CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HEAD-MOUNTED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

• US 20120235902A1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Recon Instruments, Inc. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Eisenhardt, Dan, Abdollahi, Hamid, Chen, Li
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• 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

Abstract

A head-mounted information system is provided, the head-mounted information system comprising a frame configured to be mounted on a head of a user, a display unit coupled to the frame, a sensor unit coupled to the frame comprising one or more motion sensors, and, a processor unit coupled to the frame and connected to receive signals from the motion sensors. The processor unit comprises a processor and a memory accessible by the processor. The processor unit is configured to monitor the received signals and enter a gesture control mode upon detection of a gesture control enable signal. In the gesture control mode the processor is configured to convert signals received from the motion sensors into menu navigation commands.

Claims

1. A head-mounted information system comprising:

a frame configured to be mounted on a head of a user;

a display unit coupled to the frame, the display unit comprising a display for producing an image;

a sensor unit coupled to the frame, the sensor unit comprising one or more motion sensors; and

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a processor unit coupled to the frame, the processor unit connected to receive signals from the one or more motion sensors and configured to process the one or more motion signals to produce outputs representing parameters relating to user performance of a physical activity, the processor unit comprising a processor and a memory accessible by the processor,

wherein the processor unit is configured to monitor the received signals and enter a gesture control mode upon occurrence of a gesture control enable signal, wherein in the gesture control mode the processor is configured to convert signals received from the motion sensors into menu navigation commands.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the memory has a gesture control enable movement profile stored therein and the processor is configured to generate the gesture control enable signal when the received signals contains an occurrence of the gesture control enable movement profile.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the memory has a frame movement profile stored therein and the gesture control enable movement profile comprises the frame movement profile.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the frame movement profile comprises a tap profile.

5. A system according to claim 4 the processor is configured to generate the gesture control enable signal when the received signals contain two occurrences of the tap profile within a predetermined time period.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein the processor is configured to generate the gesture control enable signal when an amplitude of an occurrence of the tap profile is within a predefined range.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to, in the gesture control mode, sum received rotation signals about a vertical axis to determine a first head angle and compare the first head angle to one or more threshold angles to produce first motion control signals for menu navigation along a first direction.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the one or more threshold angles comprise a plurality of threshold angles, and wherein the processor is configured to produce a motion control signal indicating a desired amount of movement based a highest exceeded one of the plurality of threshold angles.

9. A system according to claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to sum received rotation signals about a lateral horizontal axis to determine a second head angle and compare the second head angle to one or more threshold angles to produce second motion control signals for menu navigation along a second direction.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to, in the gesture control mode, monitor received rotation signals to detect angular velocity about a vertical axis to determine a first head angular velocity and compare the first head angular velocity to one or more threshold angular velocities to produce first motion control signals for menu navigation along a first direction.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein the one or more threshold angular velocities comprise a plurality of threshold angular velocities, and wherein the processor is configured to produce a motion control signal indicating a desired amount of movement based a highest exceeded one of the plurality of threshold angular velocities.

12. A system according to claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to sum received rotation signals about a lateral horizontal axis to determine a second head angular velocity and compare the second head angular velocity to one or more threshold angular velocities to produce second motion control signals for menu navigation along a second direction.

13. A system according to claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to, in the gesture control mode, after producing a motion control signal for menu navigation, wait to convert further signals from the motion sensors into menu navigation commands until a reset condition is met.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein waiting for the reset condition to be met comprises waiting for a pre-determined refractory period.

17. A system according to claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to start the refractory period upon producing the motion control signal.

18. A system according to claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to start the refractory period upon detecting a change in a direction of head movement.

19. A system according to claim 13 wherein waiting for the reset condition to be met comprises summing received rotation signals about a vertical axis to determine a head angle and waiting until the determined head angle is within a pre-determined displacement of an initial angle.

20. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to, in the gesture control mode, monitor received rotation signals to detect angular velocity about a lateral horizontal axis, and to produce an execute control signal when a detected angular velocity about the lateral horizontal axis exceeds a predetermined, user-configurable or calibratable threshold.

21. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to, in the gesture control mode, produce an execute control signal when the received signals contain a single occurrence of a tap profile.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to, in the gesture control mode, produce the execute control signal when the received signals contain the single occurrence of the tap profile within a predetermined, user-configurable or calibratable time period from a most recent motion control signal.

