Systems and methods for character and command input

• US 10,146,330 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matthew Swan Lawrence
• Original Assignee: Matthew Swan Lawrence
• Inventors: Lawrence, Matthew Swan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US14/741,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods for a user interface allowing a user to input characters, numbers, commands, symbols, etc. with a single hand. Embodiments of the user interface may be a hardware device configured to conform to a user'"'"'s grip, wherein the device is configured to determine pressure caused by flexions of each of the digits on the user'"'"'s hand.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors positioned on an exterior surface of the user interface device, each of the plurality of sensors being configured to align with a digit of a hand, the plurality of pressure sensors being configured to determine pressure data corresponding to the pressure applied to a corresponding pressure sensor, the plurality of sensors including a plurality of thumb pressure sensors and a plurality of finger pressure sensors, the plurality of thumb pressure sensors being positioned on a contoured exterior surface of the user interface device such that the plurality of thumb pressure sensors are vertically and horizontally offset from each other, the plurality of digit pressure sensors being positioned on a contoured sidewall of the user interface device such that the plurality of digit pressure sensors are vertically and horizontally offset from each other along the contoured sidewall;

a profile module configured to store mapping information and pressure information, the mapping information being configured to map pressure data with characters and the pressure information including pressure thresholds associated with each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the profile information includes speed information, the speed information being associated with a number of pressure sensor signals and corresponding characters input over a time range;

an input module configured to determine input data based on the pressure data and the pressure thresholds associated with each of the plurality of pressure sensors, wherein the input data includes first input data and second input data;

a mapping module configured to parse the mapping information to determine that the first input data corresponds with a first designated character;

a single accelerometer associated with the user interface device configured to determine movement data of the user interface device corresponding with a first character or command, the movement data including information associated with displacement and acceleration of the user interface device;

a coincidence module is configured to determine that the first input data corresponds with the first character and the second input data corresponds with a second character, the first input data having a first time threshold and the second input data having a second time threshold, wherein the first time threshold and the second time threshold are different periods of time, wherein the coincidence module is configured to determine that first input data corresponds with the first character and the second input data corresponds with the second character when actions to input the second character are performed outside of the first time threshold, wherein the input data associated with the designated character is a segmented binary chord, wherein each of the segments of the binary chord corresponds with a different pressure sensor.

2. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein first time threshold for different users is different.

3. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein each of the pressure thresholds corresponding to each of the pressure sensors is different.

4. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the coincidence module configured to determine if pressure applied to the pressure sensors is the first character or a plurality of successive characters.

5. A method of utilizing a hand held user interface device, the method comprising:

determining, via a plurality of pressure sensors on an exterior surface of the hand held user interface device, pressure data corresponding to pressure applied to a corresponding pressure sensor, the plurality of sensors including a plurality of thumb pressure sensors and a plurality of digit pressure sensors, the plurality of thumb pressure sensors being positioned on a contoured upper surface of the exterior surface of the user interface device such that the plurality of thumb pressure sensors are vertically and horizontally offset from each other, the plurality of digit pressure sensors being positioned on a contoured sidewall of the user interface device such that the plurality of digit pressure sensors are vertically and horizontally offset from each other along the contoured sidewall;

mapping, via map information, pressure data with characters, wherein the mapping information includes speed information, the speed information being associated with a number of pressure sensor signals and corresponding characters input over a time range;

storing pressure thresholds associated with each of the plurality of sensors;

determine input data based on the pressure data and the pressure thresholds associated with each of the plurality of pressure sensors, wherein the input data includes first input data and second input data;

determining, via a single accelerometer, movement data of the user interface device corresponding with a first character or command, the movement data including information associated with displacement and acceleration of the user interface device;

parsing the mapping information to determine that the first input data corresponds with the first character and the second input data corresponds with a second character, the first input data having a first time threshold and the second input data having a second time threshold, wherein the first time threshold and the second time threshold are different periods of time, wherein the coincidence module is configured to determine that first input data corresponds with the first character and the second input data corresponds with the second character when actions to input the second character are performed outside of the first time threshold, wherein the input data associated with the first character is a segmented binary chord, wherein each of the segments of the binary chord corresponds with a different pressure sensor, wherein each of the pressure thresholds corresponding to each of the pressure sensors is different.

6. The method claim 5, wherein the first time threshold for different users is different.