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Publication Number
US-11762473-B2
Publication Date
2023-09-19
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for gesture-based control are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system may include a wearable device configured to obtain physiological data and wrist location data. The system may be configured to detect a first gesture and transition to an object control state in which changes in the wrist location data and/or the physiological data are configured to control a movement of the object. In the object control state, the system may be configured to detect a first motion of a body part, generate a first command to move the object in a first command direction, detect a second motion of the body part, and generate a command to move the object in a second command direction. The system may detect a second gesture indicating an intention to cease control of the object, and transition out of the object control state.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a wrist-worn human-machine interface for gesture-based control of an object. A wearable device worn on a wrist obtains physiological data indicating a state of a person’s hand and wrist location data comprising information relating to a state of the person’s wrist. Based on the physiological data, the system detects a first gesture indicating an intention to control an object.
In response to detecting the first gesture, the system transitions to an object control state in which changes in the wrist location data and/or the physiological data are configured to control a movement of the object. While in the object control state, the system detects a first motion of a body part in a first motion direction and generates a first command mapped to the first motion direction. The system then detects a second motion in a second motion direction different from the first and generates a second command mapped to the second motion direction.
After generating commands to move the object in the first and second command directions, the system detects, based on at least the physiological data, a second gesture indicating an intention to cease control of the object. In response, the system transitions out of the object control state. The documented approach also includes wake/sleep operation with motion silencing and a processing pipeline that maps wrist location data and primitive gestures to control.
The invention further describes using wrist location data to determine a directional vector and using physiological data to detect a selection gesture for selecting a target during object control. The target corresponds to an object to be controlled, and selection is grounded in directional vector mapping. The documented pipeline includes feature extraction and gesture detection using a machine learning model, with device interfaces and feedback devices for the user.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides two independent claims: one system claim and one method claim. Across these claims, the inventive features center on using wrist-worn sensing of hand state (physiological data) together with wrist state (wrist location data) to enter an object control state, map different motion directions to different movement commands, and exit that state using a cease-control gesture, with directional-vector target selection also mentioned.
Wrist-worn physiological and wrist location sensing for gesture-based control
A wearable device configured to be worn on a wrist and comprising one or more sensors obtains physiological data configured to indicate a state of a person’s hand and wrist location data comprising information relating to a state of the person’s wrist.
Gesture-triggered transition into an object control state
Based on at least the physiological data, the system detects a first gesture indicating an intention to control an object, and in response transitions to an object control state in which changes in the wrist location data and/or the physiological data are configured to control a movement of the object.
Direction-mapped motion commands while in the object control state
While in the object control state, the system detects based on the physiological data and/or the wrist location data a first motion of a body part in a first motion direction, and in response generates a first command to move the object in a first command direction mapped to the first motion direction; it then detects a second motion in a second motion direction different from the first and generates a second command to move the object in a second command direction mapped to the second motion direction.
Gesture-based transition out of object control
After generating the commands, the system detects based on at least the physiological data a second gesture indicating an intention to cease control of the object, and in response transitions out of the object control state.
Directional-vector-based target selection
The system determines a directional vector from wrist location data, detects a selection gesture from physiological data, and selects a target based on the directional vector when the selection gesture is detected, where the target is or includes the object to be controlled in the object control state.
Collectively, the independent claims cover a wrist-worn interface that uses physiological data and wrist location data to detect an intention-to-control gesture, enter an object control state, translate different body-part motion directions into mapped movement commands, and detect a cease-control gesture to exit, with directional-vector-based target selection also included.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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