User interface devices

• US 8,368,646 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motiondot, LLC
• Original Assignee: Motiondot, LLC
• Inventors: Welland, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suteerawongsa, Jarurat
• Application Number:
  US11/952,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345/163, 345/173, 345/179, 345/418, 345/474, 463/37, 463/39
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus of user interface having multiple motion dots capable of detecting user inputs are disclosed. In one embodiment, a user interface (“UI”) device includes a first motion dot and a second motion dot. The first motion dot is capable of attaching to a first finger and the second motion dot is configured to attach to a second finger. The first finger, in one example, is a thumb and the second finger is an index finger. The first motion dot includes multiple accelerometers used for identifying the physical location of the first motion dot. The second motion dot, which is logically coupled to the first motion dot via a wireless communications network, is capable of detecting a user input in response to a relative physical position between the first and the second motion dots.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising:

a first motion dot operable to attach to a first finger, wherein the first motion dot includes multiple accelerometers for identifying a physical location of the first motion dot, wherein the first motion dot includes a power supply capable of regulating power consumption of the first motion dot;

a second motion dot logically coupled to the first motion dot via a wireless communication network and configured to attach to a second finger, wherein the second motion dot having multiple accelerometers is capable of detecting a user input in response to a relative physical position between the first motion dot and the second motion dot;

a third motion dot logically couple to the second motion dot and configured to attached to a third finger, wherein the third motion dot is configured to detect a user input in response to a relative motion between the second motion dot and the third motion dot; and

a handheld device logically coupled to the second motion dot, wherein the handheld device is capable of receiving the user input via a wireless communications network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein handheld device displays a pictorial image on a display reflecting the relative physical position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first motion dot includes a first gyroscope to identify a first orientation of the first motion dot.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first motion dot includes:

a transceiver capable of facilitating wireless communications;

a battery coupled to the transceiver and configured to supply power; and

a controller coupled to the battery and configured to control communications.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the controller further provide power management for entering a sleep mode or waking up from the sleep mode for power conservation.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second motion dot includes an x-axis accelerometer, a y-axis accelerometer, and a z-axis accelerometer for identifying a relative physical position between the first motion dot and the second motion dot.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the second motion dot includes an attachment mechanism for attaching the second motion dot to the second finger.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first finger is a thumb and the second finger is an index finger.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the user input includes identifying one of finger relative motion, finger joining motion, finger release motion, finger lifting motion, putting motion, and scrolling motion.

10. A method for providing device interface comprising:

attaching a first motion dot to a first finger, attaching a second motion dot to a second finger and attaching a third motion dot to a third finger;

activating the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

establishing a wireless communications network among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

facilitating information transfer among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot via the wireless communications network;

identifying a relative reference position among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

detecting a user input in response to relative motion among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot with respect to the relative reference position; and

performing a task in a portable electronic device in response to the user input; and

entering a sleep mode or waking up from the sleep mode to conserve power consumption.

11. The method of claim 10, further includes displaying a pictorial image on a display in the portable electronic device representing the relative motion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing a wireless communications network includes activating a wireless personal area network for providing communications between the first motion dot, the second motion dot, and the portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a relative reference position between the first motion dot and the second motion dot further includes sensing finger joining motion between the first motion dot and the second motion dot.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a user input in response to relative motion between the first motion dot and the second motion dot with respect to the relative reference position further includes detecting finger movements in accordance with three-dimensional accelerometers.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a user input in response to relative motion between the first motion dot and the second motion dot with respect to the relative reference position further includes identifying one of finger relative motion, finger joining motion, finger release motion, finger lifting motion, putting motion, and scrolling motion.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing a wireless communications network includes recognizing multiple unique identifiers for multiple motion dots, wherein recognizing multiple unique identifiers further includes permitting various motion dots to work collaboratively.

17. A system comprising:

a portable electronic device having a display panel capable of display multiple images;

a first motion dot operable to attach to a first finger, wherein the first motion dot includes multiple accelerometers for identifying a physical location of the first motion dot;

a second motion dot logically coupled to the first motion dot and configured to attach to a second finger, wherein the second motion dot having multiple accelerometers is capable of detecting a user input in response to a relative physical position between the first motion dot and the second motion dot;

a third motion dot logically couple to the second motion dot and configured to attached to a third finger, wherein the third motion dot is configured to detect a user input in response to a relative motion between the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

a wireless communications network configured to route information among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

the first motion dot includes;

a transceiver capable of facilitating wireless communications;

a battery coupled to the transceiver and configured to supply power; and

a controller coupled to the battery and configured to control communications; and

the controller further provide power management for entering a sleep mode or waking up from the sleep mode for power conservation.

18. An apparatus for providing device interface comprising:

means for attaching a first motion dot to a first finger, attaching a second motion dot to a second finger and attaching a third motion dot to a third finger;

mean for activating the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot to a third finger;

means for establishing a wireless communications network among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

means for facilitating information transfer among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

means for identifying a relative reference position among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot;

means for detecting a user input in response to relative motion among the first motion dot, the second motion dot and the third motion dot with respect to the relative reference position;

means for performing a task in a portable electronic device in response to the user input; and

means for entering a sleep mode or waking up from the sleep mode to conserve power consumption.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further includes means for displaying a pictorial image on a display in the portable electronic device representing the relative motion.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein means for establishing a wireless communications network includes means for activating a wireless personal area network for providing communications between the first motion dot, the second motion dot, and the portable electronic device.