Motor-kinetic identification apparatus and method

• US 6,987,442 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hoffberg, Mark B., Pisarsky, Valdimir R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US10/185,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.82, 340/5.52, 341/32, 341/20, 345/161, 700/85, 463/37, 463/38, 744/71, 710/345, 200/5, 200/6.A, 273/148
• US Class Current: 340/5.82
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/066 having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/20 Grip or stock safeties, i.e. safeties disengaged by clasping the grip or stock thumb-operated sliding safeties F41A17/52, F41A17/62, F41A17/70, F41A17/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/65 using means for sensing the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A motor-kinetic identification apparatus includes a pliant material, a source of a magnetic field embedded in the pliant material and a magneto metric element embedded in the material. The pliant is adapted to be gripped by a user. The pliant material has a normally biased rest shape and the shape becomes deformed upon the material being gripped. The magnetic field has a field contour dependent on said shape of said material. The magneto metric element is disposed within the field and has a detectable state commensurate with the magnetic field contour.

Claims

1. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus comprising:

a pliant material adapted to be gripped by a user, the material having a normally biased rest shape, the shape being deformed upon the material being gripped;

a source of a magnetic field embedded in the material, the field having a field contour dependent on the shape of the material;

a magneto metric element embedded in the material, the element being disposed within the field and having a detectable state commensurate with the contour; and

wherein the contour is time variant as the material is being gripped such that the detectable state is time variant.

2. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the time variant detectable state defines a unique stereotype for each user.

3. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

a database in which the unique stereotype for each user is stored;

a comparator to which the time variant detectable state is applied and to which each stored stereotype is sequentially applied.

4. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the material is non-magnetic foam.

5. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the source includes strips of magnetic material.

6. A motor-kinetic identification method comprising:

developing a magnetic field contour within a pliant material;

continuously detecting the field contour as the material is being gripped to develop a user stereotype that is a time variant detectable state; and

comparing the user stereotype to stored user stereotypes.

7. A motor-kinetic identification method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the developing includes embedding magnetic material in the material.

8. A motor-kinetic identification method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the embedding includes embedding strips of the magnetic material into the material.

9. A motor-kinetic identification method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the detecting includes:

embedding a magneto metric element in the material and disposed within the field contour; and

continuously detecting an output state of the magneto metric element.

10. A motor-kinetic identification method as set forth in claim 9 wherein detecting the output state includes time sampling the output state.

11. A motor-kinetic identification method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

developing for each of a plurality of users a respective one of the user stereotypes from the time sampled output state; and

storing the user stereotypes in a database.

12. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus comprising:

a pliant material adapted to be gripped by a user, the material having a normally biased rest shape, the shape being deformed upon the material being gripped;

a source of a magnetic field embedded in the material, the field having a field contour dependent on the shape of the material;

a magneto metric element embedded in the material and further disposed within the field contour and operable to develop a user stereotype as the material is gripped;

wherein the contour is time variant as the material is being gripped such that the user stereotype is time variant;

a database of stored user stereotypes; and

a processor to which the user stereotype is applied and operable to compare the user stereotype to the stored user stereotypes.

13. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the magneto metric element has a time variant output state developed as a function of the field, the user stereotype being a time sampling of the output state.

14. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the processor is operable to time sample the output state.

15. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the material is non-magnetic foam.

16. A motor-kinetic identification apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the source includes strips of magnetic material.