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31. A method of controlling a head-mounted information system comprising a frame configured to be mounted on a head of a user, a display unit coupled to the frame, the display unit comprising a display for producing an image, a sensor unit coupled to the frame, the sensor unit comprising one or more motion sensors, and, a processor unit coupled to the frame, the processor unit connected to receive signals from the one or more motion sensors and configured to process the one or more motion signals to produce outputs representing parameters relating to user performance of a physical activity, the processor unit comprising a processor and a memory accessible by the processor, the method comprising:

monitoring the signals from the motion sensors;

entering a gesture control mode upon occurrence of a gesture control enable signal; and

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in the gesture control mode;

displaying a menu comprising a plurality of menu items on the display; and

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converting signals received from the motion sensors into menu navigation commands.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein the memory has a gesture control enable movement profile stored therein, comprising generating the gesture control enable signal when the received signals contains an occurrence of the gesture control enable movement profile.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the memory has a frame movement profile stored therein and the gesture control enable movement profile comprises the frame movement profile.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein the frame movement profile comprises a tap profile.

35. A method according to claim 34 comprising generating the gesture control enable signal when the received signals contain two occurrences of the tap profile within a predetermined time period.

36. A method according to claim 34 comprising generating the gesture control enable signal when an amplitude of an occurrence of the tap profile is within a predefined range.

37. A method according to claim 31 comprising, in the gesture control mode, summing received rotation signals about a vertical axis to determine a first head angle and comparing the first head angle to one or more threshold angles to produce first motion control signals for menu navigation along a first direction.

38. A method according to claim 37 wherein the one or more threshold angles comprise a plurality of threshold angles, comprising producing a motion control signal indicating a desired amount of movement based a highest exceeded one of the plurality of threshold angles.

39. A method according to claim 37 comprising summing received rotation signals about a lateral horizontal axis to determine a second head angle and comparing the second head angle to one or more threshold angles to produce second motion control signals for menu navigation along a second direction.

40. A method according to claim 31 comprising, in the gesture control mode, monitoring received rotation signals to detect angular velocity about a vertical axis to determine a first head angular velocity and comparing the first head angular velocity to one or more threshold angular velocities to produce first motion control signals for menu navigation along a first direction.

41. A method according to claim 40 wherein the one or more threshold angular velocities comprise a plurality of threshold angular velocities, comprising producing a motion control signal indicating a desired amount of movement based a highest exceeded one of the plurality of threshold angular velocities.

42. A method according to claim 40 comprising summing received rotation signals about a lateral horizontal axis to determine a second head angular velocity and comparing the second head angular velocity to one or more threshold angular velocities to produce second motion control signals for menu navigation along a second direction.

43. A method according to claim 40 comprising, in the gesture control mode, after producing a motion control signal for menu navigation, waiting to convert further signals from the motion sensors into menu navigation commands until a reset condition is met.

44. A method according to claim 43 wherein waiting for the reset condition to be met comprises waiting for a pre-determined refractory period.

47. A method according to claim 44 comprising starting the refractory period upon producing the motion control signal.

48. A method according to claim 44 comprising starting the refractory period upon detecting a change in a direction of head movement.

49. A method according to claim 43 wherein waiting for the reset condition to be met comprises summing received rotation signals about a vertical axis to determine a head angle and waiting until the determined head angle is within a pre-determined displacement of an initial angle.

50. A method according to claim 31 comprising, in the gesture control mode, monitoring received rotation signals to detect angular velocity about a lateral horizontal axis, and producing an execute control signal when a detected angular velocity about the lateral horizontal axis exceeds a predetermined, user-configurable or calibratable threshold.

51. A method according to claim 31 comprising, in the gesture control mode, producing an execute control signal when the received signals contain a single occurrence of a tap profile.

52. A method according to claim 51 comprising, in the gesture control mode, producing the execute control signal when the received signals contain the single occurrence of the tap profile within a predetermined, user-configurable or calibratable time period from a most recent motion control signal.

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60. A head-mounted information system comprising:

a frame configured to be mounted on a head of a user;

a display unit coupled to the frame, the display unit comprising a display for producing an image, the display coupled to the frame at a display location positioned such that the display is at an edge of a field of vision of the user when the frame is mounted on the head of the user;

a sensor unit coupled to the frame, the sensor unit comprising a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope; and

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a processor unit coupled to the frame, the processor unit connected to receive signals from the sensor unit and configured to process the one or more motion signals to produce outputs representing parameters relating to user performance of a physical activity, the processor unit comprising a processor and a memory accessible by the processor, and configured to control the display unit based on the signals received from the sensor unit.