Detecting a state of a wearable device

• US 9,719,871 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bahmandar, Ali-Reza, Blum, Jeremy Evan, Hebenstreit, Joseph John
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ-PREWIT, ROGER G
• Application Number:
  US14/570,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 73774
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2206 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An example method includes detecting a signal that represents a strain of a frame of a wearable computing device and causing the wearable computing device to perform a function based on the detected signal. The method may also include generating a representation of the detected signal, comparing the representation of the signal to a threshold value, and causing the wearable computing device to perform a function based on the comparison to the threshold value. An example wearable computing device and an example non-transitory computer readable medium related to the example method are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wearable computing device (WCD), the method comprising:

detecting a first amount of force applied to a frame of the WCD while the WCD is being worn;

determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame based on one or more of (i) receiving an input from a user interface of the WCD, (ii) detecting the presence of an eye of a wearer of the WCD, or (iii) receiving, from an accelerometer or a gyroscope of the WCD, data indicating that the WCD is being worn;

using the detected first amount of force to establish a range of force that corresponds to the WCD being worn;

after establishing the range of force, detecting a second amount of force applied to the frame;

comparing the detected second amount of force with the established range of force to determine that the detected second amount of force indicates that the WCD is being worn; and

in response to determining that the detected second amount of force indicates that the WCD is being worn, transitioning the WCD from a first state to a second state.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first state is a low-power state and the second state is a high-power state, and

wherein transitioning from the low-power state to the high-power state comprises displaying a lock screen in a display of the WCD.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first state is a low-power state and the second state is a high-power state, and

wherein transitioning from the low-power state to the high-power state comprises displaying a home screen in a display of the WCD.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the second amount of force comprises detecting an amount of force greater than or equal to the second amount of force for at least a first threshold amount of time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting an amount of force greater than or equal to the second amount of force for at least a second threshold amount of time that is greater than the first threshold amount of time; and

based on detecting the amount of force greater than or equal to the second force for at least the second threshold amount of time, transitioning the WCD from the second state to a third state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving the input from the user-interface of the WCD.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on detecting the presence of the eye of the wearer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving data from the accelerometer of the WCD indicating that the WCD is being worn.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving tactile input via the user-interface of the WCD;

detecting a third amount of force applied to the frame;

determining that the third amount of force, at least in part, represents a force applied to the frame via the received tactile input; and

refraining from changing a state of the WCD at least until determining that the WCD is no longer receiving the tactile input.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third amount of force applied to the frame;

based on a comparison of the established range of force and the detected third amount force, determining that the detected third amount of force indicates that the WCD is not being worn; and

in response to determining that the detected third amount of force indicates that the WCD is not being worn, transitioning the WCD from the second state to the first state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving data from the gyroscope of the WCD indicating that the WCD is being worn.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a wearable computing device (WCD), cause the WCD to perform functions comprising:

detecting a first amount of force applied to a frame of the WCD while the WCD is being worn;

determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame based on one or more of (i) receiving an input from a user interface of the WCD, (ii) detecting the presence of an eye of a wearer of the WCD, or (iii) receiving, from an accelerometer or a gyroscope of the WCD, data indicating that the WCD is being worn;

using the detected first amount of force to establish a range of force that corresponds to the WCD being worn;

after establishing the range of force, detecting a second amount of force applied to the frame;

comparing the detected second amount of force with the established range of force to determine that the detected second amount of force indicates that the WCD is being worn; and

in response to determining that the detected second amount of force indicates that the WCD is being worn, transitioning the WCD from a first state to a second state.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein detecting the second amount of force comprises detecting an amount of force greater than or equal to the second amount of force for at least a threshold amount of time.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving data from the accelerometer indicating that the WCD is being worn.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving data from the gyroscope indicating that the WCD is being worn.

16. A wearable computing device (WCD) comprising:

a frame;

a processor;

one or more of a user interface, an eye detection system, an accelerometer, or a gyroscope;

a strain gauge affixed to the frame; and

a computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the WCD to perform functions comprising;

detecting, via the strain gauge, a first amount of force applied to the frame while the WCD is being worn;

determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame based on one or more of (i) receiving an input from the user interface, (ii) detecting, via the eye detection system, the presence of an eye of a wearer of the WCD, or (iii) receiving, from the accelerometer or the gyroscope, data indicating that the WCD is being worn;

using the detected first amount of force to establish a range of force that corresponds to the WCD being worn;

after establishing the range of force, detecting, via the strain gauge, a second amount of force applied to the frame;

comparing the detected second amount of force with the established range of force to determine that the detected second amount of force indicates that the WCD is being worn; and

in response to determining that the detected second amount of force indicates that the WCD is being worn, transitioning the WCD from a first state to a second state.

17. The WCD of claim 16, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving the input from the user-interface.

18. The WCD of claim 16, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on detecting the presence of the eye of the wearer.

19. The WCD of claim 16, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving data from the accelerometer indicating that the WCD is being worn.

20. The WCD of claim 16, wherein determining that the WCD is being worn while the first amount of force is applied to the frame comprises determining that the WCD is being worn based on receiving data from the gyroscope indicating that the WCD is being worn.