Motion estimation for mobile device user interaction

• US 8,194,926 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Keysers, Daniel M., Deselaers, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US13/253,743
• Time in Patent Office: 244 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382202-203, 382181-189, 341 20- 22, 735/140.2, 735/10, 345156-178, 345/667, 345/684, 340/407.1, 340/407.2
• US Class Current: 382/103
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

One or more sensors of a mobile computing device may detect a current movement characteristic of the mobile computing device and a current orientation characteristic of the mobile computing device, the current movement characteristic and the current orientation characteristic being based at least in part on a path of motion of the mobile computing device. An estimated path of motion may be defined based on the current movement characteristic and the current orientation characteristic. One or more characters based at least in part on the estimated path of motion may be identified. A graphical representation of the one or more characters may be inserted into a text input field, the graphical representation of the one or more characters and the text input field being outputted at a display of the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by one or more sensors of a mobile computing device, a current movement characteristic of the mobile computing device and a current orientation characteristic of the mobile computing device, the current movement characteristic and the current orientation characteristic being based at least in part on a path of motion of the mobile computing device;

defining, based on the current movement characteristic and the current orientation characteristic, an estimated path of motion of the mobile computing device;

identifying one or more characters based at least in part on the estimated path of motion; and

inserting a graphical representation of the one or more characters into a text input field, the graphical representation of the one or more characters and the text input field being outputted at a display of the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the estimated path of motion comprises:

detecting one or more superfluous strokes from a plurality of strokes making up the path of motion of the mobile computing device; and

removing the one or more superfluous strokes from the estimated path of motion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the one or more superfluous strokes is based on sound detected by a microphone in the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the estimated path of motion comprises:

detecting an end of a first series of strokes within the path of motion of the mobile computing device and a start of a second series of strokes within the path of motion of the mobile computing device following the first series of strokes, the first series of strokes comprising a first character and a second series of strokes comprising a second character; and

inserting, in the estimated path of motion, an indication of a break between the first series of strokes and the second series of strokes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the end of the first series of strokes is based on at least one of the current movement characteristic and the current orientation characteristic indicating that the mobile computing device is not moving.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a portion of a physical enclosure of the mobile computing device that is in contact with a surface, wherein the estimated path of motion is an estimated path of motion of the portion of the physical enclosure of the mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the estimated path of motion is defined based only on rotational characteristics corresponding to rotational movements of the mobile computing device captured by a gyroscope included in the one or more sensors.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein defining the estimated path of motion comprises:

de-slanting one or more oblique strokes of the path of motion of the mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the estimated path of motion comprises:

limiting the length of one or more strokes within the estimated path of motion to a threshold length.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein there is a one-to-one correspondence between the path of motion of the mobile computing device and the estimated path of motion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated path of motion comprises a two-dimensional representation of the path of motion of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensors include a camera that captures image data; and

the estimated path of motion is defined based on at least the image data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the estimated path of motion is defined based on differences between successive images captured by the camera.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by a network interface of the mobile computing device, the one or more characters to an external computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending the one or more characters to a remote application running on the external computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

triggering a functionality of the remote application based on the one or more characters.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

inserting the graphical representation the one or more characters into a text input field of the remote application.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting the graphical representation of the one or more characters to a user interface of the mobile computing device.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising code representing instructions configured to cause a processor to:

detect, by one or more sensors of a mobile computing device, one or more changes in at least one of movement and orientation of the mobile computing device, the one or more changes being based at least in part on movement of the mobile computing device in three-dimensional space;

define an estimated path of motion based on the one or more changes, the estimated path of motion including an indication of a break between a first series of strokes and a second series of strokes; and

identify one or more characters based at least in part on the estimated path of motion.

20. A mobile computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a portion estimation module being executed on the one or more processors and configured to estimate which portion of a physical enclosure of the mobile computing device is in contact with a two-dimensional surface;

one or more sensors configured to define one or more measurements of one or more forces acting upon the mobile computing device in response to movement of the mobile computing device along a path of motion; and

a path estimation module being executed on the one or more processors and configured to define an estimated path of motion for the portion of the physical enclosure of the mobile computing device based on the one or more measurements.