Smart ring

• US 9,880,620 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kienzle, Wolf, Hinkley, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US15/287,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20170024008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

The description relates to a smart ring. In one example, the smart ring can be configured to be worn on a first segment of a finger of a user. The example smart ring can include at least one flexion sensor secured to the smart ring in a manner that can detect a distance between the at least one flexion sensor and a second segment of the finger. The example smart ring can also include an input component configured to analyze signals from the at least one flexion sensor to detect a pose of the finger.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a smart ring configured to be worn on a finger of a user;

at least one flexion sensor secured to the smart ring in a manner that can detect flexion of the finger of the user; and

,

a processor and storage storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

analyze signals from the at least one flexion sensor to detect a predetermined initialization sequence, and

in response to the predetermined initialization sequence, place the smart ring in an active state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to perform a calibration of the smart ring based at least in part on the predetermined initialization sequence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to:

analyze further signals from the at least one flexion sensor; and

based at least in part on the calibration, identify a gesture associated with the analyzed further signals.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined initialization sequence is a unique movement of the smart ring by the user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the unique movement is a repeated unique movement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to place the smart ring in an inactive sleep state.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the inactive sleep state comprises a lower power state than the active state of the smart ring.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the inactive sleep state prevents accidental interpretation of user activities as control input.

9. A system, comprising:

a smart ring configured to be worn on a finger of a user;

a rotation sensor secured to the smart ring, the rotation sensor configured to sense rotation of the finger;

a flexion sensor secured to the smart ring, the flexion sensor configured to sense flexion of the finger; and

,

a processor and storage storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to map signals from the rotation sensor and the flexion sensor to a coordinate system of the smart ring.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to identify further rotation signals and further proximity signals as a control input.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to interpret the control input based at least in part on the coordinate system of the smart ring.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor and storage are embodied on a companion device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the companion device comprises a display device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to:

identify a control input indicating that a cursor is moved beyond an edge of a screen of the display device; and

responsive to the control input, adjust an alignment of the coordinate system relative to the screen such that the cursor remains pinned at the edge of the screen.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining rotation signals from a smart ring worn on a finger of a user, the rotation signals reflecting rotation of the finger relative to a hand of the user;

obtaining flexion signals reflecting flexion of the finger; and

,

mapping the rotation signals and the flexion signals to a coordinate system of the smart ring.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising identifying an initialization sequence, wherein the mapping is based at least in part on the initialization sequence.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the initialization sequence includes a unique combination of rotation and flexion movements of the finger.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising identifying further rotation signals and further flexion signals as control inputs and interpreting the control inputs based at least in part on the coordinate system.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising recovering a fingertip position of the finger relative to the hand based at least in part on the coordinate system.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising interpreting multiple fingertip positions of the finger as a gesture performed by the user.