User device-based control of system functionality

• US 9,281,727 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coley, Christopher D., Haskin, Menashe, Yuan, Robert A., Satoh, Juli A., Weatherford, William Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Duc
• Application Number:
  US13/666,797
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345168-181
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/27 characterised by a large display in a public venue, e.g. in a movie theatre, stadium or game arena
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2461 Projection of a two-dimensional real image
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/04 having means for generating a flow of cooling medium

Abstract

A user device may include one or more features on a surface of the user device, where a user may interact with the one or more features. In response to a user action with respect to one of the features, a particular sound, frequency, or change in frequency may be output. An augmented reality functional node (ARFN) may detect the sound or frequency and identify a particular operation that corresponds to the sound or frequency. The ARFN may then cause that operation to be performed within an environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors;

a projector;

a microphone;

a passive user device; and

one or more computer-executable instructions maintained in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to;

detect, by the microphone, a sound output in association with the passive user device, the sound being output in response to a user interaction with one or more passive ridges on a surface of the passive user device;

compare the sound to a plurality of known operations; and

determine that the sound corresponds to at least one operation of the plurality of known operations; and

the at least one operation to occur by causing the projector to project at least one of light or an image towards a different device, the different device being configured to perform the at least one operation based at least partly on receiving the light or the image.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more passive ridges are grooves, raised portions, channels, protrusions, or depressions on the surface of the passive user device.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a database that maintains a mapping between a plurality of sounds to each of the plurality of known operations.

4. A method comprising:

detecting, by a microphone associated with a computing device, a sound output in association with a user device based at least in part on a user interaction associated with one or more features of the user device;

determining an operation that corresponds to the sound; and

causing the operation to occur by causing a projector associated with the computing device to project at least one of light or an image towards a different device, the different device being configured to perform the operation based at least partly on receiving the light or the image.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user device is a passive user device that causes an output of known sounds in response to the user interaction with respect to the one or more features, the known sounds corresponding to different operations.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user device is a source of a sound that exists within a scene, and wherein the computing device learns the sound within the scene and a corresponding operation within the scene.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the sound is a change in frequency of a sound that is captured by the microphone associated with the computing device.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the sound that is output is based at least in part on a velocity or a direction associated with the user interaction or a distance between individual ones of the one or more features.

9. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user interaction further includes one or more gestures that are captured by a camera associated with the computing device, the one or more gestures and the sound being utilized to determine the operation to be performed.

10. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the one or more features include one or more passive ridges situated on a surface of the user device, and wherein the user interaction includes a swipe associated with the one or more passive ridges.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the sound or a change in a frequency of sound output in response to the swipe is based at least in part on a velocity of the swipe, a change in velocity of the swipe, a direction of the swipe, a distance of the swipe, a pattern of the swipe, a height of the one or more passive ridges, a distance between the one or more passive ridges, or a width of the one or more passive ridges.

12. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the one or more features include at least one of:

one or more passive ridges;

a thickness of different regions of the user device;

one or more buttons or domes;

one or more clickers;

one or more slider mechanisms;

one or more knobs;

one or more switches;

or

one or more visuals overlaid on the user device.

28. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the physical object is a consumer device different from the computing device, and wherein the causing further comprises instructing, by the computing device, the consumer device to at least one of adjust a volume or adjust a brightness of the consumer device.

13. A method comprising:

detecting, by a microphone associated with a computing device, a sound output in association with a passive user device, the sound being output based at least in part on a user interaction with one or more passive ridges situated on a surface of the passive user device;

comparing the sound to at least one known operation;

determining that the at least one known operation corresponds to the sound; and

causing the at least one known operation to occur by causing a projector associated with the computing device to project at least one of light or an image towards a different device, the different device being configured to perform the at least one known operation based at least partly on receiving the light or the image.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user interaction corresponds to a swipe across the one or more passive ridges, and wherein the sound that is output and the at least one known operation is based at least in part on a velocity of the swipe, a change in velocity of the swipe, a direction of the swipe, a distance of the swipe, a pattern of the swipe, a height of the one or more passive ridges, a distance between the one or more passive ridges, or a width of the one or more passive ridges.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein a distance between the one or more passive ridges varies incrementally such that the sound that is output is a change in frequency resulting from the swipe.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one known operation includes adjusting a parameter of the computing device or a parameter of one or more devices included within a scene.

17. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors;

a projector;

a microphone; and

one or more computer-executable instructions maintained in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to;

detect, by the microphone, a sound output in association with a user device, the sound being based at least in part on a user interaction with one or more features of the user device;

determine an operation that corresponds to the sound; and

cause the operation to occur by causing the projector to project at least one of light or an image towards a different device, the different device being configured to perform the operation based at least partly on receiving the light or the image.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the sound includes a change in frequency of the sound that is output in response to the user interaction with respect to the one or more features.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to determine the operation by comparing the sound to at least one known operation associated with a scene in which the operation is to occur.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system further comprises the user device, and wherein the one or more features include one or more passive ridges, and wherein the user interaction is a swipe associated with the one or more passive ridges.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the operation is determined based at least in part on a velocity of the swipe, a change in velocity of the swipe, a direction of the swipe, a distance of the swipe, a pattern of the swipe, a height of the one or more passive ridges, a distance between the one or more passive ridges, or a width of the one or more passive ridges.

22. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system further comprises the user device, and wherein the one or more features include one or more visuals overlaid on a surface of the user device, and wherein the user interaction is a user selection with respect to at least one of the one or more visuals.

23. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system further comprises the user device, and wherein the one or more features include one or more buttons, domes, or clickers on a surface of the user device, and wherein the user interaction is a user selection with respect to at least one of the one or more buttons or domes.

24. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system further comprises the user device, and wherein the one or more features include a slider mechanism on a surface of the user device, and wherein the user interaction is moving the slider mechanism from a first position to a second position.

25. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system further comprises the user device, and wherein the one or more features include a switch on a surface of the user device, and wherein the user interaction is moving the switch from a first position to a second position.

26. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system further comprises the user device, and wherein the one or more features include a knob on a surface of the user device, and wherein the user interaction is rotating the knob from a first position to a second position.

27. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the output is based at least in part on a thickness of the user device at a region that corresponds to the user interaction.