Method and system for object control

• US 7,834,850 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Navisense
• Original Assignee: Navisense
• Inventors: Boillot, Marc, McIntosh, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Yuk
• Application Number:
  US11/562,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20070120834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 715/863, 200/52
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A system (111) and method (200) for providing sensory feedback (210) for touchless feedback control is provided. The system can include a touchless sensing unit (110) that detects at least one position (304) of an object in a touchless sensing space (300), and an indicator (166) communicatively coupled to the touchless sensing unit that provides sensory feedback associated with the at least one position. The indicator can change in accordance with a location, a recognized movement, or a strength of the touchless sensing space. The sensory feedback can be associated with acquiring a touchless control or releasing a touchless control. The sensory feedback can be visual, auditory, or haptic.

Claims

1. A system for touchless feedback control, comprising:

An ultrasonic touchless sensing unit to;

generate a three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space one inch or more above a device and the ultrasonic sensory space is wider than any size of the device,

generate a plurality of concentric boundary regions within the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space that are each associated with a sensory feedback response;

detect and report at least one position of an object in the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensing space from peak-detection of a directed ultrasonic signal with high-resolution positional accuracy; and

an indicator communicatively coupled to the touchless sensing unit, the indicator providing the sensory feedback response associated with the at least one position of the object in the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space upon crossing a concentric boundary region,

wherein the sensory feedback response is visual, auditory, or haptic.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator further comprises:

a timer, wherein the timer identifies a time length the object is moving in the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space for resolving the high-resolution positional accuracy; and

a feedback unit cooperatively connected to the timer for changing a behavior of the sensory feedback response in accordance with the time length that the object is moving.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the touchless sensing unit recognizes a stationarity of the object via position averaging, and the indicator changes the sensory feedback response based on the stationarity that is recognized in a respective concentric boundary region.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit generates a the ultrasonic sensing space to include the plurality of concentric boundary regions in the ultrasonic sensory space each associated with at least one color, wherein the indicator changes to a color representative of the position of the object when the object is within a respective concentric boundary region corresponding to the color.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the indicator projects a light pattern on the object, and the light pattern that changes behavior in accordance with the location of the object.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the touchless sensing unit comprises

an array of ultrasonic sensors integrated on an embedded device;

and

a processor communicatively coupled to said array of ultrasonic sensors for communicating a coordinate of said object within said three-dimensional space by

emitting an ultrasonic pulse from a first ultrasonic transducer configured to transmit the ultrasonic pulse to produce a directed ultrasonic signal;

estimate a time of flight between when said ultrasonic pulse was transmitted and when the reflected ultrasonic signal was received for a plurality of ultrasonic transducers by wave-front peak detection;

calculate a differential receive time by peak differencing between the directed ultrasonic signal and a previously received directed ultrasonic signal for the plurality of ultrasonic transducers; and

determine the position and relative displacement of said object from said time of flight measurements and said differential receive time measurements for the plurality of ultrasonic transducers from repeated operation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting the sensory feedback in accordance with an ultrasonic transmit strength of the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing sensory feedback further comprises:

adjusting a sensory feedback to signify gaining control of the object; and

adjusting the sensory feedback to signify relinquishing control of the object.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is at least one of a light emitting diode, a monitor, a light contrast display (LCD), an array of illuminating elements, a laser, a color strip, a sound speaker, or a vibration element.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is an illumination element behind a keypad that emanates visible light through the keys.

11. A method for touchless feedback control the steps of:

generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space one inch or more above a device that is wider than any size of the device,

generating a plurality of concentric boundary regions within the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space that are each associated with a sensory feedback response;

monitoring a movement of an object the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensing space from peak-detection of a directed ultrasonic signal with high-resolution positional accuracy;

reporting the position of the object in the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensing space with high-resolution positional accuracy; and

providing the position of the object with the sensory feedback in accordance with the movement,

wherein the sensory feedback is visual, auditory, or haptic.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a location of the object when it is stationary in a concentric boundary region of the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space; and

adjusting an intensity of the sensory feedback based on the location.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising

determining a length of time the object is at a location;

and

adjusting a behavior of the sensory feedback based on the length of time.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

tracking a finger in a touchless ultrasonic sensing space; and

adjusting an illumination in accordance with a location of the finger in the touchless ultrasonic sensing space,

wherein the ultrasonic sensing space is between 1 cm and 10 cm above the touchless sensing unit.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining if a location of the object is within a boundary region of a touchless sensing space; and

changing to an illumination that corresponds to the boundary region.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing sensory feedback changes a lighting pattern, a blinking rate, an intensity, or a color.

17. A method for providing sensory feedback during touchless object control, comprising:

generating a three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space one inch or more above a device that is wider than any size of the device,

generating a plurality of concentric boundary regions within the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space that are each associated with a sensory feedback response

detecting a movement of a finger within the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space ;

reporting a precise position of the finger in the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensing space from peak-detection of a directed ultrasonic signal with high-resolution positional accuracy;

controlling an object in accordance with the movement; and

providing sensory feedback in accordance with the controlling, wherein the sensory feedback is visual, auditory, or haptic.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining if the finger is within a concentric boundary region; and

changing to an illumination that corresponds to the concentric boundary region.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the providing sensory feedback further comprises changing an intensity of the illumination based on an ultrasonic transmit of the three-dimensional ultrasonic sensory space at the location of the finger.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising

recognizing a movement of the object, and changing the sensory feedback to identify the movement that is recognized.