TOUCHLESS INTERACTION DEVICES

• US 20140306936A1
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elliptic Laboratories AS
• Original Assignee: Elliptic Laboratories AS
• Inventors: DAHL, Tobias Gulden, BANG, Hans Jrgen
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a front surface comprising a display screen; a rear surface; at least one ultrasonic transmitter; and at least one ultrasonic receiver. The device may be configured to transmit signals from the transmitter and to receive the signals at the receiver after reflection from an input object and to use the reflected signals to characterise the motion of said input object for controlling a function of the device. At least one of the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver is disposed on the rear surface of the device. The device may be configured to transmit signals from the transmitter and to receive the signals at the receiver after reflection from a user'"'"'s hand and to use the reflected signals to detect one of a predetermined set of gestures carried out adjacent to the device when the device is placed on its rear surface on a flat supporting surface.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a front surface comprising a display screen;

a rear surface;

at least one ultrasonic transmitter; and

at least one ultrasonic receiver,

the device being configured to transmit signals from the transmitter and to receive said signals at the receiver after reflection from an input object and to use said reflected signals to characterise the motion of said input object for controlling a function of the device,

wherein at least one of the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver is disposed on the rear surface of the device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of channels

3. The electronic device of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of channels comprises a transmitter and a receiver and wherein at least one of the transmitter and the receiver for each channel is provided on the rear surface of the device.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein said transmitters and receivers for all ultrasonic channels are provided on the rear of the device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a two dimensional array of transmitters and/or receivers on the rear surface of the device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter comprises an ultrasonic transmitter and the receiver comprises an ultrasonic receiver.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the rear surface of the device is configured to enhance diffraction of ultrasound to or from the transmitter or receiver when the device is laid with said rear surface facing down onto a flat supporting surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the rear surface comprises one or more protruding portions which cause the rest of the rear surface to be held away from contact with a flat supporting surface when the device is laid down.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 comprising wherein said protrusion(s) has/have surfaces which are continuously curved

10. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a concave or convex rear surface.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 arranged to characterise the motion of the input object by detecting one of a set of pre-defined gestures.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 configured to detect gestures when the device is placed on said rear surface on a flat supporting surface such as a table.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 configured to detect gestures which are executed on a surface on which the device is laid down.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of channels.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of channels comprises a transmitter and a receiver and wherein at least one of the transmitter and the receiver for each channel is provided on the rear surface of the device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 wherein said transmitters and receivers for all ultrasonic channels are provided on the rear of the device.

14. An electronic device comprising a front surface incorporating a display screen, a rear surface, at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver, the device being configured to transmit signals from the transmitter and to receive said signals at the receiver after reflection from a user'"'"'s hand and to use said reflected signals to detect one of a predetermined set of gestures carried out adjacent to the device when the device is placed on its rear surface on a flat supporting surface.

18. The electronic device of claim 14 comprising a two dimensional array of transmitters and/or receivers on the rear surface of the device.

19. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the rear surface comprises one or more protruding portions which cause the rest of the rear surface to be held away from contact with a flat supporting surface when the device is laid down.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 comprising wherein said protrusion(s) has/have surfaces which are continuously curved

21. The electronic device of claim 14 comprising a concave or convex rear surface.