GESTURE CONTROLLED USER INTERFACE

• US 20120089948A1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Third Wave Power Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Third Wave Power Pte Ltd.
• Inventors: LIM, Chuin Kiat, LOI, Jiew Liang, LEVINSON, Frank Howard
• Application Number:
  US13/270,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089948A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/846
• 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

Abstract

In an embodiment, a device is described that includes a computer-readable medium, a processing device, and an MCUI. The processing device may be configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium. The MCUI may include computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium. The computer-executable instructions may include instructions for processing data representing movement of the device to actuate one or more features of the device. Each feature may be designated on the device by a corresponding feature icon. The computer-executable instructions may also include instructions for providing, on the device, an indication of which feature is actuated on the device. The indication may be associated with a feature icon corresponding to an actuated feature.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a processing device configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium; and

a motion-controlled user interface including computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer-executable instructions including;

instructions for processing data representing movement of the device to actuate one or more features of the device, each feature being designated on the device by a corresponding feature icon; and

instructions for providing, on the device, an indication of which feature is actuated on the device, the indication being associated with a feature icon corresponding to an actuated feature.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more features comprise at least one of:

a reading light;

a flashlight;

a USB charging port;

a radio;

a light emitting diode (LED);

an acoustic insect repellant;

an audio headphone output;

an audio speaker;

a user interface demonstration sequence;

or

a solar panel.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more features include one or more functions comprising at least one of:

volume adjustment;

user interface lock;

feature lock;

turning the device on;

seeking next available radio frequency;

tuning manually to one or more radio frequencies; and

turning the device off.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions for processing data representing movement of the device to actuate one or more features of the device include instructions for mapping each of a set of actions that can be performed on the device by a user to each of a set of features of the device, the set of actions and corresponding features including at least one of:

shaking the device to turn on the device;

tilting the device in the direction of a feature icon to actuate the associated feature;

flipping the device one-half rotation from a display of the device facing up to the display of the device facing down to turn off the device;

or

quickly moving the device downward to turn off the device.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer;

a battery;

a speaker; and

a photovoltaic cell.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion-controlled user interface further includes a plurality of feature icons, each corresponding to one of the one or more features of the device, wherein the plurality of feature icons have a clock-face arrangement on a display of the device and correspond to features actuated as follows by a user:

an FM radio feature is actuated by tilting the device to a zero/twelve o'"'"'clock position;

an AM radio feature is actuated by tilting the device to a one o'"'"'clock position;

a shortwave (SW) radio feature is actuated by tilting the device to a two o'"'"'clock position;

a volume increase function is actuated by tilting the device to a three o'"'"'clock position;

a user interface lock function is actuated by tilting the device to a four o'"'"'clock position;

a flashlight feature is actuated by tilting the device to a five o'"'"'clock position;

a reading lamp feature is actuated by tilting the device to a six o'"'"'clock position;

an insect repellent feature is actuated by tilting the device to a seven o'"'"'clock position;

an user interface demonstration feature is actuated by tilting the device to an eight o'"'"'clock position;

a volume decrease function is actuated by tilting the device to a nine o'"'"'clock position;

a radio frequency seeking function is actuated by tilting the device to a ten o'"'"'clock position; and

a radio frequency manual tuning function is actuated by tilting the device to an eleven o'"'"'clock position.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more non-movement related icons, including at least one of:

a battery icon representing a level of charge remaining in a battery of the device;

an energy saving icon representing energy saving options of the device;

a set frequency icon representing a frequency at which a radio of the device is set;

a headphone icon configured to indicate when headphones are used with the device;

a speaker icon configured to indicate when a speaker of the device is in use;

a power-in icon representing when energy is being absorbed by a photovoltaic system of the device;

a power-out icon representing when energy is being transferred to another device;

or

a charge strength icon representing an amount of power being absorbed by the photovoltaic system of the device.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a real-time clock, the real-time clock being shown on a clock face using either flashing LEDs to designate minutes, or a first color of LEDs to designate the hour, and a second color to designate the minutes;

a countdown timer, the countdown timer being shown on a clock face using LEDs to designate time remaining;

a tilt meter, the tilt meter designating the existence and direction of tilt of the device by illuminating at least one of multiple LEDs located at hour markers of the clock face, the tilt meter designating the nonexistence of tilt of the device on the clock face by illuminating an LED at the center of the clock face; and

a weighing scale, the weighing scale utilizing an accelerometer of the device to gauge the weight of an object during rotation of the accelerometer.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an insect repellant component configured to:

generate and emit a sound wave with a variable frequency, the frequency of the sound wave being cycled through a range of 15 kilohertz (kHz)-18 kHz to repel insects.

