for sensing said bio-input;

said sensor is adapted to sense said bio-input with substantially no dedicated sensing action required from said subject;

said processor is adapted to compare said bio-input with a standard therefor; and

said processor is adapted to indicate a response if said bio-input meets said standard.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said vehicle comprises a head-mounted display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is adapted to sense at least one of a group consisting of a cardiac wave of said subject, a brain wave of said subject, a retinal pattern of said subject, an iris pattern of said subject, a vein pattern of said subject, a skin texture pattern of said subject, a facial color distribution of said subject, and a facial shape of said subject.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor comprises at least one of a group consisting of an electrocardiogram, a magnetocardiogram, an electroencephalogram, a magnetoencephalogram, a monochromatic visible light imager, a color visible light imager, a monochromatic near-infrared imager, a color near-infrared imager, a spectrometer, an imaging spectrometer, a time-of-flight sensor, and a structured light sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is a contact sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is a non-contact sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is disposed on said vehicle such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is proximate a bridge of a nose of said subject.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is disposed on said vehicle such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is proximate a temple of said subject.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is disposed on said vehicle such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is behind and proximate an ear of said subject.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is disposed on said vehicle such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is proximate a forehead of said subject.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is removably engaged with said vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said response comprises at least one of a group consisting of activating an entity, authorizing access to said entity, and activating preferences in said entity.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said entity comprises at least one of an electronic device, an electronic device component, and a data entity comprising executable instructions.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said apparatus further comprises a communicator adapted to communicate between said processor and an external entity.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said response comprises establishing communication between said processor and said external entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

said response comprises communicating at least one of a group consisting of said bio-input, a time of sensing said bio-input, and a location of sensing said bio-input.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said processor is adapted to record data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

said processor is adapted to record at least one of a group consisting of said bio-input, a time of sensing said bio-input, and a location of sensing said bio-input

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is adapted to repeatedly sense said bio-input;

said processor is adapted to repeatedly compare said bio-input with said standard therefor; and

said processor is adapted to repeatedly indicate said response.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is adapted to substantially continuously sense said bio-input;

said processor is adapted to substantially continuously compare said bio-input with said standard therefor; and

said processor is adapted to substantially continuously indicate said response.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said vehicle is adapted to perform at least one subject service other than as said vehicle for said sensor.

22. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

disposing at least one sensor so as to enable sensing at least one bio-input from a subject, said sensor being adapted to sense said bio-input;

sensing with said sensor said bio-input from said subject, said sensing requiring substantially no dedicated sensing action from said subject;

comparing said bio-input with at least one standard therefor; and

indicating a response if said bio-input meets said standard.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

disposing said sensor in relation to said subject comprises disposing said sensor on a vehicle adapted to be worn by said subject.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising:

sensing at least one of a group consisting of a cardiac wave of said subject, a brain wave of said subject, a retinal pattern of said subject, an iris pattern of said subject, a vein pattern of said subject, a skin texture pattern of said subject, a facial color distribution of said subject, and a facial shape of said subject.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising:

sensing said bio-input using at least one of a group consisting of electrocardiography, magnetocardiography, an electroencephalography, a magnetoencephalography, monochromatic visible light imaging, color visible light imaging, monochromatic near-infrared imaging, color near-infrared imaging, spectrometry, imaging spectrometry, time-of-flight depth sensing, and structured light depth sensing.

26. The method of claim 22, comprising:

sensing said bio-input via contact sensing.

27. The method of claim 22, comprising:

sensing said bio-input via non-contact sensing.

28. The method of claim 22, comprising:

disposing said sensor proximate a bridge of a nose of said subject.

29. The method of claim 22, comprising:

disposing said sensor behind and proximate an ear of said subject.

30. The method of claim 22, comprising:

disposing said sensor proximate a forehead of said subject.

31. The method of claim 23 comprising:

removably disposing said sensor on said vehicle adapted to be worn by said subject.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said response comprises at least one of a group consisting of activating an entity, authorizing access to said entity, and activating preferences in said entity.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said entity comprises at least one of an electronic device, an electronic device component, and a data entity comprising executable instructions.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said response comprises performing an action in at least one of an augmented reality environment and a virtual reality environment.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said response comprises establishing communication between said processor and said external entity.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said response comprises communicating at least one of a group consisting of said bio-input, a time of sensing said bio-input, and a location of sensing said bio-input.

37. The method of claim 22, comprising:

recording at least one of a group consisting of said bio-input, a time of sensing said bio-input, and a location of sensing said bio-input.

38. The method of claim 22, comprising:

repeatedly sensing with said sensor said bio-input;

repeatedly comparing said bio-input with said standard; and

if said bio-input meets said standard, repeatedly executing said response.

39. The method of claim 22, comprising:

substantially continuously sensing with said sensor said bio-input;

substantially continuously comparing said bio-input with said standard; and

if said bio-input meets said standard, substantially continuously executing said response.

40. The method of claim 23, wherein:

said vehicle is adapted to perform at least one subject service other than as said vehicle for said sensor.

41. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle adapted to be worn by a subject, said vehicle comprising a head-mounted display, said vehicle being adapted to perform at least one subject service other than as said vehicle for said sensor;

at least one sensor disposed on said vehicle such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is proximate a bridge of a nose of said subject, said sensor being a color visible light imaging sensor adapted to sense a cardiac wave of said subject; and

a processor in communication with said sensor;

wherein;

said vehicle and said sensor are configured such that when said subject wears said vehicle, said sensor is substantially disposed with respect to said subject for sensing said bio-input;

said sensor is adapted to repeatedly sense said bio-input with substantially no dedicated sensing action required from said subject;

said processor is adapted to repeatedly compare said bio-input with a standard therefor;

said processor is adapted to repeatedly indicate a response if said bio-input meets said standard, said response comprising at least one of a group consisting of activating an entity, authorizing access to said entity, and activating preferences in said entity, said entity comprising at least one of a group consisting of an electronic device, an electronic device component, and a data entity comprising executable instructions; and

said processor is adapted to repeatedly record at least one of a group consisting of said bio-input, a time of sensing said bio-input, and a location of sensing said bio-input.

42. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

disposing at least one sensor on a vehicle comprising a head-mounted display adapted to be worn by a subject, such that said sensor is enabled to sense at least one bio-input from said subject proximate a bridge of a nose of said subject, said vehicle being adapted to perform at least one subject service other than as said vehicle for said sensor, said sensor being adapted to sense said bio-input via color visible light imaging, said bio-input comprising a cardiac wave;

repeatedly sensing with said sensor said bio-input from said subject, said sensing requiring substantially no dedicated sensing action from said subject;

repeatedly comparing said bio-input with at least one standard therefor;

repeatedly executing a response if said bio-input meets said standard, said response comprising at least one of a group consisting of activating an entity, authorizing access to said entity, and activating preferences in said entity, said entity comprising at least one of a group consisting of an electronic device, an electronic device component, and a data entity comprising executable instructions; and

repeatedly recording at least one of a group consisting of said bio-input, a time of sensing said bio-input, and a location of sensing said bio-input.

43. An apparatus, comprising:

means for disposing at least one sensor so as to enable sensing at least one bio-input from a subject, said sensor being adapted to sense said bio-input;

means for sensing with said sensor said bio-input from said subject, said sensing requiring substantially no dedicated sensing action from said subject;

means for comparing said bio-input with at least one standard therefor; and

means for indicating a response if said bio-input meets said standard.