User interfaces for wearable computers

• US 9,223,494 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, John T., Koenck, Steven E., Jensen, David W., DeSalvo, Christopher D., Becker, Karl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reed, Stephen T
• Application Number:
  US13/560,926
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method for operating a wearable computer using a user interface system having a touch pad includes changing the behavior of the wearable computer in direct response to gestures received at the touch pad. The gestures are not used for graphical user interface selections and are not used for cursor operations but rather directly invoke communication, navigation, machinery operation, or other primary device features or operations.

Claims

1. A computerized method for operating a wearable computer using a user interface system having a touch pad, comprising:

receiving a sensor input, wherein the sensor input relates to at least one of an environment condition, a pulse sensor reading, a motion sensor reading, or a user status;

determining whether a gesture received at the touch pad makes sense in a current mode;

determining whether the gesture received at the touch pad makes sense in a second mode, other than the current mode, based on the sensor input; and

changing the behavior of the wearable computer in response to the gesture received at the touch pad and the sensor input and based on the gesture making sense in the second mode and the gesture not making sense in the current mode, wherein changing the behavior of the wearable computer comprises changing modes from the current mode to the second mode, and wherein the gesture is not used for a graphical user interface operation and is not used for a cursor operation; and

executing an operation in response to the received gesture, wherein the operation is executed based on not receiving a confirmation from the user for a threshold time period after prompting the user for confirmation and determining that the user is moving during the threshold time period based on the sensor input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the changed behavior of the wearable computer is at least one of a navigation behavior and a communications behavior.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the behavior of the wearable computer comprises:

preparing and sending a wireless message in direct response to a received gesture, without the wireless message having been selected from a visual or audible menu.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a second gesture with a menu selection; and

providing an audible menu selection confirmation via an audio output device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the behavior of the wearable computer comprises associating a received gesture with at least one of wearable computer activities comprising:

(a) push to talk,

(b) change network,

(c) toggle microphone on/off,

(d) mark navigation waypoint,

(e) broadcast current position to team or command,

(f) request instructions to next waypoint,

(g) request medic, and

(h) transmit status.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein sensor input indicates a medical issue with the user, and wherein the second mode relates to emergency or medical related commands.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein sensor input indicates a current user environment is outside normal operating parameters, and wherein the second mode relates to a communications behavior relating to the current user environment.

6. A method for operating a wearable computer using a user interface system having a touch pad, comprising:

receiving signals from the touch pad and recognizing the received touch pad signals as a gesture;

determining whether the gesture relates to a critical function;

in response to determining that the gesture does not relate to a critical function, executing an operation relative to an operational menu for the wearable computer in response to the recognized gesture, wherein the executed operation is not a graphical user interface operation and is not a cursor operation;

in response to determining that the gesture does relate to a critical function, prompting the user for confirmation and waiting to receive confirmation before executing the operation;

in response to not receiving a confirmation from the user for a threshold time period and determining that the user is running during the threshold time period, executing the operation; and

outputting feedback in response to the executed operation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing the operation relative to the operational menu for the wearable computer comprises causing the wearable computer to transmit a pre-stored communication message for consumption by another user device on a network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message comprises at least one of:

(a) hold,

(b) progress,

(c) caution,

(d) target found, and

(e) come to my location.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a pre-stored communication message from another user device on the network; and

causing the playback of the pre-stored communication message on an audio output device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the output feedback is at least one of audio feedback and video feedback.

19. The method of claim 6, wherein the critical function comprises at least one of:

(a) commanding movement of other soldiers of a unit,

(b) relaying that a user is in position to attack, and

(c) commanding an attack.

20. The method of claim 6, further comprising in response to receiving at least one of a negative feedback to the prompt for confirmation and the waiting for confirmation exceeding a predetermined amount of time, ignoring the gesture relating to the critical function.

11. A user interface system for a wearable computer, comprising:

a touch pad comprising a display screen;

a wireless transceiver physically coupled to the touch pad and configured to provide signals from the touch pad to a core of the wearable computer, the core of the wearable computer being worn on a first user body part and the touch pad being worn on a second user body part, the second user body part being a user body part other than the first user body part; and

non-transient computer readable media on the touch pad or on the wearable computer, the non-transient computer readable media storing;

(a) a hierarchy of gestures corresponding with a hierarchical menu of options for the wearable computer;

(b) executable computer code for interpreting signals received from the touch pad as input gestures and for causing navigation through the hierarchical menu of options for the wearable computer by comparing the input gestures to the hierarchy of gestures; and

(c) executable computer code for executing an operation in response to the input gestures, wherein the operation is executed based on not receiving a confirmation from the user for a threshold time period after prompting the user for confirmation and determining that the user is moving during the threshold time period based on a sensor input.

12. The user interface system of claim 11, wherein the user interface system is not configured to allow cursor-based input to the wearable computer using the touch pad.

13. A user interface device, comprising:

a touch pad comprising a display screen, the touch pad coupled to a rifle stock;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the touch pad and configured to send commands to a controlled device, wherein the controlled device comprises a primary wearable computer core configured to be worn on one of a first user body part, a second user body part, and a third user body part;

circuitry for interpreting touch pad gestures as at least one of communication and navigation commands for the controlled device; and

circuitry for executing an operation in response to the touch pad gestures, wherein the operation is executed based on not receiving a confirmation from the user for a threshold time period after prompting the user for confirmation and determining that the user is moving during the threshold time period based on a sensor input;

wherein the commands are not cursor commands or graphical user interface operations.

21. The user interface device of claim 13, wherein the first user body part comprises a torso.

14. A wearable computer, comprising:

a wearable computer core;

a flexible touch pad comprising a display screen, the touch pad configured to receive touch inputs and gestures for controlling the wearable computer core;

a first coupling mechanism that straps or surrounds a first user body part and the flexible touch pad is configured to be removably coupled to the first coupling mechanism;

a second coupling mechanism that straps or surrounds a second user body part and the flexible touch pad is configured to be removably coupled to the second coupling mechanism; and

at least one processor coupled with a non-transitory processor-readable medium storing processor-executable code for causing the at least one processor to execute an operation in response to at least one of a touch input and gesture, wherein the operation is executed based on not receiving a confirmation from the user for a threshold time period after prompting the user for confirmation and determining that the user is moving during the threshold time period based on a sensor input;

wherein the wearable computer core is worn on a fourth user body part, the fourth user body part being a user body part other than the first user body part or the second user body part; and

wherein the flexible touch pad is configured to be selectively removed from the first coupling mechanism and coupled to the second coupling mechanism.

15. The wearable computer of claim 14, wherein the first coupling mechanism is an arm band and the second coupling mechanism is a chest harness.

16. The wearable computer of claim 14, further comprising a third coupling mechanism that couples the wearable computer core to a third user body part, the third user body part being a user body part other than the first user body part, the second user body part, or the fourth user body part.