Device and method for selection of options by motion gestures

• US 8,949,745 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konnech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konntech Incorporated
• Inventors: Yu, Eugene, Yu, Jun, Shao, Guojun
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/449,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A method for selection of an option on a device is provided where the device is enabled for option selection through motion gestures by a user. The method comprises providing at least one option for a first input request and announcing the first input request and at least one option of the first input request. A first motion gesture is detected, and the device determines whether the first motion gesture corresponds to a positive selection or a negative selection, wherein a control module of the device determines whether the first motion gesture meets a threshold for a positive gesture selection or a negative gesture selection. The device advances to a second option and announces the second option upon the determination of a negative selection as the first motion gesture. The selected option for the first input request is stored in a memory of the device after a positive selection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

audibly announcing all textual content displayed on a display of a mobile device, by the mobile device, including a first input request and at least one option of the first input request;

upon audibly announcing a first option of the first input request, detecting motion of the mobile device as a first motion gesture;

capturing linear accelerations and angular velocities of the mobile device along at least two different axes for the first motion gesture;

applying a fast Fourier transform to each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities;

applying a Baum-Welch algorithm to the fast Fourier transform of each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities;

obtaining only five recovery parameters for each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities from the application of the Baum-Welch algorithm;

determining, by the mobile device, whether the first motion gesture corresponds to a first positive motion gesture or a first negative motion gesture by determining whether the first motion gesture meets a first motion threshold for the first positive motion gesture or a second motion threshold for the first negative motion gesture based on the obtained recovery parameters;

in response to determining that the first motion gesture corresponds to the first positive motion gesture, initially selecting the first option as a response to the first input request, providing a user with at least one of auditory feedback and haptic feedback indicating that the first option has been initially selected, and prompting the user via the feedback to use a second motion gesture to confirm the initial selection of the first option as the response to the first input request, wherein the second motion gesture is a different type of motion gesture than the first motion gesture;

detecting motion of the mobile device in response to the prompt as the second motion gesture;

determining whether the second motion gesture corresponds to a second positive motion gesture or a second negative motion gesture by determining whether the second motion gesture meets a third motion threshold for the second positive motion gesture different than the first motion threshold or a fourth motion threshold for the second negative motion gesture different than the second motion threshold; and

in response to determining that the second motion gesture corresponds to the second positive motion gesture, selecting the first option as the response to the first input request, and storing the first option as the response to the first input request in a memory of the mobile device;

in response to determining that the first motion gesture corresponds to the first negative motion gesture, advancing to a second option and audibly announcing the second option.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the second motion gesture corresponds to the second positive motion gesture, advancing to a second input request, audibly announcing the second input request and at least one option of the second input request, and detecting for a third motion gesture.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first motion gesture comprises a rotational motion of the mobile device and the second motion gesture comprises a linear motion of the mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first motion gesture comprises a linear motion having a first direction along a first axis and a second direction opposite to the first direction and the second motion gesture comprises a combination of the linear motion and a rotational motion around a second axis perpendicular to a plane of the mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input request and option information via a communication interface of the mobile device; and

transmitting the response to the first input request via the communication interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting motion of the mobile device as a first motion gesture comprises:

detecting a linear motion comprising motion in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction along an axis in a plane of the mobile device as the first motion gesture, and

wherein detecting motion of the mobile device in response to the prompt as the second motion gesture comprises;

detecting a rotational motion of the mobile device around an axis perpendicular to a plane of the mobile device in response to the prompting as the second motion gesture.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first motion threshold corresponds to a motion along a vertical axis of the mobile device and the second motion threshold corresponds to a motion along a horizontal axis of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to failing to detect a positive motion gesture or a negative motion gesture within a predetermined time period starting after audibly announcing the first option of the first input request, audibly announcing a second option of the first input request and detecting for a third motion gesture.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein all information necessary to enable the user to provide responses and selections are provided as at least one of audible information or haptic feedback.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to initially select the first option of the first input request based only on the first motion gesture.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect motion gestures;

an audio unit configured to announce an input request and at least one option of the input request;

a vibration unit configured to provide haptic feedback to a user by causing the vibration unit to vibrate to prompt the user for a selection confirmation;

a display configured to display input request information and at least one option of the input request;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the mobile device to;

audibly announce all content displayed on the display including a first input request and a first option of the first input request;

