FACILITATING GESTURE-BASED ASSOCIATION OF MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20150009116A1
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Mangold, Stefan, Corbellini, Giorgio, Vukadinovic, Vladimir, Griffin, Joshua D., Trotter, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation

Abstract

Gesture-based association of multiple devices may be facilitated, which may effectuate presentation of content related to associated devices. Gesture detection may reduce or completely eliminate any ambiguity of whether the association is wanted or not. Some implementations may be employed in a theme park in which park guests wear an RFID wristband. During a park visit, when merchandise goods with embedded RFIDs are purchased (e.g., toys and/or other merchandise), the merchandise may be associated with the wristband and, therefore, the park guest wearing the wristband. Such association may give the theme park environment and/or the toy itself a mechanism to adapt their behavior depending on which toy the park guest is carrying. This may contribute to richer storytelling and personalized experiences, which may be realized by using location information, knowledge about the park guest'"'"'s preferences or previous park visits, favorite attractions, age, language-specific information, and/or other information.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate gesture-based association of multiple devices, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a signal receipt module configured to receive signals from one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being configured to receive signals emitted by two or more devices via wireless non-contact data transfer, the two or more devices including a first device and a second device, the first device being configured to emit a first wireless signal conveying information associated with an identification of the first device, the second device being configured to emit a second wireless signal conveying information associated with an identification of the second device, individual ones of the two or more devices being configured to be portable;

a pattern extraction module configured to determine patterns associated with individual signals received from the one or more sensors, individual patterns being expressed as one or both of signal power as a function of time or signal phase as a function of time, a first pattern associated with the first wireless signal being generated responsive to relative motion between the first device and a first sensor, a second pattern associated with the second wireless signal being generated responsive to relative motion between the second device and the first sensor; and

a device association module configured to associate multiple ones of the two or more devices by determining whether the multiple ones moved together in a common gesture based on the patterns determined by the pattern extraction module, the first device being associated with the second device responsive to a determination that the first pattern matches the second pattern during a period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the two or more devices are configured to be either handheld or wearable, the first device being handheld and the second device being wearable.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first device is toy and the second device is a wristband.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to emit the first wireless signal responsive to being subjected to an electromagnetic field of a first frequency.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first frequency is a radio frequency.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first device or the second device includes an RFID tag.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a motion detection device and a wireless transmitter, the motion detection device being configured to provide a motion signal conveying information associated with motions undergone by the first device, the wireless transmitter being configured to transmit the first signal, the first signal including the motion signal and information associated with the identification of the first device, the motion detection device including one or both of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, or a gyroscope.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless transmitter includes one or more of a wireless local area network transmitter, a wireless personal area network transmitter, or a cellular transmitter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the one or more sensors are stationary.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless non-contact data transfer is performed using radio-frequency electromagnetic fields.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the one or more sensors are RFID readers.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the relative motion between a given device and a given sensor is caused by a user moving or shaking the given device proximal to the given sensor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first pattern associated with the first wireless signal is generated responsive to relative motion between the first device and both the first sensor and a second sensor.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the patterns exhibit features with frequencies between about two to ten Hertz.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein moving the multiple ones of the two or more devices together in a common gesture is achieved by moving a hand in space while the hand is holding the first device and the second device is attached to the corresponding wrist.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein moving the multiple ones of the two or more devices together in a common gesture is achieved by shared mobility of the multiple devices inside a geographical area.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the shared mobility of the multiple devices is caused by one or both of (1) ambulatory motion of a user carrying the multiple devices or (2) motion of a theme park ride on which a user carrying the multiple devices is riding.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the period of time during which the first pattern matches the second pattern is between about one and ten seconds.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a content provisioning module configured to provide content for presentation to users based on the association of the multiple ones of the two or more devices, first content being provided for presentation to a first user responsive to the first device being associated with the second device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal receipt module is further configured to receive signals from individual ones of the two or more devices, the signal received from a given one of the two or more devices conveying information associated with one or both of an identification of the given device or motion undergone by the given device.

21. A computer-implemented method to facilitate gesture-based association of multiple devices, the method being performed by one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:

receiving signals from one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being configured to receive signals emitted by two or more devices via wireless non-contact data transfer, the two or more devices including a first device and a second device, the first device being configured to emit a first wireless signal conveying information associated with an identification of the first device, the second device being configured to emit a second wireless signal conveying information associated with an identification of the second device, individual ones of the two or more devices being configured to be portable;

determining patterns associated with individual signals received from the one or more sensors, individual patterns being expressed as one or both of signal power as a function of time or signal phase as a function of time, a first pattern associated with the first wireless signal being generated responsive to relative motion between the first device and a first sensor, a second pattern associated with the second wireless signal being generated responsive to relative motion between the second device and the first sensor; and

associating multiple ones of the two or more devices by determining whether the multiple ones moved together in a common gesture based on the determined patterns, the first device being associated with the second device responsive to a determination that the first pattern matches the second pattern during a period of time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the relative motion between a given device and a given sensor is caused by a user moving or shaking the given device proximal to the given sensor.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing content for presentation to users based on the association of the multiple ones of the two or more devices, first content being provided for presentation to a first user responsive to the first device being associated with the second device.

24. A system configured to facilitate gesture-based association of multiple devices, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a signal receipt module configured to receive signals from one or more sensors and/or devices, the one or more sensors being configured to receive signals transmitted by one or more of the devices via wireless non-contact data transfer, the devices including a first device and a second device, the first device being configured to transmit a first signal conveying information associated with an identification of the first device, the second device being configured to store information associated with motion of the second device and further configured to transmit a second signal conveying information associated with an identification of the second device and the motion of the second device, individual ones of the one or more devices being configured to be portable;

a pattern extraction module configured to determine patterns associated with individual signals received from the one or more sensors and/or the devices, individual patterns being expressed as one or both of signal power as a function of time or signal phase as a function of time, a first pattern associated with the first signal being generated responsive to relative motion between the first device and a first sensor, a second pattern associated with the second signal being generated responsive to motion of the second device; and

a device association module configured to associate multiple ones of the devices by determining whether the multiple ones moved together in a common gesture based on the patterns determined by the pattern extraction module, the first device being associated with the second device responsive to a determination that the first pattern matches the second pattern during a period of time.