Air-writing and motion sensing input for portable devices

• US 7,667,686 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memsic Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (MZ Investment Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Memsic Incorporated (MZ Investment Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suh, Hyuk-Jeen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOVALICK, VINCENT E
• Application Number:
  US11/487,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 345/2.2, 345/68, 345/158, 345/473, 345/474, 345/537, 345/949, 345/156, 345/258, 340/573, 348/61
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

The use of motion sensing to perform sophisticated command control and data input into a portable device is disclosed. A motion sensor is embedded or fixedly attached to a portable device to measure movement, motion or tilt of the device in one-, two- or three-dimensions when the portable device is used to air-write or make gestures. The use of full motion information such as rate of change of motion or tilt angle to perform functions and commands is also disclosed. In addition, the use of air-writing to input search criteria and filter schemes for portable devices to manage, search, and sort through various data, files, and information is disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a portable device using motion sensing, the system comprising:

a motion-sensing device that is structured and arranged to sense or to detect motion or movement of the portable device, a magnitude or amount of movement of the portable device, and a rate of change of movement of the portable device;

a data acquisition unit that receives motion data signals transmitted from the motion-sensing device;

memory for storing data that includes a plurality of pre-determined movements, motions or gestures that are each uniquely associated with a discrete control operation; and

a control unit that analyzes filtered signals from the data acquisition unit;

identifies characteristics of the motion or movement, magnitude or amount of movement, and rate of change of movement;

compares the characteristics of the motion or movement, magnitude or amount of movement, and rate of change of movement of the filtered signals with the plurality of pre-determined movements, motions or gestures data; and

automatically executes the discrete control operation associated with the predetermined motion data when the characteristics of the motion or movement, magnitude or amount of movement, and rate of change of movement of the filtered signals match the predetermined movements, motions or gestures data.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable device is selected from the group consisting of a wireless device, a mobile telephone, a cordless telephone, a text-messaging device, a digital pager, a talk radio, a portable navigation system, a portable music player, a portable video player, a portable multimedia device, personal digital assistant (PDA), and a portable game.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion-sensing device is fixedly attached to or embedded into the portable device.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion-sensing device is any device that can detect motion thermally, electrically, mechanically or optically.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the motion-sensing device is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, strain gauges, piezo-electric devices, piezo-resistive devices, capacitive devices, mechanical switches, ball-and-tube devices, gyroscopes, compasses, magnetic devices, optical devices, and infrared devices.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion-sensing device is structured and arranged to sense motion or movement resulting from a gesture or air-writing.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rate of change of movement of the portable device includes a rate of change of tilt angle.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the data acquisition unit includes a filtering portion that filters a desired signal comprising motion or movement characteristics from the motion data signals.

9. A system for inputting data into a portable device using motion sensing, the system comprising:

a motion-sensing device that is structured and arranged to sense or to detect motion or movement of the portable device, a magnitude or amount of movement of the portable device, and a rate of change of movement of the portable device;

a data acquisition unit that receives motion data signals from the motion-sensing device;

memory for storing data that includes a plurality of pre-determined movements, motions or gestures that are each uniquely associated with a discrete control operation; and

a control unit that analyzes filtered signals from the data acquisition unit;

identifies characteristics of the motion or movement, magnitude or amount of movement, and rate of change of movement;

compares the characteristics of the motion or movement, magnitude or amount of movement, and rate of change of movement of the filtered signals with the plurality of pre-determined movements, motions or gestures data; and

automatically inputs data in an appropriate memory when the characteristics of the motion or movement, magnitude or amount of movement, and rate of change of movement of the filtered signals match the pre-determined movements, motions or gestures data associated with the discrete control operation.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the motion-sensing device is structured and arranged to sense motion or movement resulting from a gesture or air-writing.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the rate of change of movement of the portable device includes a rate of change of tilt angle.

12. A method for controlling a portable device using motion or movement of the portable device to perform control operations, the method comprising:

installing or embedding a motion-sensing device in the portable device;

providing a plurality of predetermined movements, motions or gestures that are each uniquely associated with a discrete control operation;

detecting motion, movement, and a rate of change of movement or motion of the portable device with the motion-sensing device;

comparing the motion, movement, and rate of change of movement or motion so detected with the plurality of pre-determined motions; and

initiating the discrete control operation that is associated with the motion, movement, and rate of change of movement or motion so detected.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, the method further comprising filtering the motion, movement, and rate of change of motion before comparing the motion, movement, and rate of change of motion to the plurality of predetermined motions, to remove undesirable noise.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein detecting motion, movement, and a rate of change of movement or motion includes sensing motion, movement and the rate of change of movement or motion resulting from a gesture or air-writing.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein detecting the rate of change of movement or motion includes the detecting a rate of change of a tilt angle of the portable device.

16. A method for inputting data into a portable device using motion or movement of the portable device to perform control operations, the method comprising:

installing or embedding a motion-sensing device in the portable device;

providing a plurality of pre-determined movements, motions or gestures that are each uniquely associated with a discrete input operation;

detecting motion, movement, and a rate of change of movement or motion of the portable device with the motion-sensing device;

comparing the motion, movement, and rate of change of movement or motion so detected with the plurality of pre-determined motions; and

initiating the discrete input operation that is associated with the motion, movement, and rate of change of movement or motion so detected.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, the method further comprising filtering the motion, movement, and rate of change of motion before comparing the motion, movement, and rate of change of motion to the plurality of predetermined motions, to remove undesirable noise.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein detecting motion, movement, and a rate of change of movement or motion includes sensing motion, movement and the rate of change of movement or motion resulting from a gesture or air-writing.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein detecting the rate of change of movement or motion includes the detecting a rate of change of a tilt angle of the portable device.