Hybrid Touchless Input Device Using Breath Moisture Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing touchless user interfaces, particularly speech recognition systems, face challenges with high power consumption, difficulty in differentiating user voice from background noise, and limited sensitivity to subtle variations in air velocity and humidity, making them less intuitive and effective in noisy environments.

Innovation Solution

A hybrid user input device incorporating a graphene oxide film sensor that detects moisture gradients to wake the system from low-power mode, providing ultrafast response and enabling background noise reduction, emotional state recognition, and user identification, combined with a microphone for improved speech recognition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If speech recognition systems use traditional microphones and audio channels, then they can detect user voice, but they consume high power and struggle to differentiate voice from background noise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoice detection accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the sensing function into two separate channels: a low-power optical sensing channel for wake-up detection and a high-power audio channel for speech recognition. This segmentation allows the system to use minimal power for the critical wake-up function while maintaining full audio capability when needed, resolving the contradiction between power consumption and detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary optical sensing mechanism that detects breath moisture as a mediator between the user and the system. This intermediary provides a reliable wake-up signal without requiring continuous audio processing, enabling the system to differentiate user presence from background noise while consuming minimal power during idle states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the system uses optical sensing and triangulation for touchless activation, then it can enable touchless operation, but it lacks sensitivity to subtle variations in air velocity and humidity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouchless operationVSAvoidsensitivity to air velocity and humidity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges two sensing modalities: optical sensing for touchless activation and moisture sensing for breath detection. This combination allows the system to maintain touchless operation while gaining enhanced sensitivity to subtle variations in breath characteristics, as the moisture sensor can detect humidity changes that optical sensors alone cannot perceive.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from detecting only optical parameters (for touchless activation) to detecting both optical and moisture parameters (for breath detection). By changing the detection parameters to include moisture content, the system achieves enhanced sensitivity to subtle variations in breath while maintaining the ease of touchless operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Use of energy by moving object

If the system operates in low-power mode, then it conserves energy, but it cannot process speech recognition continuously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower savingsVSAvoidcontinuous speech processing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary wake-up detection using the low-power optical and moisture sensors before engaging the full speech recognition system. This preliminary action filters out false wake-up signals and prepares the system for accurate speech processing only when necessary, allowing continuous productivity while maintaining low-power operation during idle states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system alternates between periodic wake-up detection cycles (low-power mode) and continuous speech processing modes (high-power mode). During idle periods, the system performs periodic checks for user presence through breath detection, then transitions to continuous processing only when wake-up is confirmed, optimizing the balance between power savings and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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

The solution allows for efficient, low-power operation with enhanced sensitivity to user breath signals, reducing noise interference and enabling more accurate mood and user identification, thus improving the usability and security of touchless speech recognition systems.

Implementation Method 1

a breath sensor comprising a graphene oxide film configured to sense a variation in electrical impedance based upon a moisture gradient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMoisture gradient sensing: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9147398B2Hybrid input device for touchless user interface

Publication Date: 2015.09.29 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

AI summary

An apparatus includes a breath sensor including a film configured to sense a variation in electrical impedance based on a moisture gradient and output the sensed variation as an output signal; and a controller configured to process the output signal from the breath sensor. The apparatus is configured to receive the output signal from the breath sensor and provide a signal in response thereto.