Gesture-controlled tabletop speaker system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9645786-B2
Application number	US-201414249696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2014
Priority date	Jan 6, 2014
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A tabletop speaker system includes an amplifier, proximity and acceleration detectors, and a processor. The processor is operatively coupled to receive signals from the proximity and accelerometer detectors, and in response to the proximity and acceleration signals, activate various functions local to the tabletop speaker system to operate and control various behaviors or features of the tabletop speaker system. In this way, the tabletop speaker system can respond to user gestures for a very natural control interface.

First claim

We claim:

1. A speaker system, comprising:
a case;
an audio input structured to couple to an audio device and receive a program audio signal from the audio device;
one or more speakers configured to play an audio output based on the program audio signal, the audio output causing a vibration of the case;
an accelerometer coupled to the case and configured to detect the vibration of the case as well as a user tap on the case;
a computer processor configured to identify a user gesture that includes the tap on the case, to identify the tap apart from the case vibration by processing the detected vibration of the case and the detected user tap on the case based on information from the program audio signal to separate the detected user tap from the detected vibration; and to commence a particular function when a user gesture associated with the particular function is identified by the processor; and
a user-accessible input button coupled to the case and to the computer processor, the computer processor further being configured to identify the user gesture based, at least in part, on a condition of the input button.

2. The speaker system of claim 1 , further comprising a proximity detector mounted in the case and coupled to the computer processor, the proximity detector being configured to sense position and motion of a hand of a user, in which the computer processor is configured to identify the user gesture based in part on the sensed position and motion of the user's hand.

3. The speaker system of claim 1 , further comprising a microphone coupled to the computer processor, the microphone being structured to receive ambient audio sounds and to generate an ambient audio signal from the received ambient audio sounds, in which the computer processor is further configured to identify the tap apart from the case vibration based in part on the ambient audio signal.

4. A speaker system, comprising:
a case;
an audio input structured to couple to an audio device and receive a program audio signal from the audio device;
a microphone structured to receive ambient audio sounds and to generate an ambient audio signal from the received ambient audio sounds, the ambient audio sounds causing a vibration of the case;
an accelerometer coupled to the case and configured to detect the vibration of the case as well as a user tap on the case;
a computer processor coupled to the microphone, the processor being configured to identify a user gesture that includes the tap on the case, to identify the tap apart from the case vibration by processing the detected vibration of the case and the detected user tap on the case based on information from the ambient audio signal to separate the detected user tap from the detected vibration; and to commence a particular function when a user gesture associated with the particular function is identified by the processor; and
a user-accessible input button coupled to the case and to the computer processor, the computer processor further being configured to identify the user gesture based, at least in part, on a condition of the input button.

5. The speaker system of claim 4 , further comprising a proximity detector mounted in the case and coupled to the processor, the proximity detector being configured to sense position and motion of a hand of a user, in which the processor is configured to identify the user gesture based in part on the sensed position and motion of the user's hand.

Assignees

• Avnera Corp

Inventors

• Khaira Manpreet S
• O'Connor Shawn
• Prestrelski Frank
• Quinn Patrick Allen
• Sorensen Richard Andrew
• Sorensen Eric

Classifications

• H04R2201/02

  Details casings, cabinets or mounting therein for transducers covered by H04R1/02 but not provided for in any of its subgroups · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  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

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title