System and method for controlling a vehicle user interface based on gesture angle

An in-vehicle computing system allows a user to control components of the vehicle by performing gestures. The user provides a selecting input to indicate that he wishes to control one of the components. After the component is identified, the user performs a gesture to control the component. The gesture and the component that was previously selected are analyzed to generate a command for the component. Since the command is based on both the gesture and the identified component, the user can perform the same gesture in the same position within the vehicle to control different components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/228,395, entitled “Vehicle User Interface System,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to gesture recognition and in particular to controlling different components of a vehicle with gestures.

2. Description of the Related Arts

Conventionally, a user in a vehicle can interact with features in a vehicle by interacting with physical controls such as knobs, dials, and switches on a console inside the vehicle. Physical controls are commonly used to perform adjustments like tilting the side mirrors or air conditioning vents or to interact with a multimedia system in the vehicle. Alternatively, a vehicle may include an integrated computing system that allows a user to control various components of the vehicle by performing physical gestures on a touchscreen that displays a user interface. However, it is often cumbersome and inconvenient for the user to reach forward or sideways to interact with a touchscreen or manipulate a physical control, and these conventional devices frequently present the user with a large number of functions that can be confusing and difficult to use.

SUMMARY

A computing system allows a user to control a component of a vehicle by performing a gesture. The system identifies a first component of the vehicle based on a first selecting input performed by the user. After the user performs a gesture, the system receives a first data signal representing the first gesture. Gesture recognition is performed on the first data signal to generate a first command for controlling the first component. After the first command is generated, the process can be repeated for a second component. The system identifies the second component of the vehicle based on a second selecting input, and the user performs a second gesture. The system receives a second data signal representing the second gesture and performs gesture recognition on the second data signal to generate a second command.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments are now described with reference to the accompanying figures. Like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Also in the figures, the left most digit of each reference number corresponds to the figure in which the reference number is first used.

Overview

An in-vehicle computing system contains a gesture control module that allows a user to control components of the vehicle by performing gestures. The user first may provide a selecting input to indicate that he wishes to control one of the components. For example, the selecting input can include a pointing gesture directed at the component or a voice command identifying the component. The gesture control module analyzes the selecting input to identify the component.

After the component is identified, the user may perform a gesture to control the component. The gesture control module analyzes the gesture and the component that was previously identified in order to generate a command for the component. For example, if the user identified a side mirror and performed a gesture in which he tilts his hand, then the gesture control module generates a command to tilt the side mirror in a similar manner.

Since the command is based on both the gesture and the identified component, the user can perform the same gesture in the same position within the vehicle to control different components. For example, the user can provide a selecting input to identify the side mirror and perform a hand tilting gesture to adjust the orientation of the mirror. After the adjustment is complete, the user can provide a selecting input to identify an air conditioning vent and perform the same hand tilting gesture to adjust the airflow direction of the vent. This results in an intuitive gesture control system that does not require the user to memorize a different set of gestures to control each component.

Operating Environment

FIG. 1illustrates an exemplary operating environment100for various embodiments. The operating environment100may include an in-vehicle computing system112. One example of such a system is an in-vehicle hands free telephone (HFT) controller113which will be used as an example herein for ease of discussion. The operating environment100may also include a wireless mobile communication device (MCD)102, a communication link105for communications between the in-vehicle system112and a network120, a short-range communication link109for communication between the in-vehicle system112and the wireless mobile communication device102, a wireless networking communication link107between the wireless mobile communication device102and the network120, and a remote server122connected to the network120. The communication links described herein can directly or indirectly connect these devices. The network120can be a wireless communication network such as a cellular network comprised of multiple base stations, controllers, and a core network that typically includes multiple switching entities and gateways, for example.

The functions described herein are set forth as being performed by a device in the operating environment100(e.g., the in-vehicle computing system112, the MCD102, and/or the remote server122). In embodiments, these functions can be performed in any of these devices or in any combination of these devices and/or other devices.

