Device for gestural control of a system, and associated method

• US 9,874,937 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Movea
• Original Assignee: Movea
• Inventors: Aujay, Guillaume, Soubeyrat, Cyrille
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMPSON, LIXI CHOW
• Application Number:
  US14/370,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A device (DISP) for gestural control of a system (SYST) includes a grippable mobile control element (TC), a movement sensor assembly (EC) for measuring movements of the mobile control element (TC), and a processing circuit (DET) for detection the rotation or translation of the mobile control element in relation to an axis that is substantially invariant over a time window. The device (DISP) also includes a circuit (REG) for adjusting the value of at least one parameter of the system, and a circuit (CMD) for controlling activation/deactivation of the adjustment upon a detection by the detection circuit (DET) of a rotation and/or translation of the mobile control element in relation to an axis that is substantially invariant over a time window.

Claims

1. A device for gestural control of a system, the device comprising:

a grippable mobile control element,

a movement sensor assembly configured to measure movements of said mobile control element,

a detection module configured to detect a rotation or a translation of said mobile control element in relation to an axis that is substantially invariant over a time window, said rotation or said translation of said mobile control element including a first phase and a second phase,

an adjustment module configured to adjust a value of at least one parameter of said system during said second phase of said rotation or said translation, and

a control module configured to activate during said first phase said adjustment module upon said detection module detecting said rotation or said translation of said mobile control element is in relation to an axis that is substantially invariant over a time window.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection module is configured to detect a rotation or a translation of said mobile control element is in relation to a substantially invariant axis by comparing a parameter representative of the movement of said mobile control element with a threshold.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control module is configured to activate a module different from said adjustment module in the absence of detection by said detection module of a rotation or a translation of said mobile control element in relation to an axis which is substantially invariant over a time window.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said module different from said adjustment module comprises a gesture recognition mode.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said detection module is configured to modify said threshold after at least one gesture has triggered the gesture recognition mode, for which a maximum value of said representative parameter is not included in a span of percentages of values of said threshold.

6. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said detection module is configured to modify said threshold after detection of at least one gesture having activated the adjustment module, a duration of activation of the adjustment module being less than a limit duration.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said time window is a sliding window.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module is configured to determine the presence of a significant movement over said time window on the basis of a calculation of a value of a variable representative of said movement and of a comparison of said value with a threshold.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module is configured to deliver as output values of parameters characterizing said detected axis of rotation or translation.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said detection module is configured to use singular-value decomposition.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said control module is configured to associate the adjustment module with at least one parameter of the system during said second phase of said rotation or said translation as a function of said values of parameters characterizing said detected axis of rotation or translation, and of defined values corresponding to at least one predefined axis of rotation or translation.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said detection module is further configured to deliver as output a value of a parameter representative of an amplitude of the rotation or translation movement in relation to the detected axis, and

said control module is further configured to control an intensity of adjustment on the at least one parameter of the system as a function of said amplitude or said amplitudes detected by said detection module.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movement sensor assembly comprises a sensor to measure angular positions, angular speeds of rotation, or angular accelerations in relation to at least two axes.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movement sensor assembly comprises a sensor to measure linear positions, linear speeds, or linear accelerations in relation to at least two axes.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module is configured to use absolute values of data provided by said movement sensor assembly in place of said data provided by said movement sensor assembly.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module is configured to detect a rotation or a translation in relation to an axis that is substantially invariant over said time window on the basis of a calculation of a proportion of amplitudes of movements of each axis relative to an amplitude of overall movement.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said detection module is configured to detect a rotation or a translation in relation to an axis utilizing an average or a median in relation to each axis of the sensor assembly, and a comparison of a function of said average or median with an interval of values.

18. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said detection module is further configured to:

calculate, over said time window, an average or a median or a low-pass filtering in relation to each axis, of angular speeds of rotation or of linear speeds;

calculate, over said window, a sum of absolute values of axial averages;

calculate proportions by a ratio between the axial averages and said sum of the absolute values of the axial averages; and

deliver as output of tests, a first value if all said tests are positive, and a second value, different from the first value, otherwise.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said detection module is further configured to test whether each axial average is greater than an axial minimum threshold, and whether each axial average belongs to a value interval dependent on the detected axis.

20. The device as claimed in claims 18, wherein said detection module is further configured to process said test results so as to improve detection of single axis movement as a function of time.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said processing of said test result comprises:

applying a low-pass filtering to said test results;

comparing output of the low-pass filtering with a minimum threshold; and

detecting a rotation of said sensor assembly in relation to a single axis when the output of the low-pass filtering exceeds said minimum threshold at least once during a current activation of said adjustment module.

22. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said detection module is further configured to:

calculate, over said time window, a statistical variance of measurements, in relation to each axis of measurement of said movement sensor; and

test whether each axial statistical variance is less than an axial maximum threshold.

23. A method of gestural control for a system comprising a grippable mobile control element and a movement sensor assembly adapted for measuring movements of said mobile control element, the method comprising:

detecting, over a time window, a rotation or a translation of said mobile control element in relation to a substantially invariant axis, said rotation or said translation of said mobile control element including a first phase and a second phase;

adjusting a value of at least one parameter of said system during said second phase, and

controlling activation of said adjustment so as to activate during said first phase said adjustment upon a detection of said rotation or said translation of said mobile control element being in relation to an axis which is substantially invariant over the time window.