Abstract:
A human-machine interface can detect when a user&#39;s ear is pulled back to initiate a plurality of procedures. Such procedures include turning on a TV using a laser attached to the user, starting an additional procedure by speaking a command, communicating with other users in environments which have high ambient noise, and interacting with the internet. Head position sensors are used to detect the position of the head of a user and to either initiate a procedure if a characteristic of the head position or positions meets a certain criteria, or to pass the head position information to another device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to a human-machine interface structure and method.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     There are many human activities which can be made possible or made easier using a human-machine interface wherein a human can select certain options, such as turning a TV on or off, without having to use his or her hands, communicate with a computer using only his or her voice. Also, information about the condition of a person such as heart rate for example can be monitored without restricting the movements of the person.  
         [0003]     Human-machine interface structures are known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,973 to Ritter et al., and the references cited therein, teach communications systems which are mobile and carried by a user. U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,180 to Boesen describes biopotential sensing and medical monitoring which uses wireless communication to transmit the information from the sensors.  
         [0004]     However, a human-machine interface that is convenient to use and is relatively inexpensive to manufacturer is still highly desirable.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Shown in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a transmitting apparatus having a sensor for detecting an ear pull of a user and a laser worn by the user. An electronic module is coupled to both the ear pull sensor and the laser and generates a laser beam upon detection of the ear pull.  
         [0006]     Also shown in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a transmitting apparatus for a user which has a plurality of sensors for detecting a head position of the user, a RF transmitter and an electronic module coupled to the plurality of sensors and to the RF transmitter. The electronic module generates an encoded RF signal containing information about the head position of the user.  
         [0007]     Further shown in a preferred embodiment of the invention is a communication apparatus including a portable computer worn by a user together with a microphone and speaker worn by the user and an electronic module. The electronic module is coupled to the microphone, the speaker and the portable computer and receives a voice message from the microphone and sends the voice message to the portable computing device, wherein the portable computing device, in response to the voice message, sends an answering audio communication to the electronic module which, in turn transfers the audio communication to the speaker.  
         [0008]     Still further shown in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for transmitting commands including sensing when an ear of a user is pulled back and turning on a laser mounted on the user when the sensing occurs.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide human-machine interface that is convenient to use and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.  
         [0010]     Another object is to provide a head worn communications device which communicates when a user pulls back one of his or her ears.  
         [0011]     A further object is to provide a human-machine interface that will communicate with a plurality of devices.  
         [0012]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for communicating the head position of a user to other device.  
         [0013]     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a hands free communication between a user and the internet.  
         [0014]     In addition to the above-described objects and advantages of the present invention, various other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the same and related arts from the following more detailed description on the invention, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing, figures, and appended claims. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0015]      FIG. 1A  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the human-machine interface of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 1B  is  FIG. 1A  with several elements removed to show one minimal configuration of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 1C  shows an alternative embodiment in which a modulated retroflector is worn on each side of the head of a user  14 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is  FIG. 1A  modified to show other types of devices that can be used with the human-machine interface of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows two sides of a user&#39;s head; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is the user of  FIG. 1A  wearing a helmet with a laser detector mounted on the helmet. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]     Prior to proceeding to a much more detailed description of the present invention, it should be noted that identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures for the sake of clarity and understanding of the invention.  
         [0022]     Turning now to the drawings,  FIG. 1A  shows several biometric devices inside a dashed line box  10  proximate to an ear  12  of an user  14 . The user  14  also has a pair of glasses  16 . Mounted on the temple piece  18  of the glasses  16  is a laser  20  and a camera  22 . Also shown in  FIG. 1A  is a portable computing device which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is a personal data assistant (PDA)  24  with a location sensing device which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is a local positioning system (LPS) module or a global positioning system (GPS) module  26  attached thereto, a computer  28  connected by a cable  30  to the internet  32  and a TV set  34 .  
