Devices for measuring finger motion and recognizing hand gestures

• US 9,891,718 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Inventors: Connor, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sejoon
• Application Number:
  US15/130,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20160313798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 667 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0266 Optical strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1125 Grasping motions of hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image

Abstract

This invention can be embodied in a wearable device or system for measuring finger motion and recognizing hand gestures comprising a distal loop which encircles the intermediate phalanx of a finger, a proximal loop which encircles the proximal phalanx of the finger, a joint-spanning strip which connects these two loops, and a bend sensor which is part of the joint-spanning strip. Changes in energy transmitted through, or generated by, the bend sensor are used to measure the motion and/or configuration of the proximal interphalangeal joint.

Claims

1. A wearable device for measuring finger motion comprising:

a bi-loop arcuate member further comprises;

a distal loop configured to encircle an intermediate phalanx of a finger;

a proximal loop configured to encircle a proximal phalanx of the finger; and

a joint-spanning strip configured to span a proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger,

wherein the joint-spanning strip spans from the distal loop to the proximal loop, and wherein the joint-spanning strip bends when the proximal interphalangeal joint bends;

wherein the joint-spanning strip is configured to span a dorsal surface of the proximal interphalangeal joint, wherein the distal and proximal loops are less elastic and/or stretchable than the joint-spanning strip, and wherein the distal and proximal loops are configured to encircle the intermediate phalanx and the proximal phalanx of the finger around the longitudinal middle of the phalanges of the finger; and

a bend sensor attached to the joint-spanning strip, wherein the bend sensor is configured to span the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger,

wherein the bend sensor is an electromagnetic energy band sensor, wherein the bend sensor configured to detect bending as the finger moves, and wherein the detected bending changes flow of electromagnetic energy, and wherein the changes of the flow of the electromagnetic energy are used to measure the motion and configuration of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein the distal and proximal loops are rings.

3. A wearable device for measuring finger motion comprising:

a bi-loop arcuate member further comprises;

a distal loop configured to encircle an intermediate phalanx of a finger;

a proximal loop configured to encircle a proximal phalanx of the finger; and

a joint-spanning strip configured to span a proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger, wherein the joint-spanning strip spans from the distal loop to the proximal loop, wherein the joint-spanning strip bends when the proximal interphalangeal joint bends, wherein the joint-spanning strip is configured to span a dorsal surface of the proximal interphalangeal joint, wherein the distal and proximal loops are less elastic and/or stretchable than the joint-spanning strip, and wherein the distal and proximal loops are configured to encircle the intermediate phalanx and the proximal phalanx of the finger around the longitudinal middle of the phalanges of the finger; and

a bend sensor attached to the joint-spanning strip, wherein the bend sensor is configured to span at least a portion of the proximal interphalangeal joint,

wherein the bend sensor is an electromagnetic energy band sensor, wherein the bend sensor configured to detect bending as the finger moves, and wherein the detected bending changes flow of electromagnetic energy, and wherein the changes of the flow of the electromagnetic energy are used to measure the motion and configuration of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger; and

an inertial motion sensor.

4. The device in claim 3, wherein the inertial motion sensor is part of, or attached to, the bi-loop arcuate member.

5. The device in claim 3, wherein the inertial motion sensor is configured to be removably attached to a finger nail.

6. The device in claim 3, wherein the changes in electromagnetic energy generated by movement of the bend sensor and movement of the inertial motion sensor are jointly analyzed to model the motion and configuration of the proximal interphalangeal joint.

7. The device in claim 3, wherein the changes in the flow of electromagnetic energy through the bend sensor and movement of the inertial motion sensor are jointly analyzed to model the motion and configuration of the proximal interphalangeal joint.

8. A wearable device for measuring finger motion comprising:

a bi-loop arcuate member further comprises;

a distal loop configured to encircle an intermediate phalanx of a finger;

a proximal loop configured to encircle a proximal phalanx of the finger; and

a joint-spanning strip configured to span a proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger, wherein the joint-spanning strip spans from the distal loop to the proximal loop, and wherein the joint-spanning strip bends when the proximal interphalangeal joint bends;

wherein the joint-spanning strip is configured to span a dorsal surface of the proximal interphalangeal joint, wherein the distal and proximal loops are less elastic and/or stretchable than the joint-spanning strip, and wherein the distal and proximal loops are configured to encircle the intermediate phalanx and the proximal phalanx of the finger around the longitudinal middle of the phalanges of the finger; and

a bend sensor attached to the joint-spanning strip, wherein the bend sensor is configured to span the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger, wherein the bend sensor is an electromagnetic energy band sensor, wherein the bend sensor configured to detect bending as the finger moves, and wherein the detected bending changes flow of electromagnetic energy, and wherein the changes of the flow of the electromagnetic energy are used to measure the motion and configuration of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger; and

an inertial motion sensor configured to be removably attached to a finger nail.

9. The device in claim 8, wherein the inertial motion sensor is directly attached to a finger nail by adhesion.

10. The device in claim 8, wherein the device further comprises a base member configured to be attached to the finger nail and to the inertial motion sensor is removably attached.

11. The device in claim 10, wherein the base member comprises a groove, opening, and/or hole, wherein the inertial motion sensor is removably inserted into the base member through at least one of the groove, opening, and hole.

12. The device in claim 10, wherein the base member comprises a snap, clip, and/or clasp, wherein at least one of the snap, clip and clasp is used to removably attach the inertial motion sensor to the base member.

13. The device in claim 10, wherein the base member comprises a hook, pin, button, plug, and/or magnet, wherein at least one of the hook, pin, button, plug and magnet is used to removably attach the inertial motion sensor to the base member.

14. The device in claim 8, wherein the device further comprises a first base member configured to be attached to a finger nail and a second base member configured to be attached to the finger nail, wherein the inertial motion sensor is removably inserted between the first base member and the second base member.