Gesture recognition device with minimal wand form factor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11907431-B2
Application number	US-202117547395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 6, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a gesture-recognition (GR) device that includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a controller. The circuit board has an aspect ratio exceeding a threshold value that corresponds to at least a 70 percent difference between length and width of the PCB. The PCB includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit corresponds to a base unit to be grasped by hand of a user. The second unit corresponds to an elongate unit that extends outward from the first unit. The second unit is characterized by a minimal wand form factor. A rigid strength of the second unit is based on at least a shape of an outer shell and a structural attribute of the second unit. The controller controls illumination of a plurality of light sources mounted on the second unit of the circuit board based on assertion signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gesture recognition (GR) device, comprising:
a memory for storing instructions; and
a processor for executing the instructions to perform a method, the method comprising:
controlling illumination of a plurality of light sources mounted on a second unit of a circuit board based on assertion signals,
wherein the circuit board comprises a first unit and the second unit,
wherein the circuit board has an aspect ratio exceeding a threshold value,
wherein the threshold value corresponds to at least 70 percent difference between length and width of the circuit board,
wherein the first unit corresponds to a base unit configured to be grasped by hand of a user,
wherein the second unit corresponds to an elongate unit that extends outward from the first unit,
wherein the second unit is configured to have a minimal wand form factor, and
wherein rigid strength of the second unit is based on at least a shape of an outer shell and a structural attribute of the second unit.

2. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell mounted on the second unit illuminates based on the controlled illumination of the plurality of light sources.

3. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein a first attribute for the minimal wand form factor corresponds to a minimum number of electronic components mounted on the second unit as compared to the first unit.

4. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein a second attribute for the minimal wand form factor corresponds to usage of electric components with minimum complexity and cost.

5. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein the structural attribute of the second unit corresponds to a miniaturized ladder pattern formed by via structures and copper fills along edges of the second unit.

6. The GR device according to claim 5 , wherein the method further comprising routing power signals to the plurality of light sources through the miniaturized ladder pattern along edges of the second unit.

7. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein light rays generated by the plurality of light sources undergo continuous bouncing between inner walls of the outer shell and top and bottom surfaces of the second unit to which a solder mask is applied, and
wherein the continuous bouncing of the light rays results in maximum diffusion of the light rays and maximum illumination.

8. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein body of the outer shell is comprises two hollow translucent side members that are clam-shelled and secured together along with the second unit in middle by using a fastening mechanism, and
wherein boundaries of the hollow translucent side members are ultrasonically welded to form a continuous translucent member with a regular shape.

9. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein body of the outer shell is injection moulded, slid onto the second unit, secured together by a fastening mechanism, and ultrasonically welded to form a continuous translucent member with a regular shape.

10. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein each light source from the plurality of light sources is configured to illuminate a corresponding hollow channel that is a portion of the outer shell.

11. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein outer surface of the outer shell is frosted and textured such that light rays are leaked and diffused at the outer surface of the outer shell.

12. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is formed using a polymer blend with one of a first, a second or a third variation,
wherein the first variation of the polymer blend is clear and frosted,
wherein the second variation of the polymer blend is 50-90% translucent with a color tint, and
wherein the third variation of the polymer blend is 50-90% translucent and mixed with silicon powder to increase light diffusion.

13. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources correspond to right-angled light emitting diodes (LEDs) facing towards a tip of the second unit.

14. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are mounted as pairs of light sources on both top and bottom surfaces of the second unit.

15. The GR device according to claim 14 , wherein a first location of a first light source of a pair of light sources mounted on the top surface is above a second location of a second light source of the pair of light sources mounted on the bottom surface for uniform illumination.

16. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein a degree of translucency of the outer shell is based on material of the outer shell and coatings of paint applied on top and/or bottom surfaces of the outer shell.

17. The GR device according to claim 1 , wherein a boundary outline of the GR device is determined based on a combination of a contour of the first unit and the second unit of the circuit board and a flex printed circuit,
wherein the contour of the first unit and the second unit of the circuit board is one of a straight contour, an offset contour or a curved contour based on the one or more key contour elements, and
wherein the one or more key contour elements correspond to an inner curvature, a corner radius, and a profile of the circuit board.

18. A circuit board, comprising:
a first unit that corresponds to a base unit configured to be grasped by hand of a user;
a second unit that corresponds to an elongate unit extends outward from the first unit, wherein the first unit and the second unit are configured to have a minimal wand form factor,
wherein the first unit and the second unit form an integral unit having an aspect ratio exceeding a pre-defined threshold value, and
wherein rigid strength of the second unit is based on at least a shape of an outer shell and a structural attribute of at least the second unit; and

a plurality of light sources mounted on the second unit is configured to be illuminated based on assertion signals.

19. The circuit board according to claim 18 , wherein the structural attribute of the second unit corresponds to a miniaturized ladder pattern along edges of the second unit formed by via structures and copper fills,
wherein the illumination of the plurality of light sources is controlled by a controller, and
wherein power and light source control signals are routed to the plurality of light sources between the miniaturized ladder pattern along edges of the second unit for the controlled illumination.

20. The circuit board according to claim 18 , wherein light rays generated by the plurality of light sources undergo continuous bouncing between inner walls of the outer shell and surface of the second unit to which a solder mask is applied, and
wherein the continuous bouncing of the light rays results in maximum diffusion of the light rays and maximum illumination.

Assignees

• Warner Bros Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Nocon Nathan
• Hsu Jonathan
• Goslin Michael

Classifications

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• A63F9/24

  Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A63H33/22

  Optical, colour, or shadow toys ({puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613}; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08) · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/0346 Primary

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title