The operating environment100includes input devices, such as a camera system132and a microphone134. The camera system132and/or microphone134can be part of the in-vehicle system112(as shown inFIG. 1) or can be in the MCD102(not shown), for example. In one embodiment, the camera system132includes a sensor that captures physical signals from within the vehicle (e.g., a time of flight camera, an infrared sensor, a traditional camera, etc). The camera system132is positioned to capture physical signals from a user such as hand or arm gestures from a driver or passenger. The camera system132can include multiple cameras positioned to capture physical signals from a single capture region in the vehicle or from various capture regions in the vehicle, e.g., driver seat, front passenger seat, second row seats, etc. Alternatively, the camera system132may be a single camera which is focused on one capture region (e.g., the driver seat), has a wide field of view, and can receive signals from more than one occupant of the vehicle, or can change its field of view to receive signals from different occupant positions.

In another embodiment, the camera system132is part of the MCD102(e.g., a camera incorporated into a smart phone), and the MCD102can be positioned so that the camera system132captures gestures performed by the occupant. For example, the camera system132can be mounted so that it faces the driver and can capture gestures by the driver. The camera system132may be positioned in the cabin or pointing toward the cabin and can be mounted on the ceiling, headrest, dashboard or other locations in/on the in-vehicle system112or MCD102.

After capturing a physical signal, the camera system preferably132outputs a data signal representing the physical signal. The format of the data signal may vary based on the type sensor(s) that were used to capture the physical signals. For example, if a traditional camera sensor was used to capture a visual representation of the physical signal, then the data signal may be an image or a sequence of images (e.g., a video). In embodiments where a different type of sensor is used, the data signal may be a more abstract or higher-level representation of the physical signal.

The microphone134may capture audio signals from inside the vehicle. In one embodiment, the microphone134can be positioned so that it is more sensitive to sound emanating from a particular position (e.g., the position of the driver) than other positions (e.g., other occupants). The microphone134can be a standard microphone that is incorporated into the vehicle, or it can be a microphone incorporated into the MCD102. The microphone134can be mounted so that it captures voice signals from the driver. For example, the microphone138may be positioned in the cabin or pointing toward the cabin and can be mounted on the ceiling, headrest, dashboard or other locations in/on the vehicle or MCD102.

The gesture control module136sends control signals to the controllable components142based on inputs from the camera system132and (optionally) the microphone134. After receiving one or more inputs, the module136may provide feedback to the user via the display138and/or the speaker140to provide confirmation that the user has performed a gesture or voice command correctly and/or prompt the user to provide an additional input. A detailed description of the components and operation of the control module136is presented below.

The operating environment100also includes output devices, such as a display138and a speaker140. The display138receives and displays a video signal. The display138may be incorporated into the vehicle (e.g., an LCD screen in the central console, a HUD on the windshield), or it may be part of the MCD102(e.g., a touchscreen on a smartphone). In one embodiment, the display138presents a user interface that allows the user to change settings of various components in the vehicle. The speaker140receives and plays back an audio signal. Similar to the display138, the speaker140may be incorporated into the vehicle, or it can be a speaker incorporated into the MCD102.

The controllable components142include components of the vehicle that can be controlled with gestures performed by the user. For example, the components142may include devices with an adjustable orientation, such as a rearview mirror, exterior side mirrors, and air conditioning outlets. The components142may also include physical controls that are used to control functions of the vehicle. For example, the components142may include buttons and knobs for controlling the air conditioning, multimedia system, or navigation system of the vehicle. The controllable components142may also include a screen in the vehicle that displays a gesture-controlled user interface.

Some or all of the controllable components142may provide the user with an additional control method that does not involve gesture recognition. For example, components with an adjustable orientation (e.g., a mirror or an air conditioning vent) may include a mechanical interface that allows the user to change the component's orientation by adjusting one or more levers.