upon audibly announcing the first option of the first input request, cause the motion sensor to detect motion of the mobile device as a first motion gesture;

capture linear accelerations and angular velocities of the mobile device along at least two different axes of the first motion gesture;

apply a fast Fourier transform to each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities;

apply a Baum-Welch algorithm to the fast Fourier transform of each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities;

obtain only five recovery parameters for each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities from the application of the Baum-Welch algorithm;

determine whether the first motion gesture corresponds to a first positive motion gesture or a first negative motion gesture by determining whether the first motion gesture meets a first motion threshold for the first positive motion gesture or a second motion threshold for the first negative motion gesture based on the obtained recovery parameters;

in response to determining that the first motion gesture corresponds to the first positive motion gesture, initially select the first option as a response to the first input request, provide the user with at least one of auditory feedback and haptic feedback indicating that the first option has been initially selected, and prompt the user via the feedback to use a second motion gesture to confirm the initial selection of the first option as the response to the first input request, wherein the second motion gesture is a different type of motion gesture than the first motion gesture;

cause the motion sensor to detect motion of the device in response to the prompt as the second motion gesture;

determine whether the second motion gesture corresponds to a second positive motion gesture or a second negative motion gesture by determining whether the second motion gesture meets a third motion threshold for the second positive motion gesture different than the first motion threshold or a fourth motion threshold for the second negative motion gesture different than the second motion threshold; and

in response to determining that the second motion gesture corresponds to the second positive motion gesture, select the first option as the response to the first input request and store the first option as the response to the first input request in the memory; and

in response to determining that the first motion gesture corresponds to the first negative motion gesture, advance to a second option and audibly announce the second option.

12. The device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit or receive input request and option information.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the memory stores instructions that when executed by the processor cause the device to:

in response to determining that the second motion gesture corresponds to the second positive motion gesture, advance to a second input request, cause the audio unit to audibly announce the second input request and at least one option of the second input request, and detect for a third motion gesture.

14. The device according to claim 11,

wherein the first motion gesture comprises a linear motion of the device and the second motion gesture comprises a rotational motion of the device, and

wherein the linear motion has a first direction along a first axis and a second direction opposite to the first direction and the rotational motion is around an axis perpendicular to a plane of the device.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein detect motion of the mobile device as a first motion gesture comprises:

detect a linear motion comprising motion in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction along an axis in a plane of the mobile device as the first motion gesture, and

wherein detect motion of the mobile device in response to the prompt as the second motion gesture comprises;

detect a rotational motion of the mobile device around an axis perpendicular to a plane of the mobile device in response to the prompting as the second motion gesture.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor to cause an apparatus to:

receive, via a communication interface of the apparatus, election ballot information including at least one contest and at least one candidate of the at least one contest;

audibly announce a first contest and at least one candidate of the first contest;

after audibly announcing the first contest and a first candidate of the first contest, detect a first motion gesture indicating a positive selection or a negative selection of the first candidate of the first contest;

capture linear accelerations and angular velocities of the apparatus along at least two different axes of the first motion gesture;

apply a fast Fourier transform to each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities;

apply a Baum-Welch algorithm to the fast Fourier transform of each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities;

obtain only five recovery parameters for each of the linear accelerations and the angular velocities from the application of the Baum-Welch algorithm;

determine whether the first motion gesture meets a first motion threshold for a first positive motion gesture or a second motion threshold for a first negative motion gesture based on the obtained recovery parameters;

in response to determining that the first motion gesture corresponds to the first positive motion gesture, initially cast a vote for the first candidate in the first contest, provide feedback indicating a preliminary selection of the first candidate as a recipient of the vote, and prompt, via at least one of auditory feedback and haptic feedback, a user to use a second motion gesture to confirm casting the vote for the first candidate, wherein the second motion gesture is a different type of motion gesture than the first motion gesture;

detect the second motion gesture in response to the prompt;

determine whether the second motion gesture corresponds to a second positive motion gesture or a second negative motion gesture by determining whether the second motion gesture meets a third motion threshold for the second positive motion gesture different than the first motion threshold or a fourth motion threshold for the second negative motion gesture different than the second motion threshold;

in response to determining that the second motion gesture corresponds to the second positive motion gesture, storing the first candidate as the recipient of the vote for the first contest; and

transmitting, via the communication interface, the stored vote for the at least one contest.