Reminder device wearable by a user

• US 10,222,870 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Santa Clara University
• Original Assignee: Santa Clara University
• Inventors: Grover, Radhika, Tan, Jocelyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Reed, Stephen T.
• Application Number:
  US15/092,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 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 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00

Abstract

A wearable reminder device is provided using two different types of gestures obtained from two different types of sensors. The device outputs audio to a user but does not have a display, a keypad, or speech recognition software, therewith significantly reducing size, storage requirements and power consumption. Hence the device is suitable for use by the blind, persons with a speech impediment, visually impaired persons, and others who are unable to read small fonts.

Claims

1. A reminder system wearable by a user, comprising:

(a) a reminder device comprising a first gesture sensor for contactless detecting a first type of gestures, the first gesture sensor comprises one or more photodiodes for recognizing gestures made by the user'"'"'s hand,

wherein the reminder device does not have a keypad, display or speech recognition; and

wherein the reminder device does not have inertial sensors;

(b) an external and separate sensing device with a second gesture sensor for detecting a second type of gestures, and the reminder device wirelessly receiving data from the external and separate sensing device and recognizing a second type of gestures made by the user using the external and separate sensing device;

(c) a gesture recognition module executable by a processor on the reminder device, the gesture recognition module receiving the sensor data for the first and second types of gestures, wherein the gesture recognition module is programmed to recognize;

(i) among the first type of gestures, at least three distinct sets of hand gestures with each distinct set of hand gestures having defined at least two distinct type of hand motions, and

(ii) among the second type of gestures, letters and numbers; and

(d) a state machine executable by a processor on the reminder device having a plurality of states programmed to receive the recognized gestures by the gesture recognition module, wherein the state machine changes state based on the recognized gestures, and wherein the state machine depending on it'"'"'s current state outputs audio reminder data to the user (j) as a result of the user'"'"'s first and second type of gestures or (jj) as a result of a specific state of the state machine.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of states are related to a calendar system operated on the reminder device, or related to settings or programming of the reminder device in terms of user data or reminder device settings.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the state machine wirelessly outputs data to a separate device or display.