10. A method of actuating a feature of a device, comprising:

assigning one or more directional movements to one or more features of the device;

displaying one or more feature icons, each associated with a corresponding feature and assigned directional movement;

detecting a particular one of the one or more directional movements along one or more axes of the device; and

actuating a corresponding feature to which the detected directional movement is assigned.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more features comprise at least one of:

a reading light;

a flashlight;

a USB charging port;

a radio;

a light emitting diode (LED);

an acoustic insect repellant;

an audio headphone output;

an audio speaker;

a user interface demonstration sequence;

a clock;

a tilt meter measuring the tilt of a surface relative to a gravitational constant,

a timer;

a weight scale;

or

a solar panel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more features includes one or more functions including at least one of:

volume adjustment;

user interface lock;

feature lock;

turning the device on;

seeking next available radio frequency;

tuning manually to one or more radio frequencies;

or

turning the device off.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more directional movements assigned to the one or more features include one or more functions actuated by a user by at least one of:

shaking the device to turn on the device;

tilting the device in the direction of a feature icon to actuate the associated feature;

flipping the device one-half rotation from a display of the device facing up to the display of the device facing down to turn off the device;

or quickly moving the device downward to turn off the device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the directional movements assigned to the one or more features include tilting a device to one or more positions in a clock-face arrangement to actuate one or more features, including:

an FM radio feature actuated by tilting the device to a zero/twelve o'"'"'clock position;

an AM radio feature actuated by tilting the device to a one o'"'"'clock position;

a shortwave (SW) radio feature actuated by tilting the device to a two o'"'"'clock position;

a volume increase function actuated by tilting the device to a three o'"'"'clock position;

a user interface lock function actuated by tilting the device to a four o'"'"'clock position;

a flashlight feature actuated by tilting the device to a five o'"'"'clock position;

a reading lamp feature actuated by tilting the device to a six o'"'"'clock position;

an insect repellent feature actuated by tilting the device to a seven o'"'"'clock position;

an user interface demonstration feature actuated by tilting a device to an eight o'"'"'clock position;

a volume decrease function actuated by tilting the device to a nine o'"'"'clock position;

a radio frequency seeking function actuated by tilting the device to a ten o'"'"'clock position; and

a radio frequency manual tuning function actuated by tilting the device to an eleven o'"'"'clock position.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating and emitting a sound wave with a variable frequency to repel insects, the frequency of the sound wave being continuously cycled through a range of 15 kilohertz (kHz)-18 kHz.

16. A device, comprising:

a movement-controlled user interface;

a processing device configured to actuate one or more features of the device;

a sensor configured to gather data representing movement of the device;

one or more motion actuated features, wherein each of the one or more motion actuated features is configured to be actuated by the processing device in response to the processing device detecting a corresponding movement of the device that is assigned to the motion actuated feature, the processing device detecting the corresponding movement by analyzing the data gathered by the sensor; and

one or more indicators, each associated with a corresponding one of the one or more features and each configured to indicate when the corresponding one of the one or more features is currently actuated.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more indicators include a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the LEDs being associated with one of the one or more features and being located proximate a corresponding feature icon provided on a display of the device, wherein when a feature is currently actuated, the LED proximate the corresponding feature icon corresponding to the actuated feature lights up to indicate that the actuated feature is currently actuated.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more features comprise at least one of:

a reading light;

a flashlight;

a USB charging port;

a radio;

a light emitting diode (LED);

an acoustic insect repellant;

an audio headphone output;

an audio speaker;

a user interface demonstration sequence;

a solar panel;

volume adjustment;

user interface lock;

feature lock;

turning the device on;

seeking next available radio frequencies;

tuning manually to one or more radio frequencies;

or turning the device off.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor configured to actuate one or more features in response to the processing device detecting a corresponding movement of the device that is assigned to the motion actuated feature is actuated by the corresponding movements including at least one of:

an FM radio feature is actuated by tilting the device to a zero/twelve o'"'"'clock position;

an AM radio feature is actuated by tilting the device to a one o'"'"'clock position;

a shortwave (SW) radio feature is actuated by tilting the device to a two o'"'"'clock position;

a volume increase function is actuated by tilting the device to a three o'"'"'clock position;

a user interface lock function is actuated by tilting the device to a four o'"'"'clock position;

a flashlight feature is actuated by tilting the device to a five o'"'"'clock position;

a reading lamp feature is actuated by tilting the device to a six o'"'"'clock position;

an insect repellent feature is actuated by tilting the device to a seven o'"'"'clock position;

an user interface demonstration feature is actuated by tilting the device to an eight o'"'"'clock position;

a volume decrease function is actuated by tilting the device to a nine o'"'"'clock position;

a radio frequency seeking function is actuated by tilting the device to a ten o'"'"'clock position;

a radio frequency manual tuning function is actuated by tilting the device to an eleven o'"'"'clock position;

shaking the device to turn on the device;

tilting the device in the direction of a feature icon to actuate the associated feature;

flipping the device one half rotation from a display of the device facing up to the display of the device facing down to turn off the device;

or

quickly moving the device downward to turn off the device.

20. The device of claim 16, further comprising one or more non-movement related icons, including at least one of:

a battery icon representing a level of charge remaining in a battery of the device;

an energy saving icon representing energy saving options of the device;

a set frequency icon representing a frequency at which a radio of the device is set;

a headphone icon configured to indicate when headphones are used with the device;

a speaker icon configured to indicate when a speaker of the device is in use;

a power-in icon representing when energy is being absorbed by a photovoltaic system of the device;

a power-out icon representing when energy is being transferred to another device;

or

a charge strength icon representing an amount of power being absorbed by the photovoltaic system of the device.