Equipment and method for controlling a wireless communication terminal

• US 8,564,451 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Novak, Yaroslav
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/521,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.6, 340/691.2, 340/691.5, 340/691.6, 340/692, 340/5.21, 340/5.32
• US Class Current: 340/686.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness

Abstract

A sensor pad (105) is adapted to be worn and operated by a user (100) to control a separate wireless communication terminal (103) carried by the user. The sensor pad includes a plurality of discrete sensors each operable to produce an indication signal indicating proximity of a user'"'"'s finger to the sensor and a controller, responsive to receipt of indication signals from a plurality of the sensors, to produce a control signal for delivery to the wireless communication terminal to produce selection of a functional operation of the wireless communication terminal. Also described is a terminal for use with the sensor pad and also equipment and a method of operation.

Claims

1. A sensor pad to be worn by a user and operated by the user to control a separate wireless communication terminal carried by the user, the sensor pad comprising:

a plurality of discrete sensors each operable to produce an indication signal indicating proximity of the user'"'"'s finger to the sensor;

a controller configured to, responsive to receipt of indication signals from a plurality of the sensors, produce a control signal to control a function of the wireless communication terminal; and

a flexible substrate holding the plurality of discrete sensors and the controller;

wherein the sensors are operable to detect proximity of the user'"'"'s fingers when adjacent to a first face of the flexible substrate and the controller is held adjacent to a second face of the flexible substrate.

2. The sensor pad according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is made of a woven fabric material.

3. The sensor pad according to claim 2, wherein the woven fabric material is part of a jacket to be worn by the user.

4. The sensor pad according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to detect when a selected plurality of the sensors have produced an indication signal and to produce a control signal in response to the detection.

5. The sensor pad according to claim 4, wherein the controller is operable to produce different control signals when different selected pluralities of the sensors produce an indication signal.

6. The sensor pad according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to detect when each of a selected plurality of the sensors have produced an indication signal in sequence and to produce a control signal in response to the detection.

7. The sensor pad according to claim 1, wherein each of the sensors is selected from the following:

(i) an electro-mechanical actuator which operates by being pressed by a user'"'"'s finger;

(ii) a device which produces a change in an electrical property of a pressure sensitive material when pressed by a user'"'"'s finger;

(iii) a device which produces a change in an electrical property when it senses touch of a user'"'"'s finger; and

(iv) a device which detects the presence of a complementary device carried by a user'"'"'s finger.

8. The sensor pad according to claim 7, wherein each of the sensors is a device which detects the presence of a complementary device carried by a user'"'"'s finger and the sensor and the complementary device is selected from:

(a) a radiation source and a corresponding radiation detector; and

(b) a device producing a magnetic field and a detector which is operable to detect the magnetic field.

9. The sensor pad according to claim 8, wherein each of the sensors comprises a Hall effect detector which is operable to detect a magnetic field produced by a corresponding magnet held by the user.

10. The sensor pad according to claim 1, further comprising a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver for communicating with the wireless communication terminal.

11. A sensor pad to be worn by a user and operated by the user to control a separate wireless communication terminal carried by the user, the sensor pad comprising:

a plurality of discrete sensors each operable to produce an indication signal indicating proximity of a complementary input device to the sensor;

a controller configured to, responsive to receipt of indication signals from a plurality of the sensors produce a control signal to control a function of the wireless communication terminal; and

a flexible substrate holding the plurality of discrete sensors and the controller;

wherein the sensors are operable to detect proximity of the complementary input device when adjacent to a first face of the flexible substrate and the controller is held adjacent to a second face of the flexible substrate.

12. The sensor pad according to claim 11, wherein the complementary input device comprises a magnet and at least one of the plurality of discrete sensors comprises a Hall effect detector.

13. The sensor pad according to claim 11, wherein the complementary input device is disposed on an outer surface of at least one finger compartment of the at least one glove worn by the user.

14. The sensor pad according to claim 11, further comprising a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver for communicating with the wireless communication terminal.

15. The sensor pad according to claim 11, wherein the flexible substrate is made of a woven fabric material.

16. The sensor pad according to claim 15, wherein the woven fabric material is part of a jacket to be worn by the user.

17. A method of manufacturing a sensor pad to be worn by a user and operated by the user to control a separate wireless communication terminal carried by the user, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of discrete sensors at a first face of a flexible substrate, each sensor producing an indication signal indicating proximity of an input device to the sensor when the input device is adjacent the first face of the flexible substrate;

disposing a controller at a second face of the flexible substrate that, responsive to receipt of indication signals from a plurality of the sensors, produces a control signal to control a function of the wireless communication terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the flexible substrate is made of a woven fabric material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the woven fabric material is part of a jacket to be worn by the user.