Methods and Systems for Gesture Based Switch for Machine Control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016291697-A1
Application number	US-201514672750-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples described may relate to methods and systems for gesture based switch for machine control. Some machines may be operated by computing devices that include touchscreens, and a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided for enabling control of the machines. Within examples, a disconnect switch can be incorporated into the GUI. As one example, to initiate operation of a machine, such as a robotic device, a user may be required to contact the touchscreen at a location and then trace out a pattern. To enable continued operation of the machine, the GUI may require the user to maintain contact with the touchscreen at a “goal” position. If contact with the touchscreen is broken (e.g., for more than a threshold amount of time), the machine operation may be halted, and the process to initiate operation can be performed again on the touchscreen to cause the machine to resume operation.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
displaying on a touchscreen of a computing device a pattern include a maze; receiving an input gesture on the touchscreen of the computing device, wherein the input gesture includes contact on the touchscreen at a first location, followed by movement along the pattern on the touchscreen to a second location on the touchscreen so as to complete the maze; based on authentication of the input gesture, displaying on the touchscreen a second location area informing of boundaries for input of contact that qualifies as persistent contact at the second location; enabling control of operation of a machine by the computing device based on the input gesture being authenticated and on the persistent contact at the second location inside the second location area on the touchscreen being detected; further based on the persistent contact at the second location inside the second location area on the touchscreen being detected, the computing device exchanging communications with the machine at regular intervals; and based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location inside the second location area on the touchscreen, disabling control of operation of the machine by the computing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input gesture includes input of a passcode on the touchscreen using swipe motions, followed by movement along the pattern on the touchscreen to a second location.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement along the pattern on the touchscreen includes constant contact on the touchscreen along the pattern.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling control of operation of the machine by the computing device comprises:
the computing device authenticating the input gesture; the computing device detecting the persistent contact at the second location on the touchscreen; and the computing device communicating with the machine to exchange credentials for linking the computing device to the machine.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling control of operation of the machine by the computing device comprises:
determining that input gesture concluded at the second location on the touchscreen and continual contact at the second location on the touchscreen is detected without interruption of contact at the second location on the touchscreen.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein disabling control of operation of the machine by the computing device comprises disabling communications between the machine and the computing device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location of the touchscreen, pausing operation of the machine.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a touch input at the second location corresponding to the persistent contact is lacking for more than a threshold amount of time; and responsively pausing operation of the machine.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, to resume operation of the machine:
receiving a second input gesture on the touchscreen of the computing device; and resuming operation of the machine based on the second input gesture being authenticated and on persistent contact at the second location being detected.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving multiple inputs on the touchscreen, wherein the multiple inputs include one or more additional inputs indicative of one or more instructions for the machine to perform one or more actions and the persistent contact at the second location of the touchscreen; distinguishing, from among the multiple inputs, the one or more additional inputs from the persistent contact at the second location; and using the one or more additional inputs to cause the machine to perform specific functions.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating system of the computing device authenticating the input gesture and monitoring input at the second location for the persistent contact; the operating system providing control of the machine to an application on the computing device; and based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location, the operating system disabling control of operation of the machine by the computing device by locking the touchscreen.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location, causing one or more actions to occur including changing a display on the computing device to a locked state, displaying a message indicating operation of the machine is paused, and providing at the computing device a vibration or audio alert to indicate operation of machine has paused.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
displaying on a touchscreen of the computing device a pattern include a maze; receiving an input gesture on the touchscreen of the computing device, wherein the input gesture includes contact on the touchscreen at a first location, followed by movement along the pattern on the touchscreen to a second location on the touchscreen so as to complete the maze; based on authentication of the input gesture, displaying on the touchscreen a second location area informing of boundaries for input of contact that qualifies as persistent contact at the second location; enabling control of operation of a machine based on the input gesture being authenticated and on the persistent contact at the second location inside the second location area on the touchscreen being detected; further based on the persistent contact at the second location inside the second location area on the touchscreen being detected, exchanging communications with the machine at regular intervals; and based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location inside the second location area on the touchscreen, disabling control of operation of the machine.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the functions further comprise:
based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location on the touchscreen, sending instructions to the machine to perform a specific function.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the functions further comprise based on lack of detection of the persistent contact at the second location of the touchscreen, pausing operation of the machine.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the functions further comprise:
determining that a touch input at the second location corresponding to the persistent contact is lacking for about 1-2 seconds; and responsively pausing operation of the machine.

17 . A system comprising:
a touchscreen; one or more processors; and data storage including instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform functions comprising:
displaying on the touchscreen a pattern include a maze;
receiving an input gesture on the touchscreen, wherein the input gesture includes contact on the touchscreen at a first location, followed by movement along the pattern on the touchscreen to a second location on the touchscreen so as to complete the maze;
based on authentication of the input gesture, displaying on the touchscreen a second location area informing of boundaries for input of contact that qualifies as persistent contact at the second location;
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Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Jules Anthony Sean
• Edsinger Aaron

Classifications

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• 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

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• G06F2221/2133

  Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha · CPC title