Detection of gesture data segmentation in mobile devices

• US 9,811,255 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Raffa, Giuseppe, Graumann, David L., Krishnamurthy, Lakshman, Williams, Jameson H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faragalla, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/996,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Detection of gesture data segmentation in mobile devices. An embodiment of a mobile device includes an edge, the edge including at least a first side, and a first touch sensor of one or more touch sensors, the first touch sensor being a side touch sensor to detect contact with the first side of the mobile device. The mobile device further includes one or more motion detection elements to generate motion data representing motion of the mobile device through space over a period of time, a buffer for the storage of the motion data, and a gesture recognition module to interpret the motion data stored in the buffer, wherein the mobile device begins the storage of the motion data in the buffer upon detection of a start of gesture data event, the start of gesture data event including contact with the first touch sensor.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an edge, the edge including at least a first side and a second side, the second side being opposite the first side;

a first touch sensor of a plurality of touch sensors, the first touch sensor being a side touch sensor to detect contact with the first side of the mobile device;

a second touch sensor of the plurality of touch sensors, the second touch sensor being a side touch sensor to detect contact with the second side of the mobile device;

one or more motion detection elements to generate motion data representing motion of the mobile device through space over a period of time;

a buffer for the storage of the motion data; and

a gesture recognition module to interpret the motion data stored in the buffer;

wherein the mobile device is to begin the storage of the motion data for a first gesture in the buffer upon detection of a start of gesture data event at a first time, the mobile device being in a first position in space at the first time, the start of gesture data event including contact with at least the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to indicate a grasp of the mobile device with either the right hand or the left hand of a user, and the mobile device is to halt at a second time the storage of motion data for the first gesture upon the detection of an end of gesture data event, the mobile device being in a second position in space at the second time, the end of gesture event including a release of contact with at least one of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor;

wherein motion of the mobile device includes movement of the mobile device in any direction through space from the first position to the second position;

wherein interpretation of the motion data includes the gesture recognition module to normalize the motion data for the first gesture as motion data for a gesture performed by moving the mobile device through space from the first position to the second position with the mobile device being grasped with either the left hand or the right hand of the user depending on whether the left hand or right hand is detected grasping the mobile device in the start of gesture data event.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the start of gesture data event at the first time includes a contact of a thumb or other finger of the user with either the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor and a contact of one or more other fingers of the user with the other of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second side is an opposite side to the first side.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the end of gesture data event at the second time further includes a gesture performed by a user on or across either the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a clock element to determine the passage of time, wherein the mobile device utilizes a passage of time determined by the clock element to establish a time out condition to end collection of motion data.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a motion detection module, wherein, in response to the detection of the end of gesture event at the second time, the motion detection module is to determine whether the motion data in the buffer is indicative of a motion through space for a gesture, and, if so, to trigger operation of the gesture recognition module.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more motion detection elements includes one or more of an accelerometer element and a gyroscope element.

19. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein motion of the mobile device includes rotation of the mobile device in relation to any axis point.

20. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is currently in motion at the first time.

8. A method comprising:

detecting a start of gesture data event at a first time for a mobile device, the mobile device being in a first position in space at the first time, the mobile device including at least a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor, the start of gesture data event including contact with at least the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to indicate a grasp of the mobile device with either the right hand or the left hand of a user;

collecting motion data generated by one or more motion detection elements of the mobile device for a first gesture, the motion data representing motion of the mobile device through space over a period of time;

storing the collected motion data for the first gesture in a buffer;

detecting an end of gesture data event at a second time, the mobile device being in a second position in space at the second time, motion of the mobile device including movement of the mobile device in any direction through space from the first position to the second position, the end of gesture event including a release of contact with at least one of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor, and halting the collection of motion data; and

interpreting the motion data stored in the buffer using a gesture detection module, wherein interpreting the motion data includes normalizing the motion data for the first gesture as motion data for a gesture performed by moving the mobile device through space from the first position to the second position with the mobile device being grasped with either the left hand or the right hand of the user depending on whether the left hand or right hand is detected grasping the mobile device in the start of gesture data event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the start of gesture data event at the first time includes a contact of a thumb or other finger of the user with either the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor and a contact of one or more other fingers of the user with the other of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the end of gesture data event at the second time further includes a gesture performed by a user on or across either the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising measuring a passage of time and establishing a time out condition to end collection of motion data if the passage of time is greater than a predetermined length of time.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to detection of the end of gesture event, evaluating the motion data and determining by a motion detection module whether the motion data in the buffer is indicative of a motion for a gesture using a motion detection algorithm, and, if so, triggering the gesture recognition module to commence the interpretation of the motion data.

18. The medium of claim 8, further including instructions for:

in response to detection of the end of gesture event at the second time, evaluating the motion data and determining by a motion detection module whether the motion data in the buffer is indicative of a motion for a gesture using a motion detection algorithm, and, if so, triggering the gesture recognition module to commence the interpretation of the motion data.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors including a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor to detect contact of a user with the touch sensors;

an accelerometer to detect acceleration of the system and a gyroscope to detect rotation of the system, the accelerometer and gyroscope to generate motion data representing motion of the system through space over a period of time;

a buffer for storage of the motion data generated by the accelerometer and gyroscope;

a motion detection module to evaluate the motion data stored in the buffer; and

a gesture recognition module to interpret the motion data stored in the buffer;

wherein the system is to begin the storage of the motion data for a first gesture in the buffer upon detection of a start of gesture data event at a first time, the system being in a first position in space at the first time, the start of gesture data event including contact of the user with at least the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to indicate a grasp of the system with either the right hand or the left hand of a user, and the system is to halt the storage of motion data for the first gesture upon the detection of an end of gesture data event at a second time, the end of gesture event including a release of contact with at least one of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor;

wherein motion of the system includes movement of the system in any direction through space from the first position to the second position;

wherein interpretation of the motion data includes the gesture recognition module to normalize the motion data for the first gesture as motion data for a gesture performed by moving the system through space from the first position to the second position with the system being grasped with either the left hand or the right hand of the user depending on whether the left hand or right hand is detected grasping the system in the start of gesture data event.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the start of gesture data event at the first time includes a contact of a thumb or other finger of user with either the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor and a contact of one or more other fingers of the user with the other of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the end of gesture data event at the second time further includes a gesture performed by a user on or across either the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a motion detection module, wherein, in response to the detection of the end of gesture event at the second time, the motion detection module is to determine whether the motion data in the buffer is indicative of a motion for a gesture, and, if so, to trigger operation of the gesture recognition module.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a start of gesture data event at a first time for a mobile device, the mobile device being in a first position in space at the first time, the mobile device including at least a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor, the start of gesture data event including contact with at least the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor to indicate a grasp of the mobile device with either the right hand or the left hand of a user;

collecting motion data generated by one or more motion detection elements of the mobile device for a first gesture, the motion data representing motion of the mobile device through space over a period of time;

storing the collected motion data for the first gesture in a buffer;

detecting an end of gesture data event at a second time, the mobile device being in a second position in space at the second time, motion of the mobile device including movement of the mobile device in any direction through space from the first position to the second position, the end of gesture event including a release of contact with at least one of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor, and halting the collection of motion data; and

interpreting the motion data stored in the buffer using a gesture detection module, wherein interpreting the motion data includes normalizing the motion data for the first gesture as motion data for a gesture performed by moving the mobile device through space from the first position to the second position with the mobile device being grasped with either the left hand or the right hand of the user depending on whether the left hand or right hand is detected grasping the mobile device in the start of gesture data event.