Detecting twist input with an interactive cord

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10402020-B1
Application number	US-201615352411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

This document describes techniques and devices for detecting twist input with an interactive cord. An interactive cord may be constructed with one or more conductive yarns wrapped around a cable in a first direction (e.g., clockwise), and one or more conductive yarns wrapped around the cable in a second direction that is opposite the first direction (e.g., counter-clockwise). A controller measures one or more capacitance values associated with the conductive yarns. In response to detecting a change in the one or more capacitance values, the controller determines that the change in the capacitance values corresponds to twist input caused by the user twisting the interactive cord. Then, the controller initiates one or more functions based on the twist input, such as by controlling audio to a headset by increasing or decreasing the volume, scrolling through menu items, and so forth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an interactive cord comprising a cable and a fabric cover that covers the cable, the fabric cover comprising:
at least two conductive yarns that are wrapped around the cable in a first direction, the at least two conductive yarns configured as transmitting lines; and
at least two other conductive yarns that are wrapped around the cable in a second direction, the at least two other conductive yarns configured as receiving lines; and

a controller coupled to the interactive cord, the controller configured to:
determine that a change in one or more capacitance values associated with the at least two conductive yarns configured as the transmitting lines and the at least two other conductive yarns configured as the receiving lines corresponds to a twist input received by the interactive cord, the determination comprising:
collecting sensor pair values by transmitting a signal on each of the transmitting lines, and measuring the signal on each of the receiving lines;
assigning the each of the transmitting lines a unique order number based on the sensor pair values;
performing, for the each of the transmitting lines, a table lookup to determine a twist likelihood value based on the unique order number; and
determining the twist input based on a sum of the twist likelihood values for the each of the transmitting lines; and

initiate one or more functions in response to the determination of the twist input.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a direction of the twist input, and wherein the controller initiates the one or more functions based at least in part on the direction of the twist input.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined direction of the twist input corresponds to twisting the interactive cord clockwise or counter-clockwise.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine an amount of the twist input or a speed of the twist input, and wherein the controller initiates the one or more functions based at least in part on the amount or the speed of the twist input.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the change in the one or more capacitance values corresponds to a slide input to the interactive cord.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate one or more additional functions based on the slide input.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a direction of the slide input, and wherein the controller initiates the one or more additional functions based at least in part on the direction of the slide input.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the change in the one or more capacitance values using mutual capacitance sensing.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is implemented at one of the interactive cord or a computing device coupled to the interactive cord.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interactive cord comprises a cord for ear buds or headphones, a data transfer cord, or a power cord.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more functions correspond to a function that increases or decreases an amount of volume.

12. A system comprising:
an interactive cord, the interactive cord comprising:
an inner layer comprising a cable and one or more conductive yarns wrapped around the cable in a first direction, the one or more conductive yarns configured as transmitting lines;
an outer layer comprising one or more other conductive yarns wrapped around the inner layer in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, the one or more other conductive yarns configured as receiving lines; and

a controller coupled to the interactive cord, the controller configured to:
determine that a change in one or more capacitance values associated with the at least two conductive yarns configured as the transmitting lines and the one or more other conductive yarns configured as the receiving lines corresponds to a twist input received by the interactive cord, the determination comprising:
collecting sensor pair values by transmitting a signal on each of the transmitting lines, and measuring the signal on each of the receiving lines;
assigning the each of the transmitting lines a unique order number based on the sensor pair values;
performing, for the each of the transmitting lines, a table lookup to determine a twist likelihood value based on the unique order number; and
determining the twist input based on a sum of the twist likelihood values for the each of the transmitting lines; and

initiate one or more functions in response to the determination of the twist input.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a direction of the twist input is the same direction as the second direction based on an increase in the one or more capacitance values.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein twisting the interactive cord in the same direction as the second direction causes a distance between the transmitting lines and the receiving lines to decrease thereby increasing the one or more capacitance values.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a direction of the twist input is an opposite direction of the second direction based on a decrease in the one or more capacitance values.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein twisting the interactive cord in the opposite direction of the second direction causes a distance between the transmitting lines and the receiving lines to increase thereby decreasing the one or more capacitance values.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate a first function in response to determining that a direction of the twist input corresponds to the first direction, and to initiate a second function in response to determining that the direction of the twist input corresponds to the second direction.

18. A method implemented by a controller coupled to an interactive cord that includes a cable and at least two conductive yarns configured as transmitting lines that are wrapped around the cable in a first direction and at least two other conductive yarns configured as receiving lines that are wrapped around the cable in a second direction, the method comprising:
determining that a change in one or more capacitance values associated with the at least two conductive yarns configured as the transmitting lines and the at least two other conductive yarns configured as the receiving lines corresponds to a twist input received by the interactive cord, the determination comprising:
collecting sensor pair values by transmitting a signal on each of transmitting lines, and measuring the signal on each of the receiving lines;
assigning the each of the transmitting lines a unique order number based on the sensor pair values;
performing, for the each of the transmitting lines, a table lookup to determine a twist likelihood value based on the unique order number; and

determining the twist input based on a sum of the twist likelihood values for the each of the transmitting lines; and
initiating one or more functions in response to the determination of the twist input.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining a direction of the twist input, wherein the initiating one or more functions is based at least in part on the direction of the twist input.

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Starner Thad Eugene
• Sawyer Karissa A
• Priest-Dorman Greg Ellis
• Moeller Jonathan
• Rathi Nidhi
• Liu Jianyi
• Ding Yao
• Leung Chi Kin Benjamin

Classifications

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04R1/1033 Primary

  Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels (cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title