Radar-based gesture recognition

• US 9,921,657 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sprenger, Mark E., Gwin, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US14/229,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• 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 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

Systems and methods may provide for using one or more radar measurements to detect a gesture of a body part relative to a mobile device and comparing the gesture to one or more known gestures. Additionally, if the gesture corresponds to at least one of the one or more known gestures, an application running on the mobile device may be notified of the gesture. In one example, the one or more radar measurements are obtained from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar modules.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a face defining a reference plane parallel to and overlying the face;

one or more cameras embedded in the mobile device;

a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar modules, each of the plurality of UWB radar modules having;

at least one antenna;

a pulse repetition generator that receives noise from a randomized noise source;

an impulse generator to generate a plurality of outbound pulses via the at least one antenna based on a timing information of the pulse repetition generator;

an impulse receiver to receive a plurality of inbound pulses;

a range controller to gate one or more of the plurality of inbound pulses via the at least one antenna in accordance with a range setting and the timing information from the pulse repetition generator; and

a radar processor to generate one or more radar measurements based on the plurality of inbound pulses;

a detection module, implemented at least partly in one or more of configurable logic or fixed functionality logic hardware, to use exclusively the one or more radar measurements to detect a gesture of a body part relative to the mobile device while an obstruction is positioned between the body part and the mobile device, the detection module further capable to detect the gesture while the body part is outside a line of sight of the one or more cameras, wherein the detection module is to obtain the one or more radar measurements from the plurality of UWB radar modules, wherein the antennas of the plurality of radar modules are positioned along the mobile device so as to enable more than 180 degrees of detection with respect to the reference plane, and wherein the detection is extendable to behind the reference plane;

a recognition module, implemented at least partly in one or more of configurable logic or fixed functionality logic hardware, to compare the gesture to one or more known gestures; and

a notification module, implemented at least partly in one or more of configurable logic or fixed functionality logic hardware, to notify, if the gesture corresponds to at least one of the one or more known gestures, an application running on the mobile device of the gesture,

wherein the behavior of an object presented on a display of the mobile device may be controlled based on the results of the recognition module.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of UWB radar modules includes an antenna positioned along an edge of the mobile device.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the gesture is to be a hand gesture.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the detection module or the recognition module is to identify a lateral characteristic of the gesture.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the detection module or the recognition module is to identify a depth characteristic of the gesture.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of UWB radar modules have a configurable detection range so that objects and motion outside of the detection range are filterable from recognition.

7. A method comprising:

using exclusively one or more radar measurements obtained from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar modules having;

at least one antenna;

a pulse repetition generator that receives noise from a randomized noise source;

an impulse generator to generate a plurality of outbound pulses via the at least one antenna based on a timing information of the pulse repetition generator;

an impulse receiver to receive a plurality of inbound pulses;

a range controller to gate one or more of the plurality of inbound pulses via the at least one antenna in accordance with a range setting and the timing information from the pulse repetition generator; and

a radar processor to generate one or more radar measurements based on the plurality of inbound pulses,

wherein the plurality of UWB radar modules are coupled to a mobile device having a face defining a reference plane parallel to and overlying the face and further having one or more cameras embedded within the mobile device, the plurality of UWB radar modules to detect a gesture of a body part relative to the mobile device with more than 180 degrees of detection with respect to the reference plane, wherein the gesture is detected while an obstruction is positioned between the body part and the mobile device and while the body part is outside a line of sight of the one or more cameras embedded within the mobile device, wherein the detection is extendable to behind the reference plane;

comparing the gesture to one or more known gestures;

notifying, if the gesture corresponds to at least one of the one or more known gestures, an application running on the mobile device of the gesture; and

controlling the behavior of an object presented on a display of the mobile device based on the gesture if the gesture corresponds to a known gesture.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the gesture is a hand gesture.

9. The method of claim 7, further including identifying a lateral characteristic of the gesture.

10. The method of claim 7, further including identifying a depth characteristic of the gesture.

11. The method of claim 7, further including configuring a detection range of the plurality of UWB radar modules so that objects and motion outside of the detection range are filterable from recognition.

12. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions which, when executed by a mobile device that is to include a face defining a reference plane parallel to and overlying the face and further having one or more cameras embedded within the mobile device, causes the mobile device to:

use exclusively one or more radar measurements obtained from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar modules having;

at least one antenna;

a pulse repetition generator that receives noise from a randomized noise source;

an impulse generator to generate a plurality of outbound pulses via the at least one antenna based on a timing information of the pulse repetition generator;

an impulse receiver to receive a plurality of inbound pulses;

a range controller to gate one or more of the plurality of inbound pulses via the at least one antenna in accordance with a range setting and the timing information from the pulse repetition generator; and

a radar processor to generate one or more radar measurements based on the plurality of inbound pulses,

wherein the plurality of UWB radar modules are coupled to the mobile device to detect a gesture of a body part relative to the mobile device with more than 180 degrees of detection with respect to the reference plane while an obstruction is positioned between the body part and the mobile device and while the body part is outside a line of sight of the one or more cameras embedded within the mobile device, wherein the detection is extendable to behind the reference plane;

compare the gesture to one or more known gestures;

notify, if the gesture corresponds to at least one of the one or more known gestures, an application running on the mobile device of the gesture; and

control the behavior of an object presented on a display of the mobile device based on the gesture if the gesture corresponds to a known gesture.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the gesture is to be a hand gesture.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mobile device to identify a lateral characteristic of the gesture.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mobile device to identify a depth characteristic of the gesture.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure a detection range of the plurality of UWB radar modules so that objects and motion outside of the detection range are filterable from recognition.