Detecting patterns with proximity sensors

• US 9,323,333 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Kashi, Ramanujan
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US12/639,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,323 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 3406911-6916, 327/517, 700/14, 700/15, 700/17, 700/19, 725/9, 725/10, 702/127, 705/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for displaying a message on a display according to a movement pattern of an object. The system first receives a first signal that indicates a presence of an object at a first location with respect to a display. Based on the first signal, the system then selects a message to display at the display. Finally, the system displays the message at the display based, at least in part, on a first temporal pattern associated with the first signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a processor, a series of binary signals, each binary signal in the series of binary signals indicating one of a presence or an absence of an object at a location with respect to a display;

based on a temporal pattern associated with the series of binary signals, determining movement patterns of a plurality of body parts of a person;

based on the movement patterns, determining an age estimation and a height estimation of the person;

selecting a message based on the movement patterns, the age estimation, and the height estimation; and

displaying the message on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of binary signals is a first series of binary signals and the temporal pattern is a first temporal pattern, the method further comprising:

receiving a second series of binary signals, each binary signal of the second series of binary signals indicating one of the presence or the absence of the object at a second location with respect to the display; and

selecting the message further based on a second temporal pattern associated with the second series of binary signals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a physical characteristic of the object based on the movement pattern; and

selecting the message further based on the physical characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying the message at a first subset of the display; and

shifting the message from the first subset of the display to a second subset of the display according to the movement pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of binary signals is received from one of a proximity detector, an infra-red detector, or an ultrasound detector.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of binary signals is received from an array of proximity detectors.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the physical characteristic is one of a height or an age.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a human.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the movement pattern is associated with one of a hand, a leg, or a neck of the human.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of binary signals is a first series of binary signals, wherein the object is a first object, wherein the location is a first location, wherein the temporal pattern is a first temporal pattern, wherein the movement pattern is a first movement pattern, and wherein the message is a first message, the method further comprising:

receiving a second series of binary signals, each binary signal in the second series of binary signals indicating one of a presence or an absence of the second object at a second location with respect to the display;

based on a second temporal pattern associated with the second series of binary signals, determining a second movement pattern of the second object;

selecting a second message based on the second movement pattern; and

displaying the second message concurrently with the first message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the temporal pattern associated with the series of binary signals, determining a movement pattern of the object;

determining a distance of the object from the display; and

adjusting a size of the message displayed according to the distance of the object from the display.

12. A system comprising:

a detector;

a display; and

a processor configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving a series of binary signals from the detector, each binary signal in the series of binary signals indicating one of a presence or an absence of an object at a location with respect to the display;

based on a temporal pattern associated with the series of binary signals, determining movement patterns of a plurality of body parts of a person;

based on the movement patterns, determining an age estimation and a height estimation of the person;

selecting a message based on the movement patterns, the age estimation, and the height estimation; and

displaying the message on the display.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the series of binary signals is a first series of binary signals and the temporal pattern is a first temporal pattern, and wherein the processor is configured to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a second series of binary signals that indicates one of the presence or the absence of the object at a second location with respect to the display; and

selecting the message further based on a second temporal pattern associated with the second series of binary signals.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to perform further operations comprising:

determining a physical characteristic of the object based on the movement pattern; and

selecting the message further based on the physical characteristic.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the physical characteristic is one of a height or an age.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the series of binary signals is received from one of a proximity detector, an array of proximity detectors, an infra-red detector, or an ultrasound detector.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the series of binary signals is a first series of binary signals, wherein the object is a first object, wherein the location is a first location, wherein the temporal pattern is a first temporal pattern, wherein the movement pattern is a first movement pattern, wherein the message is a first message, and wherein the processor is configured to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a second series of binary signals, each binary signal in the second series of binary signals indicating one of a presence or an absence of the second object at a second location with respect to the display;

based on a second temporal pattern associated with the second series of binary signals, determining a second movement pattern of the second object;

selecting a second message based on the second movement pattern; and

displaying the second message concurrently with the first message.

18. The system of claim 12, the processor configured to perform further operations comprising:

based on the temporal pattern associated with the series of binary signals, determining a movement pattern of the object;

determining a distance of the object from the display; and

adjusting a size of the message displayed according to the distance of the object from the display.