Acceleration-Based Gesture Control for Buttonless Electronic Devices

Solution Overview

Problem

The proliferation of integrated functions in electronic devices, such as smart speakers with lighting features, leads to excessive button usage, complicating operations and reducing user experience due to increased time consumption in locating buttons, especially in low-light conditions.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with an acceleration sensor and feedback circuit that recognizes user actions, such as slaps, to perform corresponding functions without the need for physical buttons, thereby simplifying operation and enhancing user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If physical buttons are added to control integrated functions (e.g., light strip on/off button on smart speaker), then the electronic device can control multiple functions, but the number of buttons increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunction integration capabilityVSAvoidbutton quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical buttons with acoustic wave recognition technology. The electronic device uses an array of microphones to capture sound waves and identifies user actions (such as clapping or specific hand gestures) through acoustic signal processing, eliminating the need for physical buttons while maintaining control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The acoustic recognition system serves multiple control functions simultaneously. The same sound recognition mechanism can control lighting, audio playback, volume adjustment, and other functions, making a single system universal rather than requiring separate buttons for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple buttons are disposed on the electronic device to control various functions, then all functions can be controlled, but user operation becomes inconvenient due to excessive buttons

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunction control capabilityVSAvoidoperation convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical buttons with acoustic wave recognition technology. The electronic device uses an array of microphones to capture sound waves and identifies user actions (such as clapping or specific hand gestures) through acoustic signal processing, eliminating the need for physical buttons while maintaining control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically recognizes and identifies user actions without requiring manual button pressing. The acoustic recognition system passively detects sound waves in the environment, automatically determines the user's intent based on the sound pattern, and executes the corresponding function, making the device serve itself rather than requiring active button manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If physical buttons are used for controlling functions in low-light conditions, then control is possible, but time consumption increases due to difficulty in locating buttons

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebutton accessibilityVSAvoidbutton location time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical buttons with acoustic wave recognition technology. The electronic device uses an array of microphones to capture sound waves and identifies user actions (such as clapping or specific hand gestures) through acoustic signal processing, eliminating the need for physical buttons while maintaining control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces acoustic waves as an intermediary between the user and the electronic device control system. Instead of directly touching buttons in hard-to-locate positions, users perform gestures that generate sound waves, which are then detected by the microphone array and processed to determine user intent, providing a remote and intuitive control interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Measurement precision

If feedback circuit data is used for action recognition, then control accuracy can be improved, but audio interference from the feedback circuit affects recognition accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaction recognition accuracyVSAvoidaudio interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful audio interference from the feedback circuit from the acoustic signals used for gesture recognition. By separating the interference component from the genuine gesture-related sound waves, the system can accurately identify user actions without being misled by the feedback circuit's audio output.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful audio interference into a beneficial element by using it as a reference signal for noise cancellation. The system learns the characteristics of the feedback circuit's audio output and uses this knowledge to actively cancel the interference, thereby improving the accuracy of gesture recognition in the presence of the feedback circuit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution reduces operation complexity, improves flexibility, and enhances aesthetics by eliminating the need for physical buttons while accurately recognizing user inputs even in scenarios with audio interference.

Implementation Method 1

a variation of a magnitude of acceleration data and interference data based on a time delay between feeding back data by a feedback circuit that is included in the first electronic device and that is used to collect and feed back data related to vibration and performing at least one function, and the acceleration data output by an acceleration sensor included in the first electronic device, where the vibration is generated when the first electronic device performs the at least one function

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcceleration sensing: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentUS20240205577A1Control method and electronic device

Publication Date: 2024.06.20 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

A control method and an electronic device are provided. The electronic device generates vibration when performing at least one function. The electronic device includes an acceleration sensor and a feedback circuit. The acceleration sensor is configured to output acceleration data, and the feedback circuit is configured to collect and feed back data related to the vibration. The electronic device obtains, based on a variation of a magnitude of the obtained acceleration data and interference data, a variation obtained after data processing, and performs action recognition. The electronic device performs a corresponding function based on a recognition result, or controls a second electronic device to perform a corresponding function.