Self-Mixing Interferometry for Silent Gesture Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable electronic devices face limitations in receiving user inputs due to the need for voice recognition in noisy environments and the requirement for manual button presses, which can be inconvenient or impossible in certain situations.
Innovation Solution
Equipping wearable devices with self-mixing interferometry sensors that detect skin deformations or vibrations on the user's head, allowing for voiceless gesture commands and silent speech recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If voice recognition is used to receive user inputs, then hands-free operation is achieved, but accuracy deteriorates in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines voice recognition with skin vibration detection to create a hybrid input system. The skin vibration sensor detects mechanical vibrations from speech that complement acoustic signals, allowing the system to maintain accuracy in noisy environments while preserving hands-free operation. This merging of sensing modalities resolves the contradiction by adding a non-acoustic dimension to voice recognition.
2Measurement precision
If button press input is used, then input accuracy is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates when hands are occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical button press system with a skin vibration detection system that senses mechanical vibrations from speech-induced skin movement. This substitution eliminates the need for manual button interaction while maintaining input detection accuracy through the detection of characteristic vibration patterns associated with speech acts.
3Device complexity
If traditional input methods are used, then device complexity remains low, but adaptability deteriorates in various usage scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional input system where the skin vibration sensor can detect various types of user inputs including voiced speech, silent gestures, and head movements. This universal sensing capability allows the device to adapt to multiple usage scenarios (hands-free operation, precise control, privacy-preserving input) without requiring separate dedicated sensors for each function, thereby managing complexity while enhancing versatility.
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
Enables reliable user input detection in noisy environments and hands-free operation by using skin deformation and vibration information to identify commands accurately.
Implementation Method 1
a self-mixing interferometry sensor mounted to the frame and configured to emit a beam of light
Implementation Method 2
The self-mixing interferometry sensor may direct the beam of light toward a location in an ear of the user
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are wearable devices, their configurations, and methods of operation that use self-mixing interferometry signals of a self-mixing interferometry sensor to recognize user inputs. The user inputs may include voiced commands or silent gesture commands. The devices may be wearable on the user's head, with the self-mixing interferometry sensor configured to direct a beam of light toward a location on the user's head. Skin deformations or vibrations at the location may be caused by the user's speech or the user's silent gestures and recognized using the self-mixing interferometry signal. The self-mixing interferometry signals may be used for bioauthentication and/or audio conditioning of received sound or voice inputs to a microphone.