The in-vehicle hands-free telephone (HFT) controller113and wireless mobile communication device (MCD)102may communicate with each other via a short-range communication link109which uses short-range communication technology, such as, for example, Bluetooth® technology or other short-range communication technology, for example, Universal Serial Bus (USB). The HFT controller113and mobile communications device102may connect, or pair, with each other via short-range communication link109. In one embodiment, the vehicle can include a communications unit116that interacts with the HFT controller113to engage in the short range communications, a memory unit device114, and a processor118. The HFT controller113can be part of a vehicle's telematics system which includes memory/storage, processor(s) and communication unit(s). The HFT controller113can utilize the vehicle's telematics unit to assist in performing various functions. For example, the communications unit116and/or processor118can be part of the vehicle's telematics unit or can be a separate unit in the vehicle.

The processors108,118and/or128process data signals and may comprise various computing architectures including a complex instruction set computer (CISC) architecture, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture, or an architecture implementing a combination of instruction sets. Although only a single processor is shown in each device inFIG. 1, multiple processors may be included in each device. The processors can comprise an arithmetic logic unit, a microprocessor, a general purpose computer, or some other information appliance equipped to transmit, receive and process electronic data signals from the memory104,114,124, and other devices both shown and not shown in the figures.

Examples of a wireless mobile communication device (MCD)102include a cellular phone, personal device assistant (PDA), smart phone, pocket personal computer (PC), laptop computer, tablet computer, smart watch or other devices having a processor, communications capability and are easily transportable, for example. The MCD102includes a communications unit106, a memory unit device104, and a processor108. The MCD102also includes an operating system and can include various applications either integrated into the operating system or stored in memory/storage104and executed by the processor108. In a common form, an MCD application can be part of a larger suite of vehicle features and interactions. Examples of applications include applications available for the IPhone™ that is commercially available from Apple Inc., Cupertino, Calif., applications for phones running the Android™ operating system that is commercially available from Google, Inc., Mountain View, Calif., applications for BlackBerry devices, available from Research In Motion Ltd., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and/or applications available for Windows Mobile devices, available from Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash.

In alternate embodiments, the mobile communication device102can be used in conjunction with a communication device embedded in the vehicle, such as a vehicle-embedded phone, a wireless network card, or other device (e.g., a Wi-Fi capable device). For ease of discussion, the description herein describes the operation of the embodiments with respect to an embodiment using a mobile communication device102. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments and it is envisioned that other embodiments operate using other communication systems between the in-vehicle system112and the network120, examples of which are described herein.

The mobile communication device102and the in-vehicle system112may exchange information via short-range communication link109. The mobile communication device102may store information received from the in-vehicle system112, and/or may provide the information (such as voice and/or gesture signals) to a remote processing device, such as, for example, the remote server122, via the network120. The remote server122can include a communication unit126to connect to the network120, for example, a memory/storage unit124and a processor128.

In some embodiments, the in-vehicle system112may provide information to the mobile communication device102. The mobile communication device102may use that information to obtain additional information from the network120and/or the server122. The additional information may also be obtained in response to providing information with respect to a prompt on wireless mobile communication device102from in-vehicle system112.

The network120may include a wireless communication network, for example, a cellular telephony network, as well as one or more other networks, such as, the Internet, a public-switched telephone network (PSTN), a packet-switching network, a frame-relay network, a fiber-optic network, and/or other types of networks.

Control of a Vehicle Component with Gestures

FIG. 2is a block diagram illustrating components of the gesture control module136of the in-vehicle computing system112ofFIG. 1, according to one embodiment. The gesture control module136includes a gesture recognition module202, a voice recognition module204, a component identification module206, a gesture angle module208, a command generation module210, and a command execution module212. In alternative embodiments, the gesture control module136may include additional, fewer, or different components, and the functionality of the components202through212described herein may be distributed among components of the information retrieval module136in a different manner.

