METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING A USER INPUT FROM INERTIAL SENSORS

• US 20100136957A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Leazenby, Scott Alan, Sheynblat, Leonid, Horodezky, Samuel Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0346 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A system and method for determining a user input based on movements of a mobile device. In a particular implementation, angular movement of the mobile device about at least one axis of a linear plane is detected. Linear movement of the mobile device along at least one axis of the linear plane is also detected. Finally, a user input is determined based on the detection of the angular movement and the detection of the linear movement.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting angular movement of a mobile device about at least one axis of a linear plane;

detecting linear movement of said mobile device along at least one axis of said linear plane; and

determining a user input based on the detection of said angular movement and the detection of said linear movement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating an appearance of one or more images on a display of said mobile device based on said user input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said manipulating comprises zooming said one or more images based, at least in part, on said detection of said linear movement.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said appearance of one or more images depict a geographical map.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said geographical map comprises one or more predetermined Point of Interest.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said geographical map comprises said one or more images associated with one or more predetermined locations of said geographical map.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said appearance of one of more images depict a sequence of images corresponding to a timing offset.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a control signal to a predetermined electronic device based on said user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a user input is based, at least in part, upon a predetermined sensitivity of at least one of said angular movement and said linear movement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting linear movement comprises detecting an acceleration of said mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting linear movement comprises detecting a distance by which said mobile device is moved.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting angular movement is performed by a first sensor, and said detecting linear movement being performed by a second sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting angular movement and said detecting linear movement is performed by a single sensor.

14. An mobile device, comprising:

at least one sensor to detect angular movement of a mobile device about at least one axis of a linear plane and linear movement of said mobile device along at least one axis of said linear plane; and

a processor to determine a user input based on the detection of said angular movement and the detection of said linear movement.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising a display to display one or more images.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein said processor is adapted to manipulate an appearance of said one or more images on said display based on the detection of said angular movement and the detection of said linear movement.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein said processor is adapted to zoom said one or more images based, at least in part, on the detection of said linear movement.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein said processor is adapted to manipulate said appearance of one or more images to depict a geographical map.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein said processor is adapted to manipulate said appearance of one of more images to depict a sequence of images corresponding to a timing of said one or more images.

20. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising a control device to provide a control signal to a predetermined electronic device based on said user input.

21. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said processor is adapted to determine said user input based, at least in part, upon a predetermined sensitivity of at least one of said angular movement and said linear movement.

22. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said processor is adapted to determine said user input based, at least in part, upon a predetermined range of at least one of said angular movement and said linear movement.

23. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor is adapted to detect linear movement based on a detected acceleration of said mobile device.

24. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor is adapted to detect linear movement based on a detected distance by which said mobile device is moved.

25. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a first sensor to detect said angular movement, and a second sensor to detect said linear movement.

26. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a single sensor to detect said angular movement and said linear movement.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

detection means for detecting angular movement of a mobile device about at least one axis of a linear plane and linear movement of said mobile device along at least one axis of said linear plane; and

processing means for determining a user input based on the detection of said angular movement and the detection of said linear movement.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising display means for displaying one or more images.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein said processing means is adapted to manipulate an appearance of said one or more images on said display means based on detection of said angular movement and detection of said linear movement.

30. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said processing means is adapted to zoom said one or more images based, at least in part, on the detection of said linear movement.

31. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said processing means is adapted to manipulate said appearance of one or more images to depict a geographical map.

32. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said processing means is adapted to manipulate said appearance of one of more images to depict a sequence of images corresponding to a timing of said images.

33. The mobile device of claim 27, further comprising control means to provide a control signal to a predetermined electronic device based on said user input.

34. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said processing means is adapted to determine said user input based, at least in part, upon a predetermined sensitivity of at least one of said angular movement and said linear movement.

35. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said detection means is adapted to detect linear movement based on a detected acceleration of said linear movement of said mobile device.

36. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said detection means is adapted to detect linear movement based on a detected distance by which said mobile device is moved.

37. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said detection means comprises a first sensor to detect said angular movement, and a second sensor to detect said linear movement.

38. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein said detection means comprises a single sensor to detect said angular movement and said linear movement.

39. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a computing platform, are adapted to enable the computing platform to;

detect angular movement of a mobile device about at least one axis of a linear plane;

detect linear movement of said mobile device along at least one axis of said linear plane; and

determine a user input based on the detection of said angular movement and the detection of said linear movement.

40. The article of claim 39, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to manipulate an appearance of one or images on a display of said mobile device based on said user input.

41. The article of claim 40, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to manipulate said appearance of said one or more images on said display by zooming said one or more images based, at least in part, on said detection of said linear movement.

42. The article of claim 40, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to manipulate said appearance of one or more images to depict a geographical map.

43. The article of claim 40, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to manipulate said appearance of one or more images to depict a sequence of images corresponding to a timing of said images.

44. The article of claim 39, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to provide a control signal to a predetermined electronic device based on said user input.

45. The article of claim 39, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to detect said linear movement based on a detected acceleration of said linear movement of said mobile device.

46. The article of claim 39, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further adapted to enable the computing platform to detect said linear movement based on a detected distance by which said mobile device is moved.