User interface control in portable system

• US 10,324,536 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Erkkila, Mika, Puolakanaho, Pertti, Rytky, Pekka, Sipola, Matti, Korpela, Matti, Sorvala, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US15/357,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

This document discloses a portable system comprising a physical activity monitoring device comprising: a wireless proximity detection module configured to detect a proximity of an input control entity with respect to the physical activity monitoring device and output a control signal as a response to the detection, wherein the proximity is a non-zero distance between the input control entity and the training computer; and a user interface controller configured to generate, as a response to the control signal from the wireless proximity detection module, at least one of an audio control function and a display control function.

Claims

1. A wrist computer comprising:

at least one sensor device configured to measure training measurement data, the at least one sensor device comprising at least a heart activity sensor;

a wireless proximity detection module comprising at least one antenna and an antenna impedance monitoring circuitry, the antenna impedance monitoring circuitry configured to monitor a change in impedance of the at least one antenna, the antenna impedance monitoring circuitry configured to detect, on the basis of the impedance, proximity of an input control entity with respect to the at least one antenna and to output a control signal in response to the detection, the proximity being a non-zero distance between the input control entity and the at least one antenna;

an inertial sensor configured to sense, when activated in response to the control signal output from the wireless proximity detection module, inertial forces subjected to the wrist computer and to measure an inertial motion trajectory from the inertial forces subjected to the wrist computer;

a motion reference database configured to store inertial reference motion trajectories of the wrist computer, each inertial reference motion trajectory mapped to at least one audio control function where a user adjusts audio output of the wrist computer or at least one display control function where the user adjusts display output of the wrist computer;

a comparator configured to compare the measured inertial motion trajectory with at least one inertial reference motion trajectory and to determine an inertial reference motion trajectory providing the best match with the measured inertial motion trajectory; and

a user interface controller configured to generate an audio control function where the user adjusts the audio output of the wrist computer or a display control function where the user adjusts the display output of the wrist computer, the audio control function or the display control function mapped to the inertial reference motion trajectory determined to be the best match with the measured inertial motion trajectory in the motion reference database, wherein the comparator is configured to detect, by using at least the inertial sensor, linear motion of the wrist computer, and wherein the user interface controller is configured to, in response to the comparator detecting the linear motion of the wrist computer, perform an at least partially linear change to the audio output or the display output, the at least partially linear change being proportional to the detected linear motion of the wrist computer.

2. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor device further comprises at least one of a motion sensor, a location tracking sensor.

3. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the user interface controller is configured to generate a further audio control function wherein the user wirelessly adjusts an audio output of an earpiece speaker, the further audio control function mapped to the inertial reference motion trajectory determined to be the best match with the measured inertial motion trajectory in the motion reference database.

4. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the audio control function adjusts at least one audio parameter controlling audio output of a loudspeaker comprised in the wrist computer and comprises at least one of the following:

adjusting an audio volume;

changing an audio track, starting an audio track, stopping an audio track, pausing an audio track, recording an audio track, selecting a sound profile, and selecting a playback device.

5. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the display control function adjusts at least one display output parameter controlling display output of a display screen comprised in the wrist computer and comprises at least one of the following:

switching from an audio player display mode to an exercise display mode, changing brightness of a display light, zooming a display view in or out, changing one exercise display mode to another exercise display mode, accepting an incoming call, and dismissing the incoming call.

6. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the input control entity is a human hand or a part of the human hand.

7. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the input control entity is a sensor device external to the wrist computer and configured to communicate wirelessly with the wrist computer.

8. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the impedance monitoring circuitry is activated upon receiving an activation signal through a user interface of the physical activity monitoring device, and wherein the impedance monitoring circuitry is deactivated upon receiving a deactivation signal through the user interface or upon detecting from the impedance that the input control entity is no longer within proximity of the at least one antenna.

9. The wrist computer of claim 1, wherein the wireless proximity detection module comprises at least two antennas disposed orthogonally with respect to one another such that the at least two antennas sense orthogonal components of an electromagnetic field around the proximity detection module.