Multi-touch interactions on eyewear

• US 9,016,857 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Benko, Hrvoje, Saponas, Timothy Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/707,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 351/158, 351/44, 351/49, 351/111, 351/121, 351/41, 345/7, 345/8, 345/173, 345/174, 381/381, 381/375
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards eyewear configured as an input device, such as for interaction with a computing device. The eyewear includes a multi-touch sensor set, e.g., located on the frames of eyeglasses, that outputs signals representative of user interaction with the eyewear, such as via taps, presses, swipes and pinches. Sensor handling logic may be used to provide input data corresponding to the signals to a program, e.g., the program with which the user wants to interact.

Claims

1. A system comprising, eyewear configured as an input device, the eyewear including a multi-touch sensor set comprising one or more multi-touch sensors configured to sense user interaction with the eyewear and output signals representative of the user interaction, the multi-touch sensor set including at least one inward facing sensor to recognize a profile of a user of the eyewear, the multi-touch sensor set coupled to sensor handling logic to provide input data corresponding to the signals to a program, and applying preferences corresponding to the recognized profile for interacting with the program.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-touch sensor set comprises at least one sensor configured to detect a swipe gesture.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-touch sensor set comprises at least one sensor configured to detect a plurality of different pressures.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the eyewear comprises augmented reality glasses, near-eye displays, eyeglasses having corrective lenses, stereoscopic glasses, safety glasses, sunglasses, reading glasses, glasses with active shutters or goggles.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-touch sensor set comprises at least one of:

a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a piezo-electric-based sensor, an optical sensor, a light-based sensor, or a reflective sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the multi-touch sensor set is molded into frames of the eyewear, or affixed to the frames of the eyewear, or both molded into frames of the eyewear and affixed to the frames of the eyewear.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the multi-touch sensor set is located on a lens of the eyewear.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the multi-touch sensor set is located on a frame above a lens of the eyewear, on a frame below a lens of the eyewear, or both.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the multi-touch sensor set is located on a stem of the eyewear.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor that is configured to provide signals used to determine whether the eyewear is currently being worn by a user.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor that is configured to provide signals used to differentiate whether the eyewear is currently being moved by a user versus being used as an input device by the user.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising another input device, the program operating based upon input initiated at the multi-touch sensor set and input initiated at the other input device.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-touch sensor set is coupled to the sensor handling logic at least in part via a wireless medium.

14. A method comprising:

sensing user interaction with a multi-touch eyewear sensor set comprising one or more sensors;

outputting signals representative of the interaction to provide for user interaction with an interactive program;

recognizing a profile of a user using at least one inward facing sensor in the multi-touch eyewear sensor set; and

applying preferences corresponding to the recognized profile for user interaction with the interactive program.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein sensing the user interaction comprises sensing a tap, a press, a pinch, or a swipe gesture, or any combination of signals representative of the tap, the press, the pinch, or the swipe gesture via one or more sensors of the multi-touch eyewear sensor set.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein sensing the user interaction comprises sensing a press-and-hold at a sensor of the multi-touch eyewear sensor set.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to user input activity sensed via an eyewear sensor set;

recognizing a profile of a user using at least one inward facing sensor in the eyewear sensor set;

processing the information into at least one input event based on the recognized profile of the user; and

buffering data corresponding to the at least one input event.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer executable instructions comprising, processing at least some of the data corresponding to the at least one input event to determine a meaning, and using the meaning to change a current state of a program or device.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer executable instructions comprising, combining the data corresponding to the at least one input event with input data of another input mechanism.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer executable instructions comprising, outputting signals corresponding to the information from the sensor set, including outputting signals representative of a tap, a press, a pinch, or a swipe gesture, or any combination of signals representative of a tap, a press, a pinch, or a swipe gesture.