The gesture recognition module202receives a data signal from the camera system132and performs a gesture recognition algorithm on the received data signal. The gesture recognition algorithm generates gesture data representing the gesture that was captured by the camera system132. As described above with reference to the camera system132, the data signal is an electronic representation of a gesture that the user performed in the vehicle. For example, the data signal may be an image of the gesture, a sequence of images, or some other representation of the gesture.

The gesture data generated by the gesture recognition module202is a high-level machine-readable representation of the gesture captured by the camera system132. In one embodiment, the gesture includes three-dimensional coordinates of the extremities and joints in the user's hand and forearm. For example, the gesture data may include coordinates representing the three-dimensional positions of user's elbow, wrist, and the fingertip and knuckles of each of the user's finger.

In another embodiment, the gesture recognition module202determines three-dimensional coordinates as described above and performs additional processing to determine a position of the hand, a plane representing the orientation of the hand, and the angle at which each joint is bent. In this embodiment, the gesture recognition module202outputs the hand position, orientation plane, and joint angles as the gesture data. For example, the gesture recognition module202can determine the position of the hand by calculating a midpoint between the coordinates representing the positions of the knuckles and the wrist. The orientation plane and the joint angles may be determined by performing similar arithmetic calculations on the coordinate data for the hand and forearm.

The voice recognition module204receives an output signal from the microphone134and performs a voice recognition algorithm on the received signal to recognize spoken words and other audio captured by the microphone134. The voice recognition module204generates and outputs voice data representing words in the audio input. Similar to the gesture data, the voice data is a high-level machine-readable representation of the audio captured by the microphone. For example, the voice data may be a character string containing words that were spoken by the user.

The component identification module206analyzes data from the gesture recognition module202and/or the voice recognition module204to identify a component of the vehicle. After identifying the component, the module206preferably outputs a component identifier. In one embodiment, the component identification module206analyzes gesture data representing an identifying gesture. For example, the gesture data may represent a pointing gesture directed toward one of the controllable components142of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the component identification module206stores three-dimensional coordinates representing the position of each component142, and the module206identifies the component142by generating a line matching the direction of the pointing gesture and finding the component142whose coordinates are closest to the line. Processing may continue without the output of such a component identifier.

In another embodiment, the component identification module206analyzes voice data representing a voice command. For example, if the user speaks the name of the component142that the user wishes to control, then the received voice data is a character string containing the name that was spoken. In this embodiment, the component identification module206stores a name for each component142and identifies the component142by matching the voice data to the closest stored name. In still another embodiment, the component identification module206receives a combination of gesture data and voice data and analyzes both types of data to identify a component142. For example, the user may speak the name of a component142while pointing at the component142.

The gesture angle module208analyzes gesture data from the gesture recognition module202to measure one or more gesture angles associated with a gesture performed by the user. In one embodiment, the gesture angle module208first establishes a reference position of the gesture (e.g., the starting position of a hand or finger) and measures one or more gesture angles as the hand or finger is tilted relative to the reference position. The operation of the gesture angle module is described in greater detail below.

The command generation module210generates a command for a component based on a component identifier from the component identification module206and one or more gesture angles from the gesture angle module208. The command is a high-level instruction to adjust the identified component in a particular manner. In one embodiment, the command includes a function and one or more parameters for the function. For example, in a command to rotate the right side mirror to a particular orientation, the function is to rotate the right side mirror, and the parameters are the angles defining the desired orientation of the mirror.

In an embodiment where the command includes a function and one or more parameters, the command generation module210may calculate the parameters based on the gesture angles. For example, in a command to rotate the side mirror, the module210may calculate parameters that cause the orientation of the side mirror to mimic the orientation of the user's hand (as defined by the gesture angles). Meanwhile, the module210selects the function based on the component identifier. For example, the module210would select a function to rotate the right side mirror if it receives an identifier for the right side mirror.

