Control terminal

• US 8,860,547 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Aichi, Isao, Akahori, Ichiro, Noda, Saori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US13/532,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 340/1.1, 340/2.1, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 340/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A wearable control terminal for allowing a user to control a target object includes a contact detector, an impact detector, a motion detector, and a transmitter. The contact detector is mounted on a surface of a first portion of a user'"'"'s body to detect whether the first portion is in contact with or separated from a second portion of the body based on whether a closed loop conducting path is formed with the first portion and the second portion. The impact detector detects an impact on the control terminal. The motion detector detects a motion of the user based on the results of detection by the contact detector and the impact detector. The transmitter transmits a control signal to the target object according to the detected motion.

Claims

1. A control terminal wearable on a body of a user to allow the user to control a target object, the control terminal comprising:

a contact detector configured to be mounted on a surface of a first portion of the body to detect whether the first portion is in contact with or separated from a second portion of the body based on whether a closed loop conducting path is formed with the first portion and the second portion;

an impact detector configured to detect an impact on the control terminal;

a motion detector configured to detect a motion of the user based on a result of detection by the contact detector and a result of detection by the impact detector; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal to the target object according to the detected motion, wherein

the motion detector detects the motion of the user based on a combination of the result of detection by the contact detector and the result of detection by the impact detector at a predetermined time interval,

the motion detector detects the motion of the user based on a combination of a change in the result of detection by the contact detector and a change in the result of detection by the impact detector, and

when the contact detector detects the contact between the first portion and the second portion at the same time when the impact detector detects the impact, the motion detector detects that the first portion and the second portion come into contact with each other.

2. The control terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the contact detector includes a signal source and a signal detector,

the signal source applies an electrical signal to the surface of the first portion of the body along the conducting path, and

the signal detector detects the electrical signal.

3. The control terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the first portion is a first finger of one of a right hand and a left hand of the user,

the second portion is a second finger of the one of the right hand and the left hand of the user, and

the control terminal is ring-shaped and wearable on the first finger.

4. The control terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitter transmits the control signal to the target terminal by wireless.

5. The control terminal according to claim 1, wherein

when the contact detector continuously detects the contact between the first portion and the second portion from a first time to a second time, and the impact detector momentarily detects the impact at the first time, the motion detector detects that the first portion and the second portion remain in contact with each other from the first time to the second time.

6. The control terminal according to claim 5, wherein

when the impact detector momentarily detects the impact at a third time between the first time and the second time, the motion detector detects that a third portion of the body comes into contact with one of the first portion and the second portion which remain contact with each other.