System and method for controlling a terminal device

• US 9,996,738 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haptic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Swan Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Boshernitzan, Yaniv, Nezer, Ohad
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US15/043,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20160239707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

A control system includes a housing engaged to a mounting surface, a sensor contained within the housing, a server in communication with the sensor, and a terminal device in communication with the server. A gesture by a user associated with the mounting surface controls activity of the terminal device, such as a knock on a wall lowering a thermostat. The control system enables a mounting surface independent from the terminal device to become a controller for the terminal device. The sensor forms an interactive zone, and a contact interaction with the mounting surface within the interactive zone is detected by the sensor as data signals. The server receives the data signals, determines a data pattern corresponding to the data signals, and matches the data pattern with a gesture profile. The gesture profile is associated with a command transmitted to the terminal device to control activity of the terminal device.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a housing having an engagement means for a mounting surface;

a sensor contained within said housing, said sensor forming an interactive zone defined by a range of said sensor, said sensor being comprised of an accelerometer, said interactive zone being aligned with said mounting surface and overlaying said mounting surface outside a perimeter of said housing, said sensor being in a fixed position relative to said engagement means, wherein a contact interaction associated with said mounting surface within said interactive zone is detected by said sensor as data signals, said contact interaction being comprised of an impact on said mounting surface, said data signals being comprised of vibration data of said contact interaction;

a server in communication with said sensor, said server being comprised of a routing module, a processing module being connected to said routing module, and an output module connected to said processing module, said routing module receiving said data signals from said sensor, said processing module determining a data pattern corresponding to said data signals of said contact interaction and matching said data pattern with a gesture profile, said gesture profile being associated with a command; and

a terminal device being comprised of a receiving module and means for initiating activity of said terminal device corresponding to said command, said terminal device being in communication with said server, said output module transmitting said command to said receiving module,

wherein said engagement means of said housing comprises;

an attachment means between said housing to said mounting surface; and

a transmission portion connecting said sensor to said attachment means of said housing and being comprised of a material with flexibility different than said mounting surface so as to set a rigid position of said sensor relative to said mounting surface, said contact interaction generating said data signals of said sensor through said transmission portion.

2. The control system, according to claim 1, wherein said interactive zone of said sensor aligns with said mounting surface, said interactive zone being coplanar with said mounting surface.

3. The control system, according to claim 1, wherein said transmission portion is comprised of a spring loaded portion so as to reduce damping of said contact interaction.

4. The control system, according to claim 1, wherein said contact interaction is comprised of an impact on said mounting surface, said data signals having a respective defined peak corresponding to each impact, a defined time period after a last defined peak, said data pattern being comprised of each defined peak and said defined time period after said last defined peak.

5. The control system, according to claim 1, wherein said contact interaction is comprised of a plurality of impacts on said mounting surface, said data signals having a respective defined peak corresponding to each impact, a measured time period between each defined peak, and a defined time period after a last defined peak, said data pattern being comprised of each defined peak, each measured time period, and said defined time period after said last defined peak.

6. The control system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

an additional sensor contained within said housing, said additional sensor forming an additional interactive zone defined by an additional range of said additional sensor, said additional interactive zone being aligned with said mounting surface, said additional sensor being in a fixed position relative to said engagement means, said server being in communication with said additional sensor,

wherein said contact interaction with said mounting surface within said additional interactive zone is detected by said additional sensor as additional data signals,

wherein said processing module determines said data pattern corresponding to said data signals of said sensor and said additional data signals of said additional sensor.

7. The control system, according to claim 6, wherein said interactive zone of said sensor overlaps with said additional interactive zone of said additional sensor.

8. The control system, according to claim 1, wherein said terminal device is comprised of one device selected from a group consisting of:

a television, a thermostat, a computer, a software system, a game console, a fan, a mattress adjustor, an alarm clock, and a lighting fixture.

9. The control system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

an additional terminal device being comprised of an additional receiving module and additional means for initiating activity of said additional terminal device corresponding to an additional command, said additional terminal device being in communication with said server, said output module transmitting said additional command to said additional receiving module.

10. A method of controlling a terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

installing a housing on a mounting surface by an engagement device, said housing being comprised of a sensor contained within said housing, said sensor being comprised of an accelerometer, said sensor forming an interactive zone defined by a range of said sensor, said interactive zone being aligned with said mounting surface and overlaying said mounting surface outside a perimeter of said housing, said sensor being in a fixed position relative to said engagement device,

wherein said engagement device of said housing comprises;

an attachment device between said housing to said mounting surface; and

a transmission portion connecting said sensor to said attachment device of said housing and being comprised of a material with flexibility different than said mounting surface so as to set a rigid position of said sensor relative to said mounting surface;

connecting a server in communication with said sensor, said server being comprised of a routing module, a processing module being connected to said routing module, and an output module connected to said processing module;

connecting a terminal device in communication with said server, said terminal device being comprised of a receiving module;

making a physical impact on said mounting surface so as to generate a contact interaction;

detecting said contact interaction as data signals with said sensor, said data signals being comprised of vibration data of said contact interaction, said contact interaction generating said data signals of said sensor through said transmission portion;

receiving said data signals from said sensor with said routing module of said server;

determining a data pattern corresponding to said data signals of said contact interaction with said processing module;

matching said data pattern to a gesture profile with said processing module, said gesture profile being associated with a command;

transmitting said command to said receiving module of terminal device with said output module of said server, said command corresponding to activity of said terminal device; and

performing said activity with said terminal device.

11. The method of controlling the terminal device, according to claim 10, wherein the step of making a physical impact on said mounting surface further comprises making a plurality of physical impacts on said mounting surface, said contact interaction being associated with more than one physical impact.

12. The method of controlling the terminal device, according to claim 10, wherein said housing is further comprised of an additional sensor, said additional sensor being connected to said server,

wherein the step of detecting said contact interaction as data signals with said sensor further comprises detecting said contact interaction as additional data signals with said additional sensor;

wherein the step of receiving said data signals from said sensor with said routing module further comprises receiving said additional data signals from said additional sensor with said routing module, and

wherein the step of determining said data pattern further comprises determining said data pattern corresponding to said data signals and said additional data signals with said processing module.

13. The method of controlling the terminal device, according to claim 12, wherein the step of making a physical impact on said mounting surface further comprises making a plurality of physical impacts on said mounting surface, said contact interaction being associated with more than one physical impact.