FINGER-LINE BASED REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20160306421A1
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Piccinini, Sandro, Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Application Number:
  US14/688,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

Controlling a peripheral device by receiving data from a ring device that indicates that a user touched their thumb to a region of their finger. Both the thumb and the finger are one hand of the user. Identifying a command that is associated with the region of the finger that was touched. Wirelessly passing the command to a peripheral device. The command controls a function of the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a peripheral device, the method comprising:

responsive to a determination by a ring device that a user of the ring device has issued a command by touching a thumb of the user to a region of a finger of the user, identifying, by a processor of the ring device, a command that is associated with the region of the finger, wherein both the thumb of the user and the finger of the user are of a single hand of the user; and

wirelessly passing, by a processor of a ring device, the command to a peripheral device, wherein the command controls a function of the peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ring device includes one or more sensors configured to measure movement of the thumb of the user, and wherein the thumb of the user is wearing the ring device.

3. The method of claim 2, the method including:

determining, by a processor of a ring device, whether the user has issued the command by touching the thumb to a region of the finger based on sensor data that was gathered by one or more sensors of the ring device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a surface of the finger includes a plurality of regions and at least one region of the plurality of regions is associated with a number such that touching of the thumb to the at least one region of the finger is interpreted by the ring device as a selection of the number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a space between at least two regions of the finger represents a range of numbers, and wherein the ring device is configured to determine a value associated with a given touch of the thumb to the finger based on a point of contact of the thumb and finger in the space between the at least two regions of the finger.

6. The method of claim 1, the method including:

responsive to the determination by the ring device that the user of the ring device has issued the command by touching the thumb of the user to the region of the finger of the user, determining whether the user has a level of authorization that is required to control the function of the peripheral device.

7. The method of claim 1, the method including:

responsive to a determination that a second user of the ring device has initiated a calibration procedure, instructing the second user to move a thumb of the second user to a region of a finger of the second user;

determining, by a processor of a ring device, a pattern of sensor data that corresponds to movement of the thumb of the second user to the region of the finger of the second user; and

generating a record that associates the pattern of sensor data with a command that is associated with the region of the finger of the second user.

8. A computer program product for controlling a peripheral device, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to respond to a determination by a ring device that a user of the ring device has issued a command by touching a thumb of the user to a region of a finger of the user by identifying a command that is associated with the region of the finger, wherein both the thumb of the user and the finger of the user are of a single hand of the user; and

program instructions to wirelessly pass the command to a peripheral device, wherein the command controls a function of the peripheral device.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the ring device includes one or more sensors configured to measure movement of the thumb of the user, and wherein the thumb of the user is wearing the ring device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, the program instructions including:

program instructions to determine whether the user has issued the command by touching the thumb to a region of the finger based on sensor data that was gathered by one or more sensors of the ring device.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a surface of the finger includes a plurality of regions and at least one region of the plurality of regions is associated with a number such that touching of the thumb to the at least one region of the finger is interpreted by the ring device as a selection of the number.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a space between at least two regions of the finger represents a range of numbers, and wherein the ring device is configured to determine a value associated with a given touch of the thumb to the finger based on a point of contact of the thumb and finger in the space between the at least two regions of the finger.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, the program instructions including:

program instructions to respond to the determination by the ring device that the user of the ring device has issued the command by touching the thumb of the user to the region of the finger of the user by determining whether the user has a level of authorization that is required to control the function of the peripheral device.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, the program instructions including:

program instructions to respond to a determination that a second user of the ring device has initiated a calibration procedure by instructing the second user to move a thumb of the second user to a region of a finger of the second user;

program instructions to determine a pattern of sensor data that corresponds to movement of the thumb of the second user to the region of the finger of the second user; and

program instructions to generate a record that associates the pattern of sensor data with a command that is associated with the region of the finger of the second user.

15. A computer system for controlling a peripheral device, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage medium;

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to respond to a determination by a ring device that a user of the ring device has issued a command by touching a thumb of the user to a region of a finger of the user by identifying a command that is associated with the region of the finger, wherein both the thumb of the user and the finger of the user are of a single hand of the user; and

program instructions to wirelessly pass the command to a peripheral device, wherein the command controls a function of the peripheral device.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the ring device includes one or more sensors configured to measure movement of the thumb of the user, and wherein the thumb of the user is wearing the ring device.

17. The computer system of claim 16, the program instructions including:

program instructions to determine whether the user has issued the command by touching the thumb to a region of the finger based on sensor data that was gathered by one or more sensors of the ring device.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein a surface of the finger includes a plurality of regions and at least one region of the plurality of regions is associated with a number such that touching of the thumb to the at least one region of the finger is interpreted by the ring device as a selection of the number.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein a space between at least two regions of the finger represents a range of numbers, and wherein the ring device is configured to determine a value associated with a given touch of the thumb to the finger based on a point of contact of the thumb and finger in the space between the at least two regions of the finger.

20. The computer system of claim 15, the program instructions including:

program instructions to respond to a determination that a second user of the ring device has initiated a calibration procedure by instructing the second user to move a thumb of the second user to a region of a finger of the second user;

program instructions to determine a pattern of sensor data that corresponds to movement of the thumb of the second user to the region of the finger of the second user; and

program instructions to generate a record that associates the pattern of sensor data with a command that is associated with the region of the finger of the second user.