Locking mechanism based on unnatural movement of head-mounted display

• US 8,659,433 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrou, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/529,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/425.5, 340/42, 340/426.26, 340/432, 340/573.7, 340/539.13, 340/539.23, 340/561, 340/562, 345/156, 345/8, 368/250
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

A wearable computer determines unnatural movements of a head-mounted display (HMD) and triggers a locking mechanism. In one embodiment, the wearable computer receives movement data from one or more sensors and determines that the movement of the HMD is unnatural. In one embodiment, the wearable computer receives movement data from one or more sensors and determines that the HMD is being worn by an unauthorized user. In response to determining an unnatural movement and/or an unauthorized user wearing the HMD, the wearable computer triggers a locking mechanism, which can beneficially provide security measures for the wearable computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining one or more thresholds indicated by a wearer-profile;

receiving movement data from at least one sensor of a head-mountable display (HMD), wherein the movement data corresponds to movement of the HMD;

determining that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of (a) a removal of the HMD and (b) the removal of the HMD being unintentional; and

in response to determining that the movement data corresponds to exceeding the one or more thresholds, initiating a security action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of a physical separation between the HMD and the wearer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of a movement of the HMD that is not caused by the wearer of the HMD.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the security action comprises notifying authorities as to the removal of the HMD and the removal of the HMD being unintentional.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds comprises:

determining one or more of the following movement indicators;

(a) velocity of the HMD;

(b) angular velocity of the HMD; and

(c) acceleration of the HMD; and

using the one or more movement indicators as a basis for determining that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds comprises determining that one or more of the movement indicators exceeds a respective threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein initiating the security action comprises initiating one or more of the following actions:

(a) locking the HMD, (b) disabling the HMD, and (c) sounding an alarm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of the HMD being worn by an unauthorized user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the movement data to the one or more thresholds indicated by the wearer-profile, wherein the wearer-profile is one of one or more authorized profiles associated with the HMD; and

responsive to a substantial mismatch between the movement data and the one or more thresholds, determining that the HMD is being worn by an unauthorized user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more authorized profiles comprises a head-movement fingerprint, and wherein the head-movement fingerprint corresponds to movements based on one or more breathing patterns.

11. A wearable-computing system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to;

determine one or more thresholds indicated by a wearer-profile;

receive movement data from at least one sensor of a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein the movement data corresponds to movement of the HMD;

determine that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of (a) a removal of the HMD and (b) the removal of the HMD being unintentional; and

in response to determining that the movement data corresponds to exceeding the one or more thresholds, initiate a security action.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the movement data is received from at least one of:

(a) an accelerometer;

(b) a gyroscope; and

(c) a shock sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the wearer-profile comprises one or more movement indicators, wherein the one or more movement indicators comprise one or more of the following:

(a) velocity of the HMD, (b) angular velocity of the HMD, (c) acceleration of the HMD, (d) a direction of movement of the HMD, (e) a change in direction of the movement of the HMD, and (f) an acceleration of the HMD.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the security action comprises one or more of the following operations:

(a) locking the HMD, (b) disabling the HMD, and (c) sounding an alarm.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a client computing device to cause the client computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining one or more thresholds indicated by a wearer-profile;

receiving movement data from at least one sensor of a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein the movement data corresponds to movement of the HMD;

determining that the movement data corresponds to movement exceeding the one or more thresholds, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of (a) a removal of the HMD and (b) the removal of the HMD being unintentional; and

in response to determining that the movement data corresponds to exceeding the one or more thresholds, initiating a security action.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wearer-profile comprises one or more movement indicators, wherein the one or more movement indicators comprise one or more of the following:

(a) velocity of the HMD, (b) angular velocity of the HMD, (c) acceleration of the HMD, (d) a direction of movement of the HMD, (e) a change in direction of the movement of the HMD, and (f) an acceleration of the HMD.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the security action comprises one or more of the following operations:

(a) locking the HMD, (b) disabling the HMD, and (c) sounding an alarm.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining one or more thresholds indicated by a wearer-profile;

receiving positioning data from at least one sensor of a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein the positioning data is indicative of a position of the HMD;

determining that the positioning data corresponds to the position exceeding the one or more thresholds, wherein exceeding the one or more thresholds is indicative of the HMD being worn by an unauthorized user, and wherein determining that the position data corresponds to the position exceeding the one or more thresholds comprises;

comparing the positioning data to the one or more thresholds indicated by the wearer-profile, wherein the wearer-profile is one of one or more authorized position profiles associated with the HMD; and

responsive to determining a substantial mismatch between the positioning data and the one or more thresholds, determining that the HMD is being worn by an unauthorized user; and

in response to determining that the position data corresponds to exceeding the one or more thresholds, initiating a security action.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating the security action comprises notifying authorities that the HMD is potentially being worn by the unauthorized user.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving movement data from at least one sensor of the HMD, wherein the movement data corresponds to movement of the HMD; and

conditioning the initiating of the security action upon determining a substantial mismatch between the movement data and one or more authorized movement profiles indicated by one or more wearer-profiles that are associated with the HMD, in addition to determining the substantial mismatch between the positioning data and the one or more thresholds.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the security action comprises one or more of the following operations:

(a) locking the HMD, (b) disabling the HMD, and (c) sounding an alarm.