In another embodiment, the command generation module210preferably receives gesture data directly from the gesture recognition module202either in addition to or in place of receiving gesture angles from the gesture angle module208. In this embodiment, the module210may select the function based on a combination of the component identifier, the gesture data, and the gesture angles. For example, suppose the module210receives an identifier for an air conditioning vent. If the module210also receives a gesture angle (thus indicating that the user has tilted his hand), it selects a function to adjust the direction of the vent and calculates parameters that represent the orientation of the user's hand. Alternatively, if the module210receives gesture data representing a pinch gesture between the user's thumb and forefinger, then it selects a function to adjust the flow rate through the identified vent and calculates a parameter representing the distance between the thumb and forefinger. The parameter is then used to set the new flow rate of the vent. The ability to select a function based on a combination of the component identifier and the gesture beneficially allows a user to perform gestures to control multiple aspects of the same component142.

The command execution module212receives a command from the command generation module210and sends control signals to the identified component to cause the component to perform the command. The control signals directly control devices that perform the command. For example, if the command is to rotate the right side mirror to a particular orientation, as described above, the command execution module212sends control signals to motors that adjust the orientation of the mirror.

In other embodiments, some or all of the modules202through212of the gesture control module136are positioned external to the in-vehicle system112. In one embodiment, the modules202through212are implemented as an application downloaded to the MCD102(e.g., applications available from iTunes). In another embodiment, the modules202through208are implemented on the remote server122, and data from the camera system132and microphone134are sent over the network120to the remote server122to be analyzed.

FIG. 3is a flow chart illustrating a process300for selecting a component of the vehicle and controlling the component142with a gesture, according to one embodiment. For ease of discussion, the process300shown inFIG. 3will be described below in conjunction with the example shown inFIGS. 4A-4D.

The process300begins when the user performs a selecting input to identify one of the controllable components142. The selecting input can be any combination of voice input, gesture input, and any other user input that can be captured by input devices within the vehicle. In the example shown inFIG. 4A, the selecting input includes a voice command402with the name of the component and a pointing gesture404directed toward the component. Although the pointing gesture404shown inFIG. 4Aincludes the user's entire arm, a pointing gesture404may alternatively be a different gesture that defines a direction. For example, the user may perform a pointing gesture404with a single finger while keeping the rest of his hand on the steering wheel.

The input devices in the vehicle capture the selecting input and send signals representing the selecting input to the gesture control module136, where the signals are received302by the gesture recognition module202and the voice recognition module204. As described above with reference toFIG. 2, the gesture recognition module202performs gesture recognition on a data signal received from the camera system132. Meanwhile, the voice recognition module204performs voice recognition on a voice signal received from the microphone134.

The component identification module206receives data representing the selecting input (e.g., the gesture data and voice data) and analyzes the data to identify304the selected component. As described above with reference to the component identification module206, the module206outputs a component identifier after identifying the component.

In one embodiment, the in-vehicle computing system112outputs a confirmation signal using the display138or the speaker140after identifying the component. The confirmation signal indicates to the user that the component has been successfully identified and that the user can proceed to perform a gesture to control the component. The confirmation signal may also indicate a function that will be executed after the user performs the gesture. In the example shown inFIG. 4B, the speakers140play back an audio confirmation signal406to indicate that the rearview mirror has been selected and that the user can begin performing a gesture to adjust the orientation of the mirror. Although not shown inFIG. 4B, the system112may additionally be configured to show an image or animation on the display138to convey similar information (e.g., an image of the rearview mirror surrounded by arrows).

In this embodiment, the system112may also be configured to receive and process an input from the user indicating that an incorrect component was identified. For example, the system112reverts to step302if the user performs a voice command to say “incorrect component” after the confirmation signal is output. This allows the user to confirm that the correct component was identified before performing a gesture to control the component, which is beneficial because it prevents the user from accidentally performing a gesture to control the wrong component.

After the component is successfully identified, the user performs a gesture within the capture region of the camera system132so that the camera system132can capture the gesture. As shown in the example ofFIG. 4C, the gesture408can include an angular motion in the horizontal direction409A and/or the vertical direction409B. The gesture recognition module136receives306a data signal representing the gesture and performs308gesture recognition on the data signal.

