GESTURE-BASED USER INTERFACE FOR A WEARABLE PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20130002538A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mooring, David J., Fitzgerald, Alissa M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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

A gesture-based user interface comprises a wearable portable device storing a gesture profile for each of a plurality of different applications on the wearable portable device to define different gestures for the different applications, wherein each of the gesture profiles includes at least one gesture and a predetermined function associated with the at least one gesture; and a profile web service, wherein the portable device is in communication with the profile web service and is configured to download from the profile web service to the wearable portable device a customizable gesture profile for a particular one of the applications, wherein the customized gesture profile modifies at least one of the different gestures, the customized gesture profile comprising personal preferences of the user regarding the modified gesture, including physical attributes of the user.

Claims

1. A system for providing a gesture-based user interface, comprising:

a wearable portable device storing a gesture profile for each of a plurality of different applications on the wearable portable device to define different gestures for the different applications, wherein each of the gesture profiles includes at least one gesture and a predetermined function associated with the at least one gesture; and

a profile web service, wherein the portable device is in communication with the profile web service and is configured to download from the profile web service to the wearable portable device a customizable gesture profile for a particular one of the applications, wherein the customized gesture profile modifies at least one of the different gestures, the customized gesture profile comprising personal preferences of the user regarding the modified gesture, including physical attributes of the user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wearable portable device further comprises:

a display;

a memory that stores the gesture profiles for each of the plurality of different applications;

a processor; and

a user interface application executing on the processor, wherein the user interface application is configured to;

while executing one of the applications, receive at least one signal from the inertial sensor corresponding to a sensed gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

compare the at least one signal against the gesture profile and any customized gesture profile associated with the application to identify at least one of a character and a predetermined function associated with the sensed gesture;

in response to identifying the character, display the at least one character on the display; and

in response to identifying the predetermined function, execute the predetermined function.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one axis of movement, a frequency, and a force magnitude.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one signal has a magnitude that is proportional to sensed movement.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one signal comprises two voltage signals corresponding to a movement in the X and Y axes.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one signal comprises three voltage signals corresponding to a movement in the X, Y, and Z axes.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the inertial sensor senses angular motion, and the at least one signal corresponds to angular motion in the φ

, θ

, and ψ

directions.

8. A method for providing a gesture-based user interface for a wearable portable device, comprising:

storing on the wearable portable device a gesture profile for each of a plurality of different applications on the wearable portable device to define different gestures for the different applications, wherein each of the gesture profiles includes at least one gesture and a predetermined function associated with the at least one gesture; and

providing a profile web service, wherein the portable device is in communication with the profile web service and is configured to download from the profile web service to the wearable portable device a customizable gesture profile for a particular one of the applications, wherein the customized gesture profile modifies at least one of the different gestures, the customized gesture profile comprising personal preferences of the user regarding the modified gesture, including physical attributes of the user.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising executing a user interface application on a processor of the wearable portable device, wherein the user interface application is configured to:

while executing one of the applications, receive at least one signal from an inertial sensor corresponding to a sensed gesture comprising a movement of the wearable portable device;

compare the at least one signal against the gesture profile and any customized gesture profile associated with the application to identify at least one of a character and a predetermined function associated with the sensed gesture;

in response to identifying the character, display the at least one character on the display; and

in response to identifying the predetermined function, execute the predetermined function.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one axis of movement, a frequency, and a force magnitude.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one signal has a magnitude that is proportional to sensed movement.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one signal comprises two voltage signals corresponding to a movement in the X and Y axes.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one signal comprises three voltage signals corresponding to a movement in the X, Y, and Z axes.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the inertial sensor senses angular motion, and the at least one signal corresponds to angular motion in the φ

, θ

, and ψ

directions.