METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING COMBINATIONS OF KINEMATICAL INPUTS

• US 20100013768A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: LEUNG, Omar S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for processing combinations of force and velocity data generated over a given period of time. In one embodiment, an input device comprising one or more force sensors and one or more motion sensors is manipulated relative to a surface. A receiving system is adapted to receive input sequences or “gestures” which are triggered upon the occurrence of one or more conditions detected by the input device. An application executing in the receiving system may be implemented such that the system responds differently to each specific gesture provided by the user.

Claims

1. An input system comprising:

a force sensor;

a velocity sensor; and

a processor in communication with the force and velocity sensors and operable to determine whether at least one of a plurality of gestures has been performed using an input device.

2. The input system of claim 1, wherein the input system comprises a mouse.

3. The input system of claim 2 wherein the force sensor, the velocity sensor, and the processor are contained within a single housing of the mouse.

4. The input system of claim 1 further comprising a memory for storing a plurality of sets of force and velocity profiles, each set corresponding to a respective one of said plurality of gestures.

5. The input system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sets of force and velocity profiles comprise a profile corresponding to a brush gesture.

6. The input system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sets of force and velocity profiles comprise a profile corresponding to a scoop gesture.

7. The input system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sets of force and velocity profiles comprise a profile corresponding to a nudge gesture.

8. The input system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sets of force and velocity profiles comprise a profile corresponding to a tilt and drag gesture.

9. The input system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sets of force and velocity profiles comprise a profile corresponding to a tilt and tap gesture.

10. The input system of claim 1 wherein the force sensor comprises an accelerometer configured to measure vibration or friction forces.

11. The input system of claim 1 wherein the velocity sensor comprises an accelerometer.

12. The input system of claim 1 wherein the force sensor and velocity sensor are integrated into a single accelerometer which provides data to the processor to determine force and velocity estimates.

13. The input system of claim 1 further comprising an inclination sensor adapted to detect inclination of the input system about a reference axis.

14. The input system of claim 13, wherein the inclination sensor comprises an accelerometer.

15. A method comprising:

estimating a force applied to an apparatus during a first period;

estimating a velocity associated with the apparatus during the first period; and

selecting one of a plurality of predetermined gestures based at least in part upon the force and the velocity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the velocity exceeds a designated value; and

subsequently

(ii) the force decreases to a first magnitude.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said first magnitude comprises 0 newtons.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the velocity exceeds a designated value while the force comprises 0 newtons; and

subsequently

(ii) the force increases to a first magnitude.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the velocity comprises a magnitude of zero meters per second; and

subsequently

(ii) the force comprises a vector angle comprised within a designated range.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the designated range comprises a range of between 10°

and 20°

when measured from a vertical axis.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising estimating an angle of tilt about a tilt axis.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said estimating an angle of tilt comprises reading data from an inclination sensor.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said estimating an angle of tilt comprises determining if a first acceleration quantity has increased to a first magnitude while a second acceleration quantity has decreased to a second magnitude.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the angle of tilt comprises an angle within a predetermined range; and

(ii) the force comprises a direction that is parallel with the tilt axis.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the angle of tilt comprises an angle within a predetermined range; and

(ii) the force comprises a direction that is perpendicular the tilt axis.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the angle of tilt comprises an angle within a predetermined range; and

(ii) the force decreases to a second magnitude after increasing to a first magnitude.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein a gesture is selected when:

(i) the angle of tilt comprises an angle within a predetermined range; and

(ii) while a change in acceleration is detected, the force decreases to a second magnitude after increasing to a first magnitude.

28. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a process comprising:

estimating a velocity attained by an input device;

estimating a force exerted upon the input device; and

determining whether one of a plurality of predetermined gestures has been performed using the input device based at least in part on the estimated force and velocity.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein a gesture is determined if said velocity is greater than or equal to a minimum value, and said force comprises a magnitude of zero newtons.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein a gesture is determined if said velocity is greater than or equal to a minimum value, said force comprises a magnitude of zero newtons, and said force subsequently increases to a first magnitude.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein a gesture is determined if said velocity comprises a magnitude of zero meters per second and said force comprises a vector angle of between 10°

and 20°

when measured from a vertical axis.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the process further comprises generating an estimated angle of inclination about a reference axis.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein a gesture is determined if the estimated angle of inclination is comprised within a predetermined range, and if the exerted force comprises a direction that is substantially parallel with the reference axis.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein a gesture is determined if the estimated angle of inclination is comprised within a predetermined range, and if the exerted force comprises a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the reference axis.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein a gesture is determined if a detected force along a first region of the input device decreases by a first magnitude, a detected force along a second region of the input device increases by a second magnitude, and said exerted force comprises a first magnitude.

36. A system comprising:

an input device, comprising one or more force modules and one or more velocity modules;

a processor in communication with the force and velocity modules and operable to determine whether at least one of a plurality of gestures has been performed using the input device;

a computing device in communication with the processor and operable to receive a signal from processor, wherein the signal is indicative of the determined at least one gesture; and

a display device in communication with the computing device for displaying at least one object response in accordance with the at least one gesture.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more force modules are adapted to determine a force based on surface reactions to an input force.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the force comprises a normal force and a frictional force.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more velocity modules comprise an accelerometer.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more velocity modules are implemented as a micro electro-mechanical system.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the input device further comprises a tilt sensor.