Rotating ring for device control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9626031-B2
Application number	US-201514862556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A ring device to be worn on a digit of a user is provided. The ring device includes an inner ring suitable to be worn on a digit of a user and a housing rotatably coupled to the inner ring. Along the housing a touch surface is located along with touch sensors configured to detect a touch input. Additionally, the ring includes rotary sensors configured to detect rotation of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining intentional input to a touch surface of a wearable device, the method comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, a first interaction by a user with the touch surface;
determining, by the one or more processors, an amount of force applied by the first interaction;
determining, by the one or more processors, a duration the first interaction occurred;
responsive to the amount of force applied by the interaction being above a first threshold and the duration the interaction occurred being below a second threshold, storing, by the one or more processors, the first interaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, a command based, at least in part, on the first interaction; and
sending, by the one or more processors, the command to a computing device for execution by the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, a second interaction by a user with the touch surface;
determining, by the one or more processors, an amount of force applied by the second interaction;
determining, by the one or more processors, a duration the second interaction occurred;
responsive to the amount of force applied by the interaction being above a first threshold and the duration the interaction occurred being below a second threshold, storing, by the one or more processors, the second interaction.

4. The method of claim 3 , the method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, a command based, at least in part, on the first interaction, the second interaction, and a duration of time between the first interaction and the second interaction; and
sending, by the one or more processors, the command to a computing device for execution by the computing device.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dow Eli M
• Fitzsimmons Thomas D
• Harvey Joseph D
• Rohde Douglas E

Classifications

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06V40/12

  Fingerprints or palmprints · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

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

• G06F21/32

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title