Wearable Ring Gesture Control for Discreet Device Interaction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch-sensitive surfaces and input devices, such as touchpads and touch-screen displays, are cumbersome, inefficient, and inconvenient for certain tasks, especially when hands are preoccupied or fatigued, and they can be inappropriate in social or dangerous environments, with inefficient mode switching and power consumption issues.
Innovation Solution
A wearable ring device with a touch-sensitive surface, processor, wireless transceiver, and haptic actuators that allows users to control external devices with finger gestures and voice commands, providing a more discreet, efficient, and ergonomic interface that conserves power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional touchpads and touch-screen displays are used, then user interaction is possible, but the device becomes cumbersome and inefficient when hands are preoccupied or fatigued
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical touchpad and touchscreen interfaces with voice recognition and gesture-based controls. The voice-input recognition system allows users to interact with devices hands-free, eliminating the need for physical contact with cumbersome input devices. Gesture sensors detect hand movements and translate them into commands, providing a more natural and less fatiguing interaction method.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple input modalities (voice recognition, gesture sensing, and touch input) into a single unified interface. This multi-functional approach allows users to switch between different interaction methods depending on their needs, making the device adaptable to various situations including hands-free operation, distant control, and traditional close-range interaction.
2Ease of operation
If touch-screen displays are used in certain environments, then user interaction is enabled, but it may be inappropriate in social environments or dangerous if it gives away the position of a threatened user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the always-visible touchscreen display with voice-input recognition and gesture-based controls. This allows users to interact with devices without exposing their location through screen visibility. The voice recognition system enables discreet interaction in public spaces, while gesture controls allow for private communication without visual exposure, enhancing both social appropriateness and personal safety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple input modes such as keyboard and mouse are used, then various functions can be accessed, but switching back-and-forth between different input modes is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates voice recognition, gesture sensing, and touch input into a single unified interface that can handle multiple functions simultaneously. Users can issue voice commands for text input, use gestures for navigation and selection, and combine these with touch input, eliminating the need to switch between separate keyboard and mouse modes. This unified multi-functional approach maintains versatility while improving interaction efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts between different input modalities based on user needs and context. The interface can switch between voice, gesture, and touch modes seamlessly, allowing users to choose the most efficient interaction method for each task without manual mode switching. This dynamic adaptability maintains versatility while optimizing productivity.
4Ease of operation
If existing touch-sensitive surfaces are used, then user input can be received, but power consumption is high and battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces power-intensive touchscreen displays with low-power voice recognition and gesture sensing systems. Voice-input recognition processes audio signals without requiring high-energy display components, while gesture sensors detect movements passively or with minimal active elements. This substitution dramatically reduces power consumption while maintaining input capability, extending battery life for mobile devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A user controls an external electronic device with wireless ring device; the ring is disposed on one or more fingers of a hand of the user, detects an input, and, in response: in accordance with a determination that a predefined hand gesture directed toward a first external electronic device was performed, using the ring device, prior to detecting the input, the ring device transmits instructions to change an output of the first external electronic device based on the input; and, in accordance with a determination that the predefined hand gesture directed toward a second external electronic device was performed, using the ring device, prior to detecting the input, the ring device transmits instructions to change an output of the second external electronic device based on the input.