Systems and methods for performing multi-touch operations on a head-mountable device

• US 9,804,682 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Chun Yat Frank, Raffle, Hayes Solos
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US15/012,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 345 8, 345173174, 345156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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: 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may provide a configuration of input interfaces used to perform multi-touch operations. An example device may involve: (a) a housing arranged on a head-mountable device, (b) a first input interface arranged on either a superior or an inferior surface of the housing, (c) a second input interface arranged on a surface of the housing that is opposite to the first input interface, and (d) a control system configured to: (1) receive first input data from the first input interface, where the first input data corresponds to a first input action, and in response, cause a camera to perform a first operation in accordance with the first input action, and (2) receive second input data from the second input interface, where the second input data corresponds to a second input action(s) on the second input interface, and in response, cause the camera to perform a second operation.

Claims

1. A head-wearable device comprising:

a glasses-style frame of the head-wearable device comprising a side-arm configured to be positioned adjacent to a head when the head-wearable device is worn;

a first input interface arranged on a first surface of the side-arm;

a second input interface arranged on a second surface of the side-arm opposite the first input interface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged as an inferior surface and a superior surface of the side-arm, respectively, when the glasses-style head-wearable device is worn, such that the first surface and the second surface are positioned to receive input data from a thumb and another finger on a same hand as the thumb, respectively, when the glasses-style head-wearable device is worn; and

a control system configured to;

receive first input data from the first input interface, and responsive to the receipt of the first input data, cause a camera associated with the head-wearable device to perform a first camera operation in accordance with the first input action;

receive second input data from the second input interface, and responsive to the receipt of the second input data, cause the camera to perform a second camera operation that is different from the first camera operation; and

receive third input data comprising a combination of input data from the first and second input interface, and responsive to the receipt of the third input data, cause the camera to perform a third camera operation that is different from the first and second camera operations, wherein the third input data corresponds to an interaction with the inferiorly-arranged first surface by the thumb and a contemporaneous interaction with the superiorly-arranged second surface by a single other finger on the same hand as the thumb.

2. The head-wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first input interface is one of a button, a touch sensor, a rocker, a dial, a slider, and a multi-state sensor.

3. The head-wearable device of claim 1, wherein the second input interface is one of a button, a touch sensor, a rocker, a dial, a slider, and a multi-state sensor.

4. The head-wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first camera operation comprises adjusting a volume level of a speaker of the head-wearable device.

5. The head-wearable device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

operate in a first mode; and

receive preliminary data that corresponds to a preliminary input action, and responsive to the receipt of the preliminary data, cause the control system to operate in a second mode.

6. The head-wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of gestures is one of a finger roll, a finger rub, a finger swipe, a finger pinch, and a prolonged touch.

7. The head-wearable device of claim 1, wherein the input devices comprise one or more fingers of the hand.

8. A method comprising:

receiving first input data from a first input interface that corresponds to a first input action that is one or more of a first plurality of gestures, wherein the first input interface is arranged on first surface of a side-arm of a glasses-style head-wearable device;

receiving second input data from a second input interface that corresponds to a second input action, wherein the second input interface is arranged on a second surface of the side-arm that is opposite the first input interface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged as an inferior surface and a superior surface of the side-arm, respectively, when the glasses-style head-wearable device is worn, such that the first surface and the second surface are positioned to receive input from a thumb and another finger on a same hand as the thumb, respectively, when the head-wearable device is worn;

responsive to the receipt of the first input data, causing a camera associated with the head-wearable device to perform a first camera operation in accordance with the first input action;

responsive to the receipt of the second input data, causing the camera to perform a second camera operation that is different from the first camera operation;

receiving third input data comprising a combination of input data from the first and second input interface, wherein the third input data corresponds to an interaction with the inferiorly-arranged first surface by the thumb and a contemporaneous interaction with the superiorly-arranged second surface by a single other finger on the same hand as the thumb; and

responsive to the receipt of the third input data, causing the camera to perform a third camera operation that is different from the first and second camera operations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first camera operation comprises adjusting a volume level of a speaker of the head-wearable device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of gestures is one of a finger roll, a finger rub, a finger swipe, a finger pinch, and a prolonged touch.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of gestures is one of a finger roll, a finger rub, a finger swipe, and a prolonged touch.

12. A non-transitory computer readable memory having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving first input data from a first input interface that corresponds to a first input action that is one or more of a first plurality of gestures, wherein the first input interface is arranged on first surface of a side-arm of a glasses-style head-wearable device;

receiving second input data from a second input interface that corresponds to a second input action, wherein the second input interface is arranged on a second surface of the side-arm that is opposite the first input interface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged as an inferior surface and a superior surface of the side-arm, respectively, when the glasses-style head-wearable device is worn, such that the first surface and the second surface are positioned to receive input from a thumb and another finger on a same hand as the thumb, respectively, when the head-wearable device is worn;

responsive to the receipt of the first input data, causing a camera associated with the head-wearable device to perform a first camera operation in accordance with the first input action;

responsive to the receipt of the second input data, causing the camera to perform a second camera operation that is different from the first camera operation;

receiving third input data comprising a combination of input data from the first and second input interface, wherein the third input data corresponds to an interaction with the inferiorly-arranged first surface by the thumb and a contemporaneous interaction with the superiorly-arranged second surface by a single other finger on the same hand as the thumb; and

responsive to the receipt of the third input data, causing the camera to perform a third camera operation that is different from the first and second camera operations.

13. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of gestures is one of a finger roll, a finger rub, a finger swipe, a finger pinch, and a prolonged touch.

14. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 12, wherein the input devices comprise one or more fingers of the hand.