The gesture angle module208and the command generation module210operate together to determine310a command corresponding to the gesture based on the component identifier and the gesture data. As described above, a command contains a function and one or more parameters. For example, the function generated in the example illustrated inFIGS. 4A-4Dis to rotate the rearview mirror (because the rearview mirror is the identified component), while the parameters are angles defining the desired orientation of the mirror.

In one embodiment, the gesture angle module208analyzes the gesture data to measure one or more gesture angles, and command generation module210uses the gesture angles to generate the parameters. For example, the command generation module210may generate angles that cause the mirror to rotate in a manner that mimics the movement of the user's hand.

In another embodiment, the command generation module210also receives gesture data directly from the gesture recognition module202. In this embodiment, the module210may use the gesture data to calculate one or more parameters without measuring any gesture angles. For example, the module210may calculate a parameter based on a pinching gesture performed by the user.

The command execution module212executes312the command by generating control signals for the appropriate devices. In the example ofFIG. 4D, the command execution module212generates control signals for the motors that cause the rearview mirror410to rotate in the horizontal and vertical directions411A,411B.

In one embodiment, the process of executing a command based on a gesture (i.e., steps306through312) operates in real-time. For example, as the user performs the tilting gesture408shown inFIG. 4C, the rearview mirror410shown inFIG. 4Dmoves simultaneously in order to mimic the changing orientation of the user's hand. This beneficially provides the user with real-time feedback as the command is being executed so that the user can make more accurate adjustments. For example, if the user accidentally tilts his hand too far and causes the mirror410to rotate farther than desired, the user can simply tilt his hand in the opposite direction until the mirror410reaches its desired position.

In one embodiment, the gesture control module136presents the user with an option to invert the identified component's direction of motion relative to the user's hand gestures. For example, in order to have the rearview mirror410mimic the motion of the user's hand, the user can configure the module136to tilt the mirror410upward when the user tilts his hand upward. Alternatively, the user can configure to module136to tilt the rearview mirror410downward when the user tilts his hand upward to give the illusion that the user's hand defines the normal vector of the mirror410. The motion of a component in the horizontal direction can similarly be inverted in this manner. The option to invert a direction of motion is beneficial because different users will find different settings to be more intuitive.

The gesture control module136may additionally present the user with an option to adjust sensitivity when controlling a component. For example, when the user tilts his hand by ten degrees when performing a gesture, the component can be configured to rotate by 5 degrees, 8 degrees, 10 degrees, 15 degrees, or some other angular displacement.

Although the process300ofFIG. 3was described with reference to an example in which the rearview mirror was adjusted, the process300can be used to control a wide range of components within the vehicle. For example, the user can adjust the volume of a particular speaker in the vehicle's sound system by identifying the speaker (e.g., by pointing at the speaker or issuing a voice command such as “passenger door speaker”) and performing a gesture to indicate a desired volume level. The gesture can be a pinching motion, a twirling motion performed with a finger (to simulate rotating a real-life volume knob), a tilting motion performed with a hand (e.g., the motion shown inFIG. 4C), or some other motion that can be recognized by the gesture recognition module202.

In another example, the user can navigate a user interface on the display138by identifying the display and performing gestures. In this example, the gestures may control a cursor or some other position indicator on the user interface. Alternatively, the gestures may be used to navigate a menu structure. For example, the system may be configured to move between items in the same level of the menu structure when the user tilts his hand up or down, move to a higher level when the user tilts his hand to the left, and select a menu item when the user tilts his hand to the right.

Since the process300described with reference toFIG. 3begins with steps302and304for identifying a component, the same gesture performed in the same capture area can be used to issue different commands to different components. For example, depending on the component that was selected, the same hand tilting gesture408(shown inFIG. 4C) can be used to control the rearview mirror410, one of the side mirrors, a user interface on the display138, or one of the air conditioning vents. This improves the ease of use of the gesture control system described herein because the user does not have to learn a separate set of gestures to control each component of the car.

