ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WITH WEARABLE INTERFACE MECHANISM AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF

• US 20160077581A1
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shi, Meng
• Granted Patent: US 9,772,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

An electronic system includes: a fastening portion of a joint-wearable device, the fastening portion configured to physically secure the joint-wearable device for affixing the joint-wearable device relative to a physiological joint of a user; and a joint sensor of the joint-wearable device, the joint sensor connected to the fastening portion and configured to generate a sensor output for representing a joint movement associated with the physiological joint in controlling the electronic system according to the joint movement.

Claims

1. An electronic system comprising:

a fastening portion of a joint-wearable device, the fastening portion configured to physically secure the joint-wearable device for affixing the joint-wearable device relative to a physiological joint of a user; and

a joint sensor of the joint-wearable device, the joint sensor connected to the fastening portion and configured to generate a sensor output for representing a joint movement associated with the physiological joint in controlling the electronic system according to the joint movement.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a communication unit of a joint-wearable device, coupled to the joint sensor, configured to communicate the sensor output for generating an action command using a further device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a control unit of the joint-wearable device, coupled to the joint sensor, configured to generate an action command based on the sensor output, the action command for controlling the electronic system according to the joint movement.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the fastening portion is configured to physically secure the joint-wearable device for affixing a first instance of the joint sensor on a reference side associated with the physiological joint; and

further comprising;

a further instance of the joint sensor of the joint-wearable device, the further instance of the joint sensor connected to the fastening portion for affixing the further instance of the joint sensor opposite the reference side.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the fastening portion is configured to physically secure the joint-wearable device for affixing the joint sensor in association with a positive direction for the physiological joint; and

further comprising;

a further-direction sensor of the joint-wearable device, the further-direction sensor connected to the fastening portion for affixing the further-direction sensor in association with a further direction forming an angle with the positive direction.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the fastening portion is configured to physically secure the joint-wearable device for affixing the joint-wearable device relative to the physiological joint connecting a first physiological segment and a second physiological segment; and

the joint sensor is configured to generate the sensor output for generating an action command corresponding to the joint movement to control the electronic system.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a central portion of the joint-wearable device connected to the fastening portion; and

wherein;

the joint sensor is directly connected to or embedded in the central portion, the fastening portion, or a combination thereof.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fastening portion is configured to secure the joint sensor for affixing the joint sensor overlapping the physiological joint, attached to the first physiological segment adjacent to the physiological joint and oriented with a sensing direction of the joint sensor extending across the physiological joint toward the second physiological segment, or a combination thereof.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the joint sensor includes a force sensor, an energy sensor, a contact sensor, or a combination thereof.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a signal generator connected to the fastening portion and configured to emit an energy for detection by the joint sensor;

wherein;

the joint sensor is configured to generate the sensor output based on detecting the energy from the signal generator in relation to the physiological joint, the first physiological segment, the second physiological segment, or a combination thereof.

11. An electronic system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a sensor output for representing a joint movement of a physiological joint of a user detected by a joint sensor; and

a control unit, coupled to the communication interface, configured to generate an action command based on the sensor output for controlling the electronic system according to the joint movement.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the control unit is configured to:

calculate a device-placement based on the sensor output for representing a placement of the joint sensor on the user; and

generate the action command based on the device-placement.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the communication interface is configured to receive a displacement measure for representing an overall movement corresponding to the joint sensor; and

the control unit is configured to generate the action command based on the displacement measure along with the sensor output.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the control unit is configured to generate the action command based on matching the sensor output to a command pattern profile for representing a relationship between the action command, the joint movement, the sensor output, or a combination thereof.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the communication interface is configured to receive the sensor output including an error signal for representing noise corresponding to a type for the joint sensor; and

the control unit is configured to implement a signal filter to remove the error signal based on the joint sensor in generating the action command.

16. A method of operation of an electronic system comprising:

determining a sensor output for representing a joint movement of a physiological joint of a user detected by a joint sensor; and

generating with a control unit an action command based on the sensor output for controlling the electronic system according to the joint movement of the user.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

calculating a device-placement based on the sensor output for representing a placement of the joint sensor on the user; and

wherein;

generating the action command includes generating the action command based on the device-placement.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

determining a displacement measure for representing an overall movement corresponding to the joint sensor; and

wherein;

generating the action command includes generating the action command based on the displacement measure along with the sensor output.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 generating the action command includes generating the action command based on matching the sensor output to a command pattern profile for representing a relationship between the action command, the joint movement, the sensor output, or a combination thereof.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

identifying an error signal for representing noise corresponding to a type for the joint sensor; and

wherein;

generating the action command includes removing the error signal based on the joint sensor in generating the action command.