Apparatus and method for receiving inputs from a user

• US 20060140422A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zurek, Robert A., Koo, Simone
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An apparatus (300) and method (500) for receiving inputs from a user (102) is provided. The inputs from the user may be head gestures and/or speech of the user. The head gestures refer to movements of the head of the user. The apparatus includes an accelerometer (303) for receiving inputs from the user. The inputs are in form of nasal bone vibrations of the user, which are caused by the head gestures and/or speech of the user. The accelerometer further generates signals corresponding to the inputs received from the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving inputs from a user, the apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer, the accelerometer adapted to receive the inputs in form of nasal bone vibrations of the user, the nasal bone vibrations being caused by at least one of head gestures and speech of the user, the accelerometer adapted to generate signals corresponding to the head gestures and speech.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is mounted on a nose-mounted-input-device worn by the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the nose-mounted-input-device is in a form of a pair of eyeglasses.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a transmitter mounted on the nose-mounted-input-device, for transmitting the signals generated by the accelerometer to an electronic device; and

a signal-receiver residing on the electronic device, for receiving the signals transmitted by the transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a processing-module residing on the electronic device, for processing the signals received by the signal-receiver providing an input to the electronic device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing-module comprises:

an external-disturbances-filter, for filtering the signals received by the signal-receiver for external disturbances caused by movement of the nose-mounted-input-device relative to the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing-module comprises:

a signal-separator, for separating the signals received by the signal-receiver into high-band signals and low-band signals, the high-band signals being characteristic of the nasal bone vibrations caused by the speech of the user, the low-band signals being characteristic of accelerations caused by the head gestures of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the high-band signals are in a frequency range greater than 300 Hz.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the frequency range is lower than 4000 Hz.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the low-band signals are in a frequency range less than 200 Hz.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the frequency range is greater than 0.1 Hz.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor-module performs frequency response equalization on the high-band signals to correct a frequency response function of the signals received by the signal-receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing-module further comprises:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, for sensing cessation of geographic movement; and

an emergency-service-transmitter, for notifying emergency services identified by the processing-module.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head gestures are used to navigate through a user interface on the electronic device.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a piezoelectric accelerometer.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a Micro-Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) accelerometer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the MEMS accelerometer includes a first axis and a second axis, the first axis and the second axis being orthogonally placed with respect to each other, the first axis being sensitive to the nasal bone vibrations caused by at least one of the speech and a horizontal head movement of the user, the second axis being sensitive to the nasal bone vibrations caused by at least one of the speech and a vertical head movement of the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an elastomeric suspension mounting the accelerometer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elastomeric suspension is mounted on at least one nose pad of a nose-mounted-input-device.

20. A method for receiving inputs from a user, the method comprising:

receiving nasal bone vibrations of the user, the nasal bone vibrations being caused by at least one of head gestures and speech of the user;

generating signals corresponding to the inputs received from the user;

filtering the generated signals for identifying and removing signals caused by vibrations occurring due to movement of a nose-mounted-input-device relative to the user; and

separating the filtered signals into high-band signals and low-band signals, the high-band signals being characteristic of the nasal bone vibrations caused by the speech of the user, the low-band signals being characteristic of accelerations that are caused by the head gestures of the user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting the generated signals to an electronic device; and

receiving the transmitted signals at the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising performing frequency response equalization on the high-band signals to correct a frequency response function of the generated signals.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising notifying for emergency services based on the generated signals.