Gesture detection using ambient light sensors

• US 9,323,336 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mankowski, Peter, Sosnowski, Adam, Zawada, Krzysztof, Idzik, Jacek S., Geris, Ryan Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US13/932,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20150002385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345173-179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042

Abstract

A device and method to detect a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication with the device are described. The device includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors configured to measure light intensity at the respective surface location. The device also includes a processor configured to detect the gesture based on a comparison of the light intensity measured at each of the respective surface locations at two or more time instants or measurement cycles.

Claims

1. A device to detect a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication, the device comprising:

two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors configured to measure light intensity at the respective surface location; and

a processor configured to detect the gesture based on a comparison of the light intensity measured at each of the respective surface locations at two or more time instants or measurement cycles.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein two of the two or more ambient light sensors are aligned on a linear axis.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more ambient light sensors is offset from a linear axis common to two of the two or more ambient light sensors.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the two or more ambient light sensors are passive devices located under a glass surface of the device.

5. The device according to claim 1, the processor detects the gesture based additionally on a template including a set of known gestures.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor outputs a signal based on the gesture.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the processor associates the gesture with the signal based on an application being executed by the device, and the signal controls an aspect of the application.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a second processor configured to dynamically control the two or more ambient light sensors, the second processor modifying a wavelength range or spectral sensitivity of each of the two or more ambient light sensors or a sequence of operation of the two or more ambient light sensors.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the second processor dynamically controls the two or more ambient light sensors based on the light intensity measured by one or more of the two or more ambient light sensors.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the second processor dynamically controls the two or more ambient light sensors based on an application being executed by the device.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein three or more of the two or more ambient light sensors are at the respective surface locations, three of the three or more ambient light sensors being arranged in a triangular pattern.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the processor determines characteristics of the gesture based on the comparison at the respective surface locations of each of the three or more ambient light sensors at the two or more time instants or measurement cycles.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processor determines a direction of movement of the gesture as one of the characteristics of the gesture.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processor determines one or more of speed of the gesture, acceleration or deceleration of the gesture, or position of the object as one of the characteristics of the gesture.

15. A method of detecting a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication with a device, the method comprising:

measuring, using two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, light intensity at the respective surface locations;

comparing, using a processor, the light intensity at each of the respective surface locations at two or more time instants or measurement cycles to identify one or more characteristics of the gesture; and

detecting the gesture using the processor, based on the one or more characteristics.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the detecting the gesture includes comparing the one or more characteristics to characteristics of a set of known gestures in a template.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the processor associating the gesture with a signal based on an application being executed by the device and outputting the signal to the application, the signal controlling an aspect of the application.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising dynamically controlling the two or more ambient light sensors using a second processor, the dynamically controlling the two or more ambient light sensors including modifying a wavelength range or spectral sensitivity of each of the two or more ambient light sensors or a sequence of operation of the two or more ambient light sensors.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the dynamically controlling the two or more ambient light sensors is based on the light intensity measured by one or more of the two or more ambient light sensors.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the measuring the light intensity is with three or more of the two or more ambient light sensors, and three of the three or more ambient light sensors are arranged in a triangular pattern.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the comparing the light intensity measured by the three or more ambient light sensors results in the processor identifying a direction of movement of the gesture as one of the characteristics of the gesture.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the comparing the light intensity measured by the three or more ambient light sensors results in the processor identifying one or more of speed of the gesture, acceleration or deceleration of the gesture, or position of the object as one of the characteristics of the gesture.