Electronic device including three-dimensional gesture detecting display

• US 9,335,922 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gu, Huanhuan, Warden, James Paul, Sheynman, Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US13/743,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20140198073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/158, 342/26.B, 342/113, 342/59, 342/52, 382/154, 382/103, 340/10.52, 463/39
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects

Abstract

An electronic device includes a display, a plurality of antennae arranged and constructed to emit a signal and to receive backscatter from the signal, and a processor operably coupled to the antennae to utilize the received backscatter to detect location and at least one of size and shape of an object spaced from the display.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a dielectric substrate disposed on the display;

a plurality of antennae including a plurality of transmit antennae disposed on a first side of the substrate disposed on the display and arranged and constructed to emit radio waves, and a plurality of receive antennae disposed in an array on a second side of the substrate disposed on the display to receive backscatter from the radio waves such that the transmit antennae and receive antennae are disposed on opposite surfaces of the dielectric substrate and the transmit antennae and receive antennae and the substrate are all disposed on the display;

a processor operably coupled to the plurality of antennae to utilize the received backscatter to;

detect voltage at each of the receive antennae disposed in the array on the display; and

based on which ones of the plurality of receive antennae disposed in the array at which voltage changes are detected, detect location of an object spaced from the display, size of the object, and shape of the object;

identify the object based on the size of the object and the shape of the object;

determine at least one attribute of a gesture including at least one of gesture speed, gesture shape, or gesture direction based on repeatedly detecting the location of the object;

identify the gesture based on the object identified and the at least one attribute of the gesture; and

identify a command associated with the gesture.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged and constructed to:

compare the gesture to known gestures to identify the command associated with the gesture.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the radio waves comprise micro waves.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the backscatter comprises a received signal from which at least one of an electric field or a magnetic field is determined.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennae are arranged in an antenna array.

6. A method of detecting an object spaced from a display of an electronic device, comprising:

emitting radio waves from a plurality of transmit antennae disposed on a first side of a substrate disposed on a display of the electronic device and receiving backscatter at a plurality of receive antennae disposed in an array on a second side of the substrate disposed on the display of the electronic device, such that the transmit antennae and receive antennae are disposed on opposite surfaces of the dielectric substrate and the transmit antennae and receive antennae and the substrate are all disposed on the display;

utilizing the received backscatter to;

detect voltage at each of the receive antennae disposed in the array on the display; and

based on which ones of the plurality of receive antennae disposed in the array at which voltage changes are detected, detect location of the object spaced from the display, size of the object, and shape of the object;

identify the object based on the size of the object and the shape of the object;

determine at least one attribute of a gesture including at least one of gesture speed, gesture shape, or gesture direction based on repeatedly detecting the location of the object;

identify the gesture based on the object identified and the at least one attribute of the gesture; and

identify a command associated with the gesture.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the processor is arranged and constructed to compare the gesture to known gestures to identify the command.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the backscatter comprises a received signal from which an electric field and a magnetic field is determined.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein emitting radio waves from and receiving backscatter at a plurality of antennae comprises emitting the radio waves from a plurality of transmit antennae on the display and receiving backscatter at a plurality of receive antennae on the display.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-readable code stored thereon, the computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to:

cause a plurality of transmit antennae disposed on a first side of a substrate disposed on a display of the portable electronic device to emit radio waves and a plurality of receive antennae disposed in an array on a second side of the substrate disposed on the display to receive backscatter, such that the transmit antennae and receive antennae are disposed on opposite surfaces of the dielectric substrate and the transmit antennae and receive antennae and the substrate are all disposed on the display; and

utilize the received backscatter to;

detect voltage at each of the receive antennae disposed in the array on the display; and

based on which ones of the plurality of receive antennae disposed in the array at which voltage changes are detected, detect location of the object spaced from the display, size of the object, and shape of the object;

identify the object based on the size of the object and the shape of the object;

determine at least one attribute of a gesture including at least one of gesture speed, gesture shape, or gesture direction based on repeatedly detecting the location of the object;

identify the gesture based on the object identified and the at least one attribute of the gesture; and

identify a command associated with the gesture.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device according to claim 10, wherein the radio waves comprise micro waves.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device according to claim 10, wherein the backscatter comprises a received signal from which at least one of an electric field or a magnetic field is determined.