Methods, systems, and apparatuses to display visibility changes responsive to user gestures

• US 9,952,675 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Pantelopoulos, Alexandros, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Panther, Heiko Gernot Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Application Number:
  US14/746,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/026 Arrangements or methods related to booting a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electronic device to be worn on a user'"'"'s forearm includes a display and a set of one or more sensors that provide sensor data. In one aspect, a device may detect, using sensor data obtained from a set of sensors, that a first activity state of a user is active. The device may determine, while the first activity state is active, that the sensor data matches a watch check rule associated with the first activity state. Responsive to the detected match, the device may cause a change in visibility of the display.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a set of sensors configured to generate sensor data, the set of sensors comprising an accelerometer;

a set of processors coupled to the display and the set of sensors; and

a non-transitory machine readable storage medium coupled to the set of processors and having stored therein a watch check gesture detector for receiving the sensor data, the watch check gesture detector comprising;

a first watch check rule for a first activity; and

a second watch check rule for a second activity, the second activity being different from the first activity,

wherein the first watch check rule includes a first condition indicative of a user of the apparatus checking the display while performing the first activity, the first condition comprising a first acceleration magnitude threshold, and wherein the second watch check rule includes a second condition indicative of the user checking the display while performing the second activity, the second condition comprising a second acceleration magnitude threshold that is different from the first acceleration magnitude threshold,

wherein the storage medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the set of processors, cause the set of processors to;

detect, using the sensor data, that the user is performing the first activity based on a number of acceleration peaks, detected by the accelerometer, in the sensor data;

in response to determining that the user is performing the first activity, determine whether the sensor data includes at least a threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the first acceleration magnitude threshold associated with the first activity; and

in response to determining that the sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the first acceleration magnitude threshold associated with the first activity, cause a change in visibility of the display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of sensors are further configured to generate additional sensor data, and the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to:

reverse the change in visibility of the display after a base time period;

detect, using the additional sensor data, that the user is performing the second activity;

determine that the additional sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the second acceleration magnitude threshold; and

in response to determining that the additional sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the second acceleration magnitude threshold, cause another change in visibility of the display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to cause the change in visibility of the display by turning on the display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display includes a back light, and the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to cause the change in visibility of the display by turning on the back light.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to selectively disable watch check rules for activities other than the first activity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to detect that the user is performing the first activity based on detecting that a number of peak accelerations in the sensor data for a time period exceeds a quantity threshold, wherein the number of peak accelerations include accelerations that exceed a third acceleration magnitude threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the time period is between 4 and 10 seconds.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to log a determinable number of magnitude peaks in a circular buffer, and the time period represents a difference in time from the oldest magnitude peak in the circular buffer and the most recent magnitude peak in the circular buffer.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to detect that the user is performing the second activity based on detecting that a number of peak accelerations in the additional sensor data for a time period fails to exceed a quantity threshold, wherein the number of peak accelerations include accelerations that exceed a third acceleration magnitude threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes a number of preceding acceleration peaks and at least the threshold number of current acceleration peaks, the number of preceding acceleration peaks exceeding the first acceleration magnitude threshold, and the threshold number of current acceleration peaks being below the first acceleration magnitude threshold and within a time interval of a most recent one of the preceding acceleration peaks.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer comprises a three axis accelerometer.

12. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing therein a watch check gesture detector for receiving sensor data generated by a set of sensors of an apparatus, the set of sensors comprising an accelerometer, the watch check gesture detector comprising:

a first watch check rule for a first activity; and

a second watch check rule for a second activity, the second activity being different from the first activity,

wherein the first watch check rule includes a first condition indicative of a user checking a display of the apparatus while performing the first activity, the first condition comprising a first acceleration magnitude threshold, and wherein the second watch check rule includes a second condition indicative of the user checking the display while performing the second activity, the second condition comprising a second acceleration magnitude threshold that is different from the first acceleration magnitude threshold,

wherein the storage medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by a set of processors, cause the set of processors to;

detect, using the sensor data generated by the set of sensors, that the user is performing the first activity based on a number of acceleration peaks, detected by the accelerometer, in the sensor data;

in response to determining that the user is performing the first activity, determine whether the sensor data includes at least a threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the first acceleration magnitude threshold associated with the first activity; and

in response to determining that the sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the first acceleration magnitude threshold associated with the first activity, cause a change in visibility of the display.

13. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to:

reverse the change in visibility of the display after a base time period;

detect, using additional sensor data generated by the set of sensors, that the user is performing the second activity;

determine that the additional sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the second acceleration magnitude threshold; and

in response to determining that the additional sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the second acceleration magnitude threshold, cause another change in visibility of the display.

14. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to cause the change in visibility of the display by turning on the display.

15. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the display includes a back light, and the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to cause the change in visibility of the display by turning on the back light.

16. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to disable watch check rules for activities other than the first activity.

17. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to detect that the user is performing the first activity based on detecting that a number of peak accelerations in the sensor data for a time period exceeds a quantity threshold, wherein the number of peak accelerations include accelerations that exceed a third acceleration magnitude threshold.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the sensor data includes a number of preceding acceleration peaks and at least the threshold number of current acceleration peaks, the number of preceding acceleration peaks exceeding the first acceleration magnitude threshold, and the threshold number of current acceleration peaks being below the first acceleration magnitude threshold and within a time interval of a most recent one of the preceding acceleration peaks.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to log a determinable number of magnitude peaks in a circular buffer, and the time period represents a difference in time from the oldest magnitude peak in the circular buffer and the most recent magnitude peak in the circular buffer.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the set of processors, further cause the set of processors to detect that the user is performing the second activity based on detecting that a number of peak accelerations in the additional sensor data for a time period fails to exceed a quantity threshold, wherein the number of peak accelerations include accelerations that exceed a third acceleration magnitude threshold.

21. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the time period is between 4 and 10 seconds.

22. A method of changing visibility of a display of an apparatus including a processor and a set of sensors comprising an accelerometer, the method comprising:

storing a first watch check rule for a first activity and a second watch check rule for a second activity, the second activity being different from the first activity, wherein the first watch check rule includes a first condition indicative of a user of the apparatus checking the display while performing the first activity, the first condition comprising a first acceleration magnitude threshold, and wherein the second watch check rule includes data or logic that represents one or more patterns of movement indicative of the user checking the display while performing the second activity, the second condition comprising a second acceleration magnitude threshold that is different from the first acceleration magnitude threshold;

detecting, by the apparatus using sensor data generated by the set of sensors, that the user is performing the first activity based on a number of acceleration peaks, detected by the accelerometer, in the sensor data;

in response to determining that the user is performing the first activity, determining, by the apparatus, whether the sensor data includes at least a threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the first acceleration magnitude threshold associated with the first activity; and

in response to determining that the sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the first acceleration magnitude threshold associated with the first activity, causing a change in visibility of the display.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

reversing the change in visibility of the display after a base time period;

detecting, by the apparatus using additional sensor data generated by the set of sensors, that the user is performing the second activity;

determining, by the apparatus, that the additional sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the second acceleration magnitude threshold; and

in response to determining that the additional sensor data includes at least the threshold number of acceleration peaks having magnitudes below the second acceleration magnitude threshold, causing another change in visibility of the display.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein detecting that the user is performing the second activity is based on detecting that a number of peak accelerations in the additional sensor data for a time period fails to exceed a quantity threshold, wherein the number of peak accelerations include accelerations that exceed a third acceleration magnitude threshold.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein causing the change in visibility of the display includes causing the display to be turned on.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the display includes a back light, and causing the change in visibility of the display includes causing the back light to be turned on.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising disabling watch check rules for activities other than the first activity in response to detecting that the user is performing the first activity.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein detecting that the user is performing the first activity is based on detecting that a number of peak accelerations in the sensor data for a time period exceeds a quantity threshold, wherein the number of peak accelerations include accelerations that exceed a third acceleration magnitude threshold.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising logging a determinable number of magnitude peaks in a circular buffer, wherein the time period represents a difference in time from the oldest magnitude peak in the circular buffer and the most recent magnitude peak in the circular buffer.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the sensor data includes a number of preceding acceleration peaks and at least the threshold number of current acceleration peaks, the number of preceding acceleration peaks exceeding the first acceleration magnitude threshold, and the threshold number of current acceleration peaks being below the first acceleration magnitude threshold and within a time interval of a most recent one of the preceding acceleration peaks.