Interactive lighting handshake

• US 9,872,356 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Thor, Chan, Melissa-Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alaeddini, Borna
• Application Number:
  US14/613,092
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

Example embodiments for interactive lighting handshakes are described herein. An example interactive system may detect a user in a position proximate to an interface of the system and responsively determine an area that encompasses the position of the user. The interactive system may further cause a light system to illuminate the determined area using a light handshake. In some instances, the interactive system may perform a lighting handshake by illuminating a given aspect of the interface of the system and subsequently extending the illumination in a visual presentation from the interface to further encompass the position of the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a computing device associated with a light system using one or more sensors associated with the computing device, a user in a position within a threshold distance from an interface of the computing device, wherein the interface of the computing device is a screen on a podium;

responsive to detecting the user, determining an area that encompasses the position of the user; and

causing, by the computing device, the light system to illuminate the determined area using a light handshake, wherein the light handshake comprises illuminating a given aspect of the interface of the computing device and subsequently extending the illumination in a visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the computing device to encompass the position of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in the position of the user above a threshold distance from the interface;

based on detecting the change in the position of the user above the threshold, causing the light system to stop illuminating the position of the user and subsequently stop illuminating the given aspect of the interface of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the user in the position proximate to the interface of the computing device comprises:

receiving, from one or more sensors associated with the computing device, sensor data indicative of a presence of the user; and

based on the sensor data, detecting the user in the position proximate to the interface of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light handshake comprises:

illuminating a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned on a ground surface around the position of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in the position of the user proximate to the computing device; and

based on detecting the change in the position of the user, causing the light system to adjust one or more parameters of the light handshake.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein causing the light system to adjust one or more parameters of the light handshake comprises:

causing the light system to adjust a color associated with the light handshake to signal position information to the user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein causing the light system to adjust one or more parameters of the light handshake comprises:

causing the light system to adjust the light handshake to position light around a new position of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the computing device, one or more signals in addition to the light handshake, wherein the one or more signals include one or both of an audio signal and a vibration signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the light handshake includes one or more color lights, wherein a given color light of the one or more color lights is indicative of control information associated with the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein extending the illumination in the visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the computing device to encompass the position of the user comprises:

modifying the illumination to illuminate an area between the given aspect of the system and the position of the user prior to illuminating the position of the user.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more sensors;

a light system; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform functions comprising;

detecting, using sensor data from the one or more sensors, a user in a position within a threshold distance from an interface of the system, wherein the interface of the system is a screen on a podium of the system;

responsive to detecting the user, determining an area that encompasses the position of the user; and

causing the light system to illuminate the determined area using a light handshake, wherein the light handshake comprises illuminating a given aspect of the interface of the system and subsequently extending the illumination in a visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the system to encompass the position of the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the light handshake comprises illuminating the given aspect of the computing device using one or more light beams, and

wherein subsequently extending the illumination in the visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the system to encompass the position of the user comprises:

extending the one or more light beams from the given aspect of the interface of the system towards the position of the user until the one or more light beams encompass the position of the user.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein extending the illumination in the visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the system to encompass the position of the user comprises:

illuminating additional areas between the given aspect of the interface of the system and the position of the user in a sequential order until the illumination extends from the given aspect of the interface of the system to encompass the position of the user.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a change in the position of the user above a threshold distance; and

based on detecting the change in the position of the user above the threshold distance, causing the light system to stop illuminating the determined area using the light handshake.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

detecting, using one or more sensors, a user in a position within a threshold distance from an interface of the computing device, wherein the interface of the computing device is configured to receive input from the user and the interface of the computing device is a screen on a podium;

responsive to detecting the user, determining an area that encompasses the position of the user; and

causing a light system to illuminate the determined area using a light handshake, wherein the light handshake comprises illuminating a given aspect of the interface of the computing device and subsequently extending the illumination in a visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the computing device to encompass the position of the user.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

causing the illumination to stretch and fade away as the user changes position above a threshold distance from the interface.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein extending the illumination in the visual presentation from the given aspect of the interface of the system to encompass the position of the user comprises:

illuminating additional areas between the given aspect of the interface of the system and the position of the user in a sequential order until the illumination extends from the given aspect of the interface of the system to encompass the position of the user.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the light handshake includes one or more color lights, wherein a given color light of the one or more color lights is indicative of control information associated with the computing device.