         [0023]     The biometric devices inside the dashed line box  10  include muscle actuation detectors which, in  FIG. 1A , is a strain gauge  36  attached to the skin of the user  14 , a second strain gauge  38  attached to or embedded in the temple piece  18 , a third strain gauge  40  attached to the user&#39;s skin and positioned at least partially behind the ear  12  of the user  14 , a fourth strain gauge  41  placed on the bridge of the glasses  16 , capacitance plates  42  (attached to the back of the ear  12 ) and  44  (attached to the head behind the ear  12 ), an ear lobe clip  46  and a combination microphone and an ambient noise reducing speaker  48  placed inside the ear  12 . Also shown is a RFID chip  47  placed underneath the skin of the user  14  behind the ear  12 . The RFID chip could also be attached less intrusively by placing the RFID chip in an ear ring or in the ear clip  46 , or attaching a RFID chip to the ear  12  by two magnets acting as a clamp. The capacitance plates  42  and  44 , the strain gauges  36 ,  38  and  40  and the ear lobe clip  46  are connected by wires to an electronic module  50 . The electronic module  50  contains a battery  51  to power the electronic module  50 , two tilt meters  52 , and a magnetic sensor  54 . The two tilt meters  52  measure the tilt from horizontal from a direction from the back to the front of the user&#39;s head, and from a direction from one ear to the other ear. The magnetic sensor  54  senses the direction of the earth&#39;s magnetic field. The two tilt meters  52  and the magnetic sensor  54  are used to determine the position of the user&#39;s head.  
         [0024]     The TV  34  has a laser light sensor  56  which responds in a predetermined manner upon detecting a laser light modulated with a predetermined code.  
         [0025]     The system shown in  FIG. 1A  can operate in a number of different ways. In a relatively simple application, the user  14  aims the laser  20  at sensor  56  and wiggles or pulls back the ear  12  by pulling back the ear  12 . Only one of the ear movement sensors  36 ,  38 ,  40  and the combination of the plates  42  and  44 , is needed, for example strain gauge  38 . Other ear movement detectors could also be used such as detectors that detect the change in capacitance between capacitor plates  44  and  45  or between plates  45  and  49 , the capacitance between the body of the user  14  and capacitance plate  44  or between the frames of the glasses  16  and the capacitance plate  44 . Also, the ear  12  movement can be detected by detecting a change in the magnitude of an RF field or a magnetic field using a detector in the electronic module  50 . The RF generator or magnet could be located in the ear clip  46 . Also the resistance of the user&#39;s skin proximate to the ear  12  would change sufficiently to detect an ear  12  movement. The strain gauge  38 , together with the electronic module  50 , detects the change of the strain in the temple piece  18  when the ear  12  is pulled back. When the ear movement is detected, the electronic module  50 , connected to the laser generator  20  by wires hidden behind or inside the temple piece  18  of the glasses  16 , causes the laser  20  to send the predetermined code which activates the sensor  56  to turn on or turn off the TV set  34 . This simple application uses components that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.  
         [0026]     The laser  20  could have a beam which is narrow or which diverges to cover a larger area than a narrow beam. The laser  20  could have a variable divergence that the user could adjust. The laser  20  could also be replaced with other types of light sources such as an LED, LCD or a flashlight. Still other types of signaling means could be used such as an ultrasonic generator or a high frequency (i.e., 60 Ghz) transmitter which would generate a narrow RF signal could be used.  
         [0027]     Other types of strain gauges, such as the flexible strain gauge shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,615 to Smela which could be applied to the back of the ear  12 .  
         [0028]     Detecting the movement of the ear  12  using a capacitance detector can also be accomplished by attaching or embedding two capacitor plates in the temple piece  18  of the glasses  16  thereby eliminating the need to attach the capacitor plates to the skin of the user  14 . The movement of the ear  12  can be detected by the change of capacitance between the two plates.  
         [0029]      FIG. 1B  shows a minimal configuration of the human-machine interface of the present invention which uses only the laser  20 , strain gauge  40  and electronic module  50  to control the TV set  34 . An ear bracket  63  is used to hold the human-machine interface components behind the ear  12  of the user  14 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 1C  shows an alternative embodiment where a modulated retroflector is worn on each side of the head of a user  14 . The modulated retroflector shown in  FIG. 1C  is worn as a stud ear ring  65  or a dangle ear ring  67 . The modulated retroflector  65 ,  67  could also be partially covered by placing the modulated retroflector  65 ,  67  in the hair of the user  14 . In operation the TV set  34  would emit either a light signal or an RF signal from a combination transmitter and receiver  69 . The signal from the combination transmitter and receiver  69  would be received by both of the modulated retroflectors  65 ,  67  on each side of the head of the user  14  when the user  14  is looking at the TV set  34 , and at least one of the modulated retroflectors  65 ,  67  will not receive the signal if the user  14  is looking in another direction.  
