TECHNIQUES FOR DISCERNING BETWEEN INTENDED AND UNINTENDED GESTURES ON WEARABLE TOUCH-SENSITIVE FABRIC

• US 20160216825A1
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: FORUTANPOUR, Babak
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Techniques are described to discern between intentional and unintentional gestures. A device receives a first input from one or more sensors that are coupled to a flexible material to detect input from the user provided by manipulation of the flexible material. In addition, the device receives a second input from one or more environmental sensors that are coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user. The device correlates the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.

Claims

1. A method for discerning between intended and unintended inputs on a flexible material, comprising:

receiving a first input from one or more pressure sensors, the one or more pressure sensors being coupled to the flexible material to detect input from a user provided by manipulation of the flexible material;

receiving a second input from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user; and

correlating the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to the flexible material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to a portion of traditional fabric worn by the user, the portion of traditional fabric being in contact with the flexible material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure sensors are dispersed at predetermined locations on the flexible material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating the first input and the second input comprises comparing at least one of:

a number of peaks in a predefined duration, magnitude of each peak, time of start and stop of each peak, and speed of change in the first and the second inputs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first input is unintentional based on correlation between the first and the second inputs being larger than a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the first input as one of a plurality of touch commands based on the first input being determined to be intentional.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input comprises data from the at least one sensor just before start time of the first input up to slightly after the first input is finished.

9. An apparatus for discerning between intended and unintended inputs on a flexible material, comprising:

means for receiving a first input from one or more pressure sensors, the one or more pressure sensors being coupled to the flexible material to detect input from a user provided by manipulation of the flexible material;

means for receiving a second input from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user; and

means for correlating the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to the flexible material.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to a portion of traditional fabric worn by the user, the portion of traditional fabric being in contact with the flexible material.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more pressure sensors are dispersed at predetermined locations on the flexible material.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for correlating the first input and the second input comprises means for comparing at least one of:

a number of peaks in a predefined duration, magnitude of each peak, time of start and stop of each peak, and speed of change in the first and the second inputs.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining that the first input is unintentional based on correlation between the first and the second inputs being larger than a threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for classifying the first input as one of a plurality of touch commands based on the first input being determined to be intentional.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second input comprises data from the at least one sensor just before start time of the first input up to slightly after the first input is finished.

17. An apparatus for discerning between intended and unintended inputs on a flexible material, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a first input from one or more pressure sensors, the one or more pressure sensors being coupled to the flexible material to detect input from a user provided by manipulation of the flexible material;

receive a second input from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user; and

correlate the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to the flexible material.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to a portion of traditional fabric worn by the user, the portion of traditional fabric being in contact with the flexible material.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more pressure sensors are dispersed at predetermined locations on the flexible material.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to correlate the first input and the second input by comparing at least one of:

a number of peaks in a predefined duration, magnitude of each peak, time of start and stop of each peak, and speed of change in the first and the second inputs.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine that the first input is unintentional based on correlation between the first and the second inputs being larger than a threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to classify the first input as one of a plurality of touch commands based on the first input being determined to be intentional.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second input comprises data from the at least one sensor just before start time of the first input up to slightly after the first input is finished.

25. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for discerning between intended and unintended inputs on a flexible material, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

receive a first input from one or more pressure sensors, the one or more pressure sensors being coupled to the flexible material to detect input from a user provided by manipulation of the flexible material;

receive a second input from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user; and

correlate the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to the flexible material.

27. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the at least one sensor is attached to a portion of traditional fabric worn by the user, the portion of traditional fabric being in contact with the flexible material.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the processor-readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to compare at least one of:

a number of peaks in a predefined duration, magnitude of each peak, time of start and stop of each peak, and speed of change in the first and the second inputs.

29. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the processor-readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to determine that the first input is unintentional based on correlation between the first and the second inputs being larger than a threshold.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the second input comprises data from the at least one sensor just before start time of the first input up to slightly after the first input is finished.