Finger tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9594427-B2
Application number	US-201414286910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

The description relates to smart rings. One example can include a finger band configured to accommodate a user's finger. This example can also include a set of pressure sensors positioned on an inner surface of the finger band and configured to sense changes to tendons of the user's finger as pressure differentials and to output associated signals. The example can further include a gesture component configured to interpret the signals from the set of pressure sensors to identify individual actions performed by the user's finger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A smart ring device, comprising:
a finger band configured to accommodate a user's finger;
at least one pressure sensor secured to the finger band in a manner that can detect pressure imparted by a tendon passing through the finger band during performance of actions by the user's finger; and,
a gesture component configured to:
perform an analysis of pressure signals from the at least one pressure sensor indicating that the tendon has imparted pressure on the at least one pressure sensor; and
based at least on the analysis of the pressure signals indicating that the tendon has imparted pressure on the at least one pressure sensor, detect that the user's finger is touching a surface of another device.

2. The smart ring device of claim 1 , further comprising a battery and a wireless charger for the battery contained in the finger band.

3. The smart ring device of claim 2 , wherein the wireless charger comprises conductive coils, wherein the conductive coils are wrapped around the finger band or wherein the conductive coils are associated with the finger band but do not wrap around the finger band.

4. The smart ring device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises an array of pressure sensors radially distributed around an inner surface of the finger band.

5. The smart ring device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a force sensitive resistor or a piezoelectric sensor.

6. The smart ring device of claim 1 , further comprising motion detectors.

7. The smart ring device of claim 6 , wherein the motion detectors comprise audio sensors or accelerometers.

8. The smart ring device of claim 1 , further comprising a communication component configured to communicate an indication of the user's finger touching the surface to a companion device.

9. The smart ring device of claim 8 , wherein the communication component comprises a Bluetooth transmitter.

10. The smart ring device of claim 1 , wherein the gesture component is further configured to:
in a first instance:
receive an indication that the another device is in a text input context; and
responsive to the indication that the another device is in the text input context, interpret an action performed by the user's finger using a stroke classifier; and

in a second instance:
receive an indication that the another device is in a non-text input context; and
responsive to the indication that the another device is in the non-text input context, interpret the action using a scroll classifier.

11. A smart wearable device, comprising:
a finger band configured to accommodate a user's finger;
a set of pressure sensors positioned on an inner surface of the finger band and configured to sense changes to tendons of the user's finger as pressure differentials and to output associated pressure signals indicating pressure imparted by the tendons on the set of pressure sensors; and
a processor configured via computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform an analysis of the pressure signals indicating the pressure imparted by the tendons on the set of pressure sensors; and
based at least on the analysis of the pressure signals indicatinq the pressure imparted by the tendons on the set of pressure sensors, detect that the user's finger is touching a surface of another device.

12. The smart wearable device of claim 11 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
distinguish an individual touch action performed by the touching from another individual action where the user performs a non-touch gesture without touching the surface of the another device.

13. The smart wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the non-touch gesture comprises a finger bend.

14. The smart wearable device of claim 11 , further comprising another sensor and wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine direction of movement of the smart wearable device from output of the another sensor.

15. The smart wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the another sensor comprises a microphone.

16. A method performed by one or more processors, the method comprising:
obtaining pressure signals reflecting pressure imparted by tendon of a user's finger on a pressure sensor positioned on the user's finger;
performing an analysis of the pressure signals indicating the pressure imparted by the tendon on the pressure sensor; and
based at least on the analysis, interpreting the pressure signals reflecting the pressure of the tendon as an indication that the user's finger has contacted a surface of another device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pressure sensor is positioned on a ring and the analysis is performed by the ring.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pressure sensor is positioned on a wearable device, the obtaining the pressure signals is performed by a companion device other than the wearable device, and wherein the companion device performs the analysis.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the companion device, further pressure signals from other pressure sensors positioned on other fingers of the user, and wherein the analysis comprises identifying a multi-finger gesture performed by the user based at least on the pressure signals and the further pressure signals.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the companion device comprises a smart phone, a smart watch, smart glasses, or a display device.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
obtaining additional signals relating to movement of the user's finger while in contact with the surface of the another device and wherein the interpreting comprises interpreting the pressure signals and the additional signals to identify an action performed while the user's finger is in contact with the surface of the another device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Corp
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Priyantha Nissanka Arachchige Bodhi
• Liu Jie

Classifications

• G06F2203/0331

  Finger worn pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/014 Primary

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• G06F3/041

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

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title