         [0031]     Each of the modulated retroflectors  65 ,  67  will, upon receipt of a signal from the combination transmitter and receiver  69  emit a light or RF signal which will be received by the combination transmitter and receiver  69 . The combination transmitter and receiver  69  will be able to detect if both modulated retroflectors  65 ,  67  on the user  14  are responding by detecting differences in the signals sent by each modulated retroflector. Such differences could be different frequencies or codes sent by each modulated retroflector  65 ,  67 . When the user  14  pulls back ear  12 , the modulated retroflectors  65 ,  67  will change signals that the combination transmitter and receiver  69  will detect. If the combination transmitter and receiver  69  detects the change in signal from both modulated retroflectors  65 ,  67  the electronics in the TV set  34  will perform a predetermined procedure such as turning on the TC set  34 .  
         [0032]     The TV set  34  could have additional sensors  58  for controlling other TV functions such as volume control while the ear  12  is pulled back. The volume increases using one of the sensors  58  and decreases using another of the sensors  58 . Two other of the sensors  58  could be used to select the TV channel in the same manner.  
         [0033]     The electronic module  50  can communicate with the PDA  24  and the computer  28  by wireless communication such as the Bluetooth protocol. The computer  28  can, in turn, communicate with the internet  32 . Using the combination microphone and speaker  48  the user  14  can send audio information to the electronic module  50  which can then digitize the audio signal and send it to the PDA  24  for voice recognition. If the audio is too complex for the PDA  24 , the audio can be sent to the computer  28  for voice recognition. The computer  28  can access the internet  32  for help in the voice recognition if necessary. Finally if none of the equipment in  FIG. 1A  can recognize the audio, the PDA communicating to the electronic module  50  and the combination microphone and speaker  48  can tell the user  14  to repeat the statement or can ask specific questions of the user  14  which the user  14  can answer by pulling back the ear  12  either once or twice to answer a yes or no question.  
         [0034]     There could also be a set of predetermined voice commands that the user  14  is restricted to. The voice recognition software to recognize the limited list of commands is less complex and more accurate than the software needed to recognize all words. Such voice commands as “channel  59 ” when the ear  12  is pulled back would be decoded either directly by the electronic module  50  or by the PDA  24 , encoded and sent back to the electronic module  50  which would, in turn, modulate the laser beam from the laser  20  with the correct code which the sensor  56  would decode and the TV set  34  would change the channel to channel  59 . The laser beam would therefore have to aimed at the sensor  56  to transmit the encoded laser beam signal to the TV set  34 . The same sequence could be used to set a thermostat, a VCR, etc.  
         [0035]     There are some operations which do not require the use of the laser  20 . For example a user  14  could say “time” while pulling back the ear  12  and the time in an audio format would be sent to the speaker in the combination microphone and speaker  48 . Also, a telephone number could be spoken and a telephone call would be made, and the call could be terminated when the user  14  says “hang up”.  
         [0036]     In this manner more complex commands and communication can be achieved such as using the biometric device and system to simply record an audio message to communicating to any other applications such as viewing and taking a picture of a home appliance that needs repair and having the PDA  24 , the computer  28  and the internet recognize the appliance and providing information needed to repair the appliance.  
         [0037]     The laser  20  can be used to send commands to or query many products such as notifying a traffic light that the user wants to cross the street along with the amount of time the user needs to cross the street. The laser could also be used by emergency personnel to cause traffic lights to turn green for them when they are going to an emergency.  
         [0038]     Pulling the ear  12  back can simply be a single pull or can be a more complex action such as pulling back and holding the ear  12  back until a object, such as a TV, reaches a desired set point, such as reaching the wanted channel. Other actions can be to pull back the ear  14  twice within 2 seconds, etc. Even more complex movements can be used such as movements which may resemble Morse code signals or be actual Morse code. It is believed that some individuals with training can eventually control the movement of either ear separately and independently, thus generating a user interface capable of even more selectivity, complexity and discrimination.  
         [0039]     Also, for a novice user the ear can be pushed back by hand until the user develops the ability to pull back his or her ear without using a hand.  
         [0040]     The ear clip  46  can be used to monitor the user&#39;s physical condition such as pulse rate and pulse oximetry. Other sensors can be attached to the user and wired to the electronic module  50  such as an accelerometer for monitoring other body parameters such as whether the user  14  has a fever on not and whether the person is awake, has fallen, etc.  
