DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR DETECTING GESTURES USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SIGNALS

• US 20160054804A1
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: Qifan Pu, University of Washington
• Inventors: Patel, Shwetak N., Gupta, Sidhant, Gollakata, Shyamnath, Pu, Qitan
• Granted Patent: US 9,971,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• 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

Examples of systems, devices, and methods are described herein that may provide for gesture recognition. Wireless communication signals may be received from sources in an environment (e.g. cellular telephones, computers, etc.). Features of the wireless communication signals (e.g. Doppler shifts) may be extracted and utilized to identify gestures. The use of wireless communication signals may accordingly make possible gesture recognition in a whole-home environment that may identify gestures performed through walls or other obstacles.

Claims

1. A device comprising;

a receiver configured to receive wireless communication signals;

at least one processing unit configured to identify features in the wireless communication signals;

a memory accessible to the at least one processing unit and storing information regarding features in wireless communication signals caused by gestures; and

wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to identify a gesture based on the identified features in the wireless communication signals.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the gestures include two-dimensional and three-dimensional gestures.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication signals include OFDM signals.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication signals includes RSSI, phase information, or combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication signals are transmitted from a cellular telephone, computer, or wireless router.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to identify features in the wireless communication signals at least in part by analyzing a Doppler shift in the wireless communication signals.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to analyze a Doppler shift in the wireless communication signals by providing a narrowband signal based on a transform of multiple symbols in the wireless communication signals.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication signals comprise beacon signals.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to identify a preamble gesture from the features in the communication signals, and wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to identify when a subsequent gesture is made by a same entity performing the preamble gesture.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal responsive to identification of the gesture.

11. A method comprising:

receiving wireless communication signals from devices in an environment;

detecting features in the wireless communication signals;

identifying a gesture based, at least in part, on the features in the wireless communication signals; and

providing a control signal responsive to identification of the gesture.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication signals are OFDM signals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said detecting features in the wireless communication signals comprise identifying a Doppler shift in the wireless communication signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying a gesture based, at least in part, on the features in the wireless communication signals comprises comparing the features to a plurality of stored gesture signatures.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said identifying a gesture comprises correlating the features with a database of stored features related to gestures.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said correlating comprises using machine learning, pattern matching, or combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the gesture comprises performance of a preamble gesture, the method further comprising tracking an entity associated with the preamble gesture.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying a MIMO channel corresponding to the entity associated with the preamble gesture, and wherein said tracking comprises tracking the MIMO channel.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting further features in the wireless communication signals and determining whether the further features occurred due to an activity of the entity.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication signals are provided by a cellular telephone, computer, router, or combinations thereof.

21. A system comprising:

a wireless communications device configured to provide periodic beacon signals using an OFDM protocol;

a router configured to receive the periodic beacon signals from the wireless communications device, wherein the router is in communication with a memory storing a plurality of gesture signatures, and wherein the router is configured to detect a gesture based on a comparison of features in the periodic beacon signals from the wireless communications device and the gesture signatures, and wherein the router further includes a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal responsive to the gesture; and

a controller coupled to a power outlet and including a receiver configured to receive the control signal, wherein the controller is configured to turn power on, off, or combinations thereof, responsive to the control signal.

22. The system of claim 21, further including a plurality of wireless communications devices, and wherein the router is further configured to receive the periodic beacon signals from the plurality of wireless communications devices.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the router is further configured to identify a preamble gesture and track a user having made the preamble gesture.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the router is further configured to differentiate between gestures made by the user and other entities.