Hybrid input device for touchless user interface

• US 9,147,398 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Richard, Kivioja, Jani, Matthews, Andrew Peter, Astley, Michael, Borini, Stefano Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAS, JESSE SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/747,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 704231-257, 704270-275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/121 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity, of the fluid moisture content of the tested material G01N27/048
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/125 Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/00 Aspects of pattern recognition specially adapted for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

An apparatus includes a breath sensor including a film configured to sense a variation in electrical impedance based on a moisture gradient and output the sensed variation as an output signal; and a controller configured to process the output signal from the breath sensor. The apparatus is configured to receive the output signal from the breath sensor and provide a signal in response thereto.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a sensor comprising a sensing film configured to provide a signal based upon a user'"'"'s breath; and

a controller operably associated with the sensor, where the controller is configured to receive the signal based upon the user'"'"'s breath;

where the signal based upon the user'"'"'s breath is a variation in electrical impedance received on the sensing film; and

where the variation in electrical impedance is a decrease over a short period of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a microphone operably associated with the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, where the sensing film is selected from the group consisting of graphene oxide, graphene, functionalized graphene, fluorographene, molybdenite, boron nitride, and combinations of the foregoing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, where the controller includes a speech recognition system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where the controller includes a means for analyzing a velocity of a selected portion of speech of the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, where the controller includes a means for analyzing a thermal signature of a selected portion of the user'"'"'s breath.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, where moisture released from the user'"'"'s breath is used for identification of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, where the controller comprises a means for signal processing that filters out at least a portion of the signal from the sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, where the sensor senses humidity in the user'"'"'s breath.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, where the received signal based upon the user'"'"'s breath awakens a component of the apparatus from a sleep mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, where the short period of time over which the decrease occurs is about 10 to 12 milliseconds.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a breath sensor comprising a film configured to sense a variation in electrical impedance based on a moisture gradient and output the sensed variation as an output signal; and

a controller configured to process the output signal from the breath sensor;

where the apparatus is configured to receive the output signal from the breath sensor and provide a signal in response thereto; and

where the variation in electrical impedance is a decrease over a short period of time.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, where the controller includes a speech recognition system.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, where the signal provided in response to the user'"'"'s breath awakens the controller from a sleep mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a control mechanism associated with the controller, the control mechanism being configured to transform the signal from the breath sensor to a square wave.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a microphone operably associated with the controller, the microphone being configured to receive an auditory signal from the user, the auditory signal being transformed into an electronic signal that can be used for at least one of user identification and mood recognition of the user.

17. A method, comprising:

providing a user interface comprising a sensor that includes a film configured to provide a signal as a result of moisture, and a controller operably associated with the sensor, the controller comprising a processor;

receiving an input from a user at the user interface, the input comprising moisture in the form of humidity from a breath from the user;

producing the signal from the input based upon the breath of the user; and

receiving the signal produced from the input from the breath of the user at the processor and processing the signal;

where the signal produced from the input based upon the breath of the user is a variation in electrical impedance received on the film; and

where the variation in electrical impedance is a decrease over a short period of time.

18. The method of claim 17, where processing the signal at the processor comprises analyzing the signal from the input based upon the breath of the user to determine at least one of velocity of speech, thermal signature, and moisture signature.

19. The method of claim 18, where the determination of at least one of velocity of speech, thermal signature, and moisture signature is used to awaken the controller from a sleep mode.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive an input from a user, the input comprising moisture in the form of humidity based upon a breath from the user;

produce a signal from the input based upon the breath of the user; and

receive the signal produced from the input based upon the breath of the user at a processor and process the signal;

wherein the signal from the input based upon the breath of the user is a variation in electrical impedance; and

where the variation in electrical impedance is a decrease over a short period of time.