         [0041]     A simple driving drowsiness detector can be made by having the electronic module  50  issue sporadic random tones to the user  14  using the combination microphone and speaker  48  and requiring the user  14  to respond with an ear wiggle movement at that time. The response delay would indicate the level of a user&#39;s reflex time and degree of sleepiness. A prolonged delay would result in a much louder tone to wake up the user  14 .  
         [0042]     Using a camera, either the camera  22  or another camera, the user  14  could pull back the ear  12  and say “camera mode” to tell the electronic module  50  to cause the camera to take a picture when the ear  12  is pulled back. Other camera mode activation means could be used such as a sequence of ear pulls. If the camera is a stand alone camera and the orientation of the camera can be remotely controlled, the tilt sensors  52  and magnetic sensor  54  would be used to detect the what area the user  14  is looking at, and the camera would also point at the same area. Thus the user  14  at a sporting event could aim the camera and command the camera to take a picture simply by looking in the desired direction and pulling the ear  12  back to take a picture.  
         [0043]     The combination microphone and speaker  48  could also contain an actuator which would provide tactile signaling for situations such as when the ambient noise is too high for reliable communication using the combination microphone and speaker  48  alone. The tactile signaling could be a signal touch or could be a pattern of touches.  
         [0044]     The electronic module  50  and the combination microphone and speaker  48  could be used as a cell phone with the proper electronics inside the module  50 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 2  shows the biometric system of  FIG. 1A , but is more generalized as to devices that the laser beam can be used on. The target  60  can be a stereo sound system with detectors to enable selecting a particular station, the type of music the user wants to hear, an appliance which needs repair as discussed above, a VCR, a lamp, a thermostat or a burglar alarm system, for example. The target  60  could be a refrigerator or a drawer having a laser detection device which, when queried, would provide an audio or digital feedback as to the contents of the refrigerator or drawer. The target  60  could be a door lock which would open when a correctly encoded laser signal is beamed to its detector. Of course the predetermined signal could be sent via an RF signal rather than by the laser  20 . In  FIG. 2  the laser  20  of  FIG. 1A  could be modified to detect bar code labels. The reading of bar codes and the connections to the internet could provide information about a product which can not obtained by observing the product alone.  
         [0046]     The target  60  could have a sensor  61  which would receive light or RF signals from the user  14 . In this embodiment the user  14  would compose a message and enter the message as an audio signal which would be stored in the PDA  24 , electronic module  50  or a storage device shown as element  38  for this embodiment. When the user  14  approaches the target  60  and pulls back ear  12 , the stored message is sent as an audio message or a binary message to the sensor  61  and the target  60  will either immediately respond to the message or will store the message for later retrieval.  
         [0047]     The target  60  could be a luminescent screen which could be written on with the laser  20  when it emits a blue light.  
         [0048]      FIG. 3  shows the microphone  64  of the combination microphone and speaker  48  of  FIG. 1A  placed in one ear and the speaker  66  placed in the other ear. The speaker  66  is connected to the electronic module  50  by a sire  68 . The use of the microphone  64  in one ear and the speaker  68  in the other ear attenuates the feedback from the speaker to the microphone in the combination microphone and speaker  48  of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0049]      FIG. 4  shows the biometric devices and system of  FIG. 1A  with the addition of a helmet  70  which soldiers or firemen might use. The helmet  70  has a laser light detector  72  on the back of the helmet and a wire  74  from the helmet  70  to the electronic module  50 . The laser light detector  72  allows another person with essentially the same equipment to communicate with the user  14  by aiming the other person&#39;s laser light at the laser light detector  72 . The apparatus of  FIG. 4  allows for secure communication from one person to another, and allows communication when there is a high degree of ambient noise since the combination microphone and speaker  48  are in the ear channel which allows the words of the sender to be detected without much ambient noise and the receiver to receive the communication directly into his ear. The ear  12  can still receive normal voice communication.  
         [0050]     The identity of a user  14  can be verified using the RFID chip  47 . The electronic module  50  would query the RFID chip  47  to verify the identity of the user.  
         [0051]     Although the invention has been described in part by making detailed reference to a certain specific embodiment, such detail is intended to be, and will be understood to be, instructional rather than restrictive. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many variations may be made on the structure and mode of operation without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the teachings contained herein.