IP Library › Granted Patent US 12705013

Granted Patent B2

US 12705013 · App. 18/139,485 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Computing device headset input

Inventors: Kenneth P. Hinckley (Kirkland, WA); Michel Pahud (Kirkland, WA); Mar Gonzalez Franco (Seattle, WA); Edward Sean Lloyd Rintel (Cambridge, GB); Eyal Ofek (Redmond, WA); Jaron Zepel Lanier (Berkeley, CA); Molly Jane Nicholas (Berkeley, CA); Payod Panda (Raleigh, NC)

Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

G06F3/162 G06F3/013 H04Q9/00

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12705013
App. No.: 18/139,485
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to computing device headset input. In examples, sensor data from one or more sensors of a headset device are processed to identify implicit and/or explicit user input. A context may be determined for the user input, which may be used to process the identified input and generate an action that affects the behavior of a computing device accordingly. As a result, the headset device is usable to control one or more computing devices. As compared to other wearable devices, headset devices may be more prevalent and may therefore enable more convenient and more intuitive user input beyond merely providing audio output.

Claims (73)

1 . A method for controlling a computing device by a headset device, the method comprising:

receiving control information indicating a selection of a sensor from a set of sensors of the headset device;

processing, by the headset device, sensor data of the sensor to generate input data associated with a user input;

determining, based on a context associated with the user input, a target computing device from a set of computing devices associated with the headset device by determining the user input comprises a movement indicating a gaze of a user toward the target computing device;

providing at least a part of the input data to the determined target computing device; and

in response to determining the gaze of the user shifted away from the target computing device above a predetermined threshold, providing an indication of the shifted gaze to the target computing device,

wherein the indication causes a volume associated with a communication session to be proportionally decreased as the gaze of the user shifts away from the target computing device, while a volume of a second computing device is proportionally increased as the gaze of the user shifts toward the second computing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from a computing device of the set of computing devices, an indication of the context.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the sensor data is obtained from an extensibility device coupled to the headset device; and

the context is further associated with the extensibility device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing at least a part of the input data to a computing device of the set of computing devices other than the target computing device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a first computing device of the set of computing devices, control information comprising a user authentication; and

providing, to a second computing device of the set of computing devices, an indication of the user authentication.

6 . A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations, the set of operations comprising:

receiving control information indicating a selection of a sensor from a set of sensors of a headset device;

processing, by the headset device, sensor data of the sensor to generate input data associated with a user input;

providing at least a part of the input data to the determined target computing device; and

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:

receiving, from a computing device of the set of computing devices, an indication of the context.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the sensor data is obtained from an extensibility device coupled to the headset device; and

the context is further associated with the extensibility device.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:

providing at least a part of the input data to a computing device of the set of computing devices other than the target computing device.

10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:

receiving, from a first computing device of the set of computing devices, control information comprising a user authentication; and

providing, to a second computing device of the set of computing devices, an indication of the user authentication.

11 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the context comprises at least one of:

a set of applications executing on the system;

a foreground application;

an application type;

a geographic location of the system;

a connection type of an audio headset device; or

an operating mode of the system.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the input data comprises at least one of:

movement input;

position input;

touch input;

swipe input;

head gesture input;

physical input control input; or

sensor data from a sensor of the audio headset device.

13 . A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing computer-executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to execute a set of operations, the set of operations comprising:

receiving control information indicating a selection of a sensor from a set of sensors of a headset device;

receiving, from a computing device of a set of computing devices, an indication of a context;

processing, by the headset device, sensor data of the sensor to generate input data associated with a user input;

determining, based on the context associated with the user input, a target computing device from a set of computing devices associated with the headset device by determining the user input comprises a movement indicating a gaze of a user toward the target computing device;

providing at least a part of the input data to the determined target computing device; and

the indication causes a volume associated with a communication session to be proportionally decreased as the gaze of the user shifts away from the target computing device, while a volume of a second computing device is proportionally increased as the gaze of the user shifts toward the second computing device.

14 . The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the sensor data is obtained from an extensibility device coupled to the headset device; and

the context is further associated with the extensibility device.

15 . The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium of claim 13 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:

providing at least a part of the input data to a computing device of the set of computing devices other than the target computing device.

16 . The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium of claim 13 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:

receiving, from a first computing device of the set of computing devices, control information comprising a user authentication; and

providing, to a second computing device of the set of computing devices, an indication of the user authentication.

17 . The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium of claim 13 , wherein the context comprises at least one of:

a set of applications executing on a system;

a foreground application;

an application type;

a geographic location of the system;

a connection type of an audio headset device; or

an operating mode of the system.