Systems and methods for receiving gesture indicative data at a limb wearable

• US 9,219,975 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Holman, Pablos, Hyde, Roderick A., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US14/072,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/63.4, 455/66.1, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/134, 455/135, 455/334
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/203 for converged personal network application service interworking, e.g. OMA converged personal network services [CPNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include soliciting to provide to a limb wearable computing device from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures, the communication range being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary, the limb wearable computing device being designed to be worn around a limb of a user; and facilitating the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a functional device soliciting module configured to solicit, to provide to a limb wearable computing device that is designed to be worn around a limb of a user, gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device, the communication range of the limb wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary;

a gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices; and

a device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said functional device soliciting module configured to solicit, to provide to a limb wearable computing device that is designed to be worn around a limb of a user, gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device, the communication range of the limb wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device the gesture indicative data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device the gesture indicative data comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices the one or more low-power solicitation signals having one or more frequencies from a frequency band having a frequency range between 57 GHz and 64 GHz.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device the gesture indicative data comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide the gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide the gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide gesture indicative data in the form of one or more images of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device one or more confirmations via one or more confirmation signals that confirm that the one or more functional devices can provide gesture indicative data that indicates electrical activities of one or more user muscles and/or tendons that are indicative of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that when detected by the one or more functional devices causes the one or more functional devices to transmit to the limb wearable computing device the gesture indicative data comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that request the one or more functional devices to provide at least access to data collected through one or more sensors of the one or more functional devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that request the one or more functional devices to provide at least access to data collected through one or more sensors of the one or more functional devices comprises:

a low-power solicitation signal transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to the one or more functional devices one or more low-power solicitation signals that request the one or more functional devices to provide at least access to data collected through a combination of different types of sensors of the one or more functional devices including at least one image sensor and at least one electrical activity sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said functional device soliciting module configured to solicit, to provide to a limb wearable computing device that is designed to be worn around a limb of a user, gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device, the communication range of the limb wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary comprises:

a GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

11. The system of claim 10, wherein GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) comprises:

a GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more GUIs that includes one or more components that are selectable by a user via one or more user gestures.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more GUIs that includes one or more components that are selectable by a user via one or more user gestures comprises:

a GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more GUIs that includes one or more components that are selectable by a user via one or more user gestures, each of the one or more components being one or more selectable components for selecting for execution one or more corresponding applications.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more GUIs that includes one or more components that are selectable by a user via one or more user gestures comprises:

a GUI data transmit directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to transmit to at least one of the one or more functional devices one or more low-power signals embodying data for generating, by the at least one of the one or more functional devices when the at least one of the one or more functional devices receives the one or more low-power signals, one or more GUIs that include at least one virtual keyboard for entering input data.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said functional device soliciting module configured to solicit, to provide to a limb wearable computing device that is designed to be worn around a limb of a user, gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device, the communication range of the limb wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary comprises:

a nearby verifying module configured to verify that the one or more functional devices are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said nearby verifying module configured to verify that the one or more functional devices are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device comprises:

a nearby verifying module configured to verify that the one or more functional devices are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on one or more signals transmitted by the one or more functional devices and received by the limb wearable computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said nearby verifying module configured to verify that the one or more functional devices are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on one or more signals transmitted by the one or more functional devices and received by the limb wearable computing device comprises:

a beacon signal detection directing module configured to direct the limb wearable computing device to detect one or more beacon signals transmitted by the one or more functional devices and verifying that the one or more beacon signals upon being detected by the limb wearable computing device having one or more signal strengths that are greater than predefined amount of signal strength.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices comprises:

a data receive component directing module configured to direct one or more components of the limb wearable computing device to receive one or more data signals embodying the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said data receive component directing module configured to direct one or more components of the limb wearable computing device to receive one or more data signals embodying the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices comprises:

a directional antenna pointing module configured to point a directional antenna of the limb wearable computing device towards the one or more functional devices in order to receive the one or more data signals from the one or more functional devices.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices comprises:

an image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user gestures.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user gestures comprises:

an image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures comprises:

an image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures relative to one or more visual elements.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures relative to one or more visual elements comprises:

an image receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices one or more images of one or more user hand and/or arm gestures relative to one or more virtual elements that were displayed through at least one of the one or more functional devices.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices comprises:

a motion data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices motion data indicative of user movements related to one or more user gestures.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein said gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices comprises:

an electrical activity data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive from the one or more functional devices electrical activity data indicating one or more electrical activities of one or more user muscles and/or tendons that are associated with one or more user hand and/or arm gestures.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices comprises:

a gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from at least one wearable computing device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from at least one wearable computing device comprises:

a gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from at least one wearable computing device being worn by a user wearing the limb wearable computing device.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices comprises:

a device display control module configured to control what is being presented through a display of the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices comprises:

an application execution controlling module configured to control execution of one or more applications of the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices comprises:

a gesture interpreting module configured to interpret the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said gesture interpreting module configured to interpret the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data comprises:

a gesture interpreting module configured to interpret one or more hand and/or arm gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said gesture interpreting module configured to interpret the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data comprises:

a command deriving module configured to derive one or more commands based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said command deriving module configured to derive one or more commands based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data comprises:

a command deriving module configured to derive one or more application commands based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said command deriving module configured to derive one or more application commands based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data comprises:

a command deriving module configured to derive one or more chronometer application commands, calendar application commands, or personal information manager application commands based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein said gesture interpreting module configured to interpret the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data comprises:

an input data deriving module configured to derive application input data based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said input data deriving module configured to derive application input data based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data comprises:

an alphanumeric input data deriving module configured to derive alphanumeric input data based, at least in part, on the one or more user gestures indicated by the gesture indicative data.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices comprises:

a device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on hand gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices, the hand gesture indicative data indicating one or more hand and/or arm gestures.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices comprises:

a device transmit operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device to transmit data based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices.

38. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium bearing;

one or more instructions for soliciting, to provide to a limb wearable computing device that is designed to be worn around a limb of a user, gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device, the communication range of the limb wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary;

one or more instructions for facilitating the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices; and

one or more instructions for operating the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices.

39. A limb wearable computing device designed to be worn by a person, comprising:

a functional device soliciting module configured to solicit, to provide to a limb wearable computing device that is designed to be worn around a limb of a user, gesture indicative data that is indicative of one or more user gestures from one or more functional devices that are within the communication range of the limb wearable computing device, the communication range of the limb wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the limb wearable computing device and being externally defined by an enveloping boundary, where low-power signals transmitted by the limb wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary;

a gesture indicative data receive facilitating module configured to facilitate the limb wearable computing device to receive the gesture indicative data from the one or more functional devices;

a device operating module configured to operate the limb wearable computing device based, at least in part, on the gesture indicative data provided by the one or more functional devices; and

one or more components for facilitating the limb wearable computing device to couple to a limb of the person.