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Apple Awarded Gesture-Control Patent
mpicpp points out a report that Apple has been awarded a broad patent for gesture control of a computer interface (8,933,876). The company inherited the patent after their acquisition of motion-sensor company PrimeSense in 2013. (PrimeSense's technology is used in Microsoft's Kinect gesture control system.) Here's the patent's abstract:
A method, including receiving, by a computer executing a non-tactile three dimensional (3D) user interface, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of a sensing device coupled to the computer, the gesture including a first motion in a first direction along a selected axis in space, followed by a second motion in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the selected axis. Upon detecting completion of the gesture, the non-tactile 3D user interface is transitioned from a first state to a second state.
... they have a patent for waving?
Which has more power: the hammer, or the anvil?
It's for detecting masturbation.
Which has more power: the hammer, or the anvil?
This patent covers how to unlock a computer by raising your hand vertically about 20 cm. It's limited to that, so it's hardly "broad".
Quick Analysis of the independent claims (the broadest ones):
Claim 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a computer executing a non-tactile three dimensional (3D) user interface, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of a sensing device coupled to the computer, the gesture comprising a rising motion along a vertical axis in space wherein the hand performs the rising motion for at least an unlock gesture distance at a minimum unlock gesture speed; and transitioning the non-tactile 3D user interface from a locked state to an unlocked state upon detecting completion of the gesture.
Summary: Covers raising your hand to unlock a computer.
Claims 2,3,4 & 5 add additional specifics around this.
Claim 6. An apparatus, comprising: a sensing device; and a computer executing a non-tactile three dimensional (3D) user interface and configured to receive, from the sensing device, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of the sensing device, the gesture comprising a rising motion along a vertical axis in space wherein the hand performs the rising motion for at least an unlock gesture distance at a minimum unlock gesture speed, and to transition the non-tactile 3D user interface from a locked state to an unlocked state upon detecting completion of the gesture.
Summary: Same as #1, but it's for an apparatus. It's still to unlock a computer.
Claims 7,8,9,10 just add detail to Claim 6.
Claim 11: A computer software product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer executing a non-tactile user interface, cause the computer to receive, from a sensing device, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of the sensing device, the gesture comprising a rising motion along a vertical axis in space wherein the hand performs the rising motion for at least an unlock gesture distance at a minimum unlock gesture speed, and to transition the non-tactile 3D user interface from a locked state to an unlocked state upon detecting completion of the gesture.
Summary: This makes the invention a machine rather just an algorithm, because that like makes it patentable.
Claim 12: A method, comprising: receiving, by a computer executing a non-tactile three dimensional (3D) user interface, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of a sensing device coupled to the computer, the gesture comprising a rising motion along a vertical axis in space; determining whether the gesture of the hand included a rising of the hand by at least 20 centimeters; and transitioning the non-tactile 3D user interface from a locked state to an unlocked state upon detecting completion of the gesture, wherein the transitioning of the user interface from a locked state to an unlocked state is performed only if the upward gesture included a rise of the hand by at least 20 centimeters.
Summary: The cherry on top claim that just sums up all the others into one that is actually what the invention most likely does in real life.
A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wave bands for news of himself. The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive--you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure, of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same program.
Zaphod waved a hand and the channel switched again.
One of the featured articles is the patent on USPTO.gov. Open it and search for "We claim:". Here's the key independent claim:
In other words, move your hand upward in front of a camera to "slide to unlock". Dependent claims 2-5, which are used if prior art anticipating this claim is later discovered, include specific means of visual feedback as well as specifying the unlock gesture as maintaining 4 cm/s over a distance of 20 cm. Claims 6-10 are for a machine that recognizes this gesture, and claims 11-12 are for recognizing it in software on a general-purpose computer.
Chris Schmandt did this a while back at MIT. Gestures plus voice recognition. Guess you can get a patent if leave out the voice recognition part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... ( original demo )
Douglas Adams wrote:
now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope
Which means Apple improved on this by requiring the user to first move his hand in a specific direction (up eight inches) to get the radio's attention before signing to it.
supposedly, a predefined set of gestures will be allowed and you will be able to be more by $0.99 a piece. Controversial gestures will be banned from the gesture store unless you jailbreak yourself, but then you may be terminated.
Claim 1: "A method, including receiving, by a computer executing a non-tactile three dimensional (3D) user interface, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of a sensing device coupled to the computer, the gesture including a first motion with a closed fist in a first direction along a selected axis in space, followed by a second motion of raising the middle finger in the same direction".
Claim 2 "As per claim one, where the raising of the middle finger is replaced by raising the the pinky and index fingers in the same direction".
Claim 3: "As per claim 1, except that the first motion of the hand is raised in a closed fist, with the thumb pointing up, then a second motion in a different axis where the thumb ends up pointing down."
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
You've invented the wave/nod.
The patent fad of "on a computer" has passed, now it's taking pre-existing things and doing them "at a computer", that's real innovation!
The whole point of patents is to drive innovation. Being able to patent things like this is clearly not in the spirit of that goal. The question we should be asking is:
If a patent was not granted for this "invention" (i.e. a monopoly for selling this invention not granted), would it still have been invented (i.e. would a company still be willing to perform the R&D necessary to invent this invention without the reward of a monopoly).
It's pretty clear to me that the answer to this question is yes.
If this is the case, then granting a patent (i.e. a monopoly for selling this invention) actually stifles innovation.
Come on. I have used this exact same method on a Windows Mobile 5 device (HTC Touch HD) waaaay back when, using the accelerometer and gravity to determine how my screen was moving and moving a virtual object in virtual space and showing that on my phone's screen.
Not only that, but it's a rather OBVIOUS solution to a problem. Whatever happened to the "non-obvious" requirement?
-- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?