Methods and devices for combining muscle activity sensor signals and inertial sensor signals for gesture-based control

Abstract

There is disclosed a wearable electronic device for use with controllable connected devices. The wearable electronic device includes a band worn on, for example, the forearm of a user, and the band carries at least one muscle activity sensor, at least one inertial sensor, and a processor communicatively coupled to the sensors. The on-board processor is operable to identify, a plurality of gestures made by a user, based on muscle activity detected by the muscle activity sensor(s) and motion detected by the inertial sensor(s). In response to identifying a gesture, the wearable electronic device wirelessly transmits one or more signal(s) in order to interact with a controllable connected device.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Technical Field[0002]The present methods and devices relate generally to human-electronics interfaces, and more specifically to wearable electronic devices that combine muscle activity sensor signals and inertial sensor signals to provide gesture-based control of electronic devices.[0003]2. Description of the Related ArtWearable Electronic Devices[0004]Electronic devices are commonplace throughout most of the world today. Advancements in integrated circuit technology have enabled the development of electronic devices that are sufficiently small and lightweight to be carried by the user. Such “portable” electronic devices may include on-board power supplies (such as batteries or other power storage systems) and may be designed to operate without any wire-connections to other electronic systems; however, a small and lightweight electronic device may still be considered portable even if it includes a wire-connection to another electronic system. For example, a microp...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present disclosure relates to a wearable muscle control sensor that can be used as a human-computer interface (HCI) device. The sensor detects muscle activity in response to the user performing a physical gesture and provides a signal to a processor. The processor analyzes the signals from the muscle activity sensor and the inertial sensor, and identifies the physical gesture performed by the user. The device can also include a calibration module to improve accuracy, and a wireless transmitter to transmit the identified gesture to a connected device. The wearable electronic device can also include a haptic feedback module to provide feedback to the user. The technical effects of this invention include improved accuracy and efficiency in identifying user's physical gesture, and improved user experience.

Problems solved by technology

However, the convenience of being able to carry a portable electronic device has also introduced the inconvenience of having one's hand(s) encumbered by the device itself.

One limitation is that sEMG-based sensors are very susceptible to variations in operating conditions, and signals generated by sEMG sensors may be affected by such variables as skin perspiration, amount of hair, and fat content in the skin.

Because of this, it is very difficult to achieve high gesture recognition rates using just sEMG sensors alone.

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