Measurement of Gesture Angles

FIG. 5is a flow chart illustrating a process500for measuring gesture angles, according to one embodiment. The process500begins when the gesture angle module208uses gesture data from the gesture recognition module202to determine502a reference position of the gesture. The reference position is the initial position of the user's hand and forearm within the capture region of the camera system132, and gesture angles are measured relative to the reference position. The gesture angle module208saves the reference position (e.g., by storing the gesture data representing the reference position) to be used later in the process300to measure the gesture angles.

After the user begins performing a gesture (e.g., by tilting his hand), the gesture angle module208determines504a current position of the gesture by analyzing updated gesture data from the gesture recognition module202. The current position is the instantaneous position of the user's hand and forearm at some point in time after the reference position was determined502.

After determining504the current position of the gesture, the gesture angle module208measures506,508,510gesture angles by comparing the current position to the reference position. A description of how gesture angles are measured in different spatial directions is described below with reference toFIGS. 6A-6C.

FIGS. 6A-6Cillustrate examples of gesture angles in three spatial directions. For ease of description, the examples inFIGS. 6A-6Care illustrated with respect to a set of three-dimensional axes that are used consistently throughout the three figures. The same set of axes are also shown in the example gesture408ofFIG. 4C. In the examples illustrated inFIGS. 6A-6C, the gesture angles are rotational displacements of the hand in three spatial directions. However, the gesture angles may also be measured in a different manner. For example, instead of measuring a rotational displacement of the entire hand, the gesture angle module208may measure rotational displacement of one or more outstretched fingers (e.g., a curling motion performed by the index finger). Alternatively, the module208may measure rotational displacement of the user's entire forearm.

FIG. 6Aillustrates an example of a horizontal gesture angle602. The gesture angle module208measures506the horizontal gesture angle602by determining an angular displacement in the x-z plane between the reference position and the current position. Similarly,FIG. 6Billustrates an example of a vertical gesture angle604, and the gesture angle module208measures208the vertical gesture angle604by determining an angular displacement in the y-x plane.

In one embodiment, the gesture angle module208measures506,508the horizontal and vertical gesture angles by calculating a centerline of the reference position and a centerline of the current position. Each centerline can be calculated, for example, by drawing a line from the middle of the wrist to the tip of the middle finger (known in the art as the proximo-distal axis). To measure506the horizontal gesture angle602, the two centerlines are projected onto the x-z plane and the gesture angle module208determines the angle between the two projections. Similarly, the vertical gesture angle604can be measured508by projecting the two centerlines onto the y-z plane and determining the angle between the two projections.

FIG. 6Cillustrates an example of a rotational gesture angle606. The gesture angle module208measures510the rotational gesture angle606by determining a rotational displacement about an axis along the length of the user's hand (shown inFIGS. 6A-6Cas the z-axis). In one embodiment, the gesture angle module208measures510the rotational gesture angle606by measuring a change in orientation of a plane representing the palm of the user's hand.

Additional Considerations

Certain aspects of the embodiments include process steps and instructions described herein in the form of an algorithm. It should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the embodiments could be embodied in software, firmware or hardware, and when embodied in software, could be downloaded to reside on and be operated from different platforms used by a variety of operating systems. The embodiments can also be in a computer program product which can be executed on a computing system.

The embodiments also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the purposes, e.g., a specific computer, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each coupled to a computer system bus. The memory/storage can be transitory or non-transitory. Memory can include any of the above and/or other devices that can store information/data/programs. Furthermore, the computers referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the method steps. The structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below. In addition, the embodiments are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the embodiments as described herein, and any references below to specific languages are provided for disclosure of enablement and best mode.

In addition, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, which are set forth in the claims.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciate still additional alternative methods and systems for performing a gesture-based POI search. Thus, while particular embodiments and applications of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes and variations which will be apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the method and apparatus of the present embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined in the appended claims.