IP Library Granted Patent US 9,229,235
Granted Patent B2
US 9,229,235 · App. 14/556,686 · Granted Jan 5, 2016

Systems and methods for unlocking a wearable device

Inventors: Brian Adams Ballard (Herndon, VA); Wonjae Kim (Arlington, VA); Jeffrey Edward Jenkins (Clarksburg, MD); Todd Richard Reily (Stoneham, MA)
Assignee: APX Labs, Inc.
G02B27/017A45C11/00G06F3/012G06F3/013G06F3/017G06F3/0482G06F3/0485G06F3/0487G06F3/04842G06F3/167G06T19/006H04L12/1822H04L67/18H04M1/72569H04W4/08H04W76/02A45C2011/002G02B2027/0178
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,229,235
App. No.
14/556,686
Granted
Jan 5, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods allow a user to interact with an augmented reality device. In one implementation, a lockable, wearable device is provided. The wearable device comprises a display; at least one sensor configured to provide an output indicative of a viewing direction of a user; and at least one processing device. The at least one processing device is configured to track a pattern of the viewing direction of the user; and unlock the lockable, wearable device to provide the user with access to information on the display of the device when the tracked pattern of movement matches a predetermined pattern of movement.

Claims (53)

1. A lockable, wearable device, the wearable device comprising:

a display;

at least one sensor configured to provide an output indicative of a viewing direction of a user; and

at least one processing device configured to:

track a pattern of the viewing direction of the user;

cause a counter indicating an elapsed time duration to be displayed on the display when the viewing direction of the user is directed toward at least one region in an environment of the user;

determine a tracked time duration during which the viewing direction of the user is directed toward the at least one region; and

unlock the lockable, wearable device to provide the user with access to information on the display of the device when the tracked pattern matches a predetermined pattern of movement and the tracked time duration matches a required time duration associated with the at least one region.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern of movement includes two or more movements along different directions.

3. The wearable device of claim 2 , wherein the two or more movements along different directions include a leftward movement and a rightward movement.

4. The wearable device of claim 2 , wherein the two or more movements along different directions include an upward movement and a downward movement.

5. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to provide an output indicative of the viewing direction of the user by tracking a pattern of movement of an orientation of the head of the user.

6. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to provide an output indicative of the viewing direction of the user by tracking a gaze of the user's eyes.

7. A lockable, wearable device, the wearable device comprising:

a display;

at least one sensor configured to provide an output indicative of a viewing direction of a user; and

at least one processing device configured to:

cause an array of graphical objects to be shown on the display of the wearable device;

cause a first counter indicating a first elapsed time duration to be displayed on the display when the viewing direction of the user is directed toward a first graphical object;

cause a second counter indicating a second elapsed time duration to be displayed on the display when the viewing direction of the user is directed toward a second graphical object;

detect selection by the user of at least the first graphical object and the second graphical object from among the array of graphical objects based on the output indicative of the viewing direction of the user;

determine a first tracked time duration during which the viewing direction of the user is directed toward the first graphical object;

determine a second tracked time duration during which the viewing direction of the user is directed toward the second graphical object; and

unlock the lockable, wearable device to provide the user with access to information on the display of the device based on whether the detected selection of the first and second graphical objects matches a predetermined object selection sequence and whether the first tracked time duration matches a first required time duration associated with the first graphical object and the second tracked time duration matches a second required time duration associated with the second graphical object.

8. The wearable device of claim 7 , wherein detecting selection of the first and second graphical objects includes detecting an interception of a reticle position with an area of the display associated with the first and second graphical objects.

9. The wearable device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to monitor a dwell time of the interception of the reticle and an area of the display.

10. The wearable device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to determine whether the first and second graphical objects have been selected based on whether the dwell time is greater than a predetermined time.

11. The wearable device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to provide an output indicative of the viewing direction of the user by tracking a pattern of movement of an orientation of the head of the user.

12. The wearable device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to provide an output indicative of the viewing direction of the user by tracking a gaze of the user's eyes.

13. A method for unlocking a wearable device, the method comprising:

tracking, using at least one sensor of the wearable device, a viewing direction of a user of the wearable device;

causing a counter indicating an elapsed time duration to be displayed on the display when the viewing direction of the user is directed toward at least one region in an environment of the user;

determining a tracked time duration during which the viewing direction of the user is directed toward the at least one region; and

unlocking the wearable device to provide the user with access to information on a display of the wearable device when the tracked viewing direction matches a predetermined pattern of movement and the tracked time duration matches a required time duration associated with the at least one region.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined pattern of movement includes two or more movements along different directions.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more movements along different directions include a leftward movement and a rightward movement.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more movements along different directions include an upward movement and a downward movement.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tracked viewing direction includes a tracked pattern of movement of an orientation of the head of the user.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tracked viewing direction includes a tracked gaze of the user's eyes.

19. A method for unlocking a wearable device, the method comprising:

tracking, using at least one sensor of the wearable device, a viewing direction of a user of the wearable device;

causing an array of graphical objects to be shown on a display of the wearable device;

causing a first counter indicating a first elapsed time duration to be displayed on the display when the viewing direction of the user is directed toward a first graphical object;

causing a second counter indicating a second elapsed time duration to be displayed on the display when the viewing direction of the user is directed toward a second graphical object;

detecting selection by the user of at least the first graphical object and the second graphical object from among the array of graphical objects based on the viewing direction of the user;

determining a first tracked time duration during which the viewing direction of the user is directed toward the first graphical object;

determining a second tracked time duration during which the viewing direction of the user is directed toward the second graphical object; and

unlocking the wearable device to provide the user with access to information on a display of the device based on whether the detected selection of the first and second graphical objects matches a predetermined object selection sequence and whether the first tracked time duration matches a first required time duration associated with the first graphical object and the second tracked time duration matches a second required time duration associated with the second graphical object.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein detecting selection includes determining whether a reticle intercepts an area of the display associated with the first and second graphical objects of the array of graphical objects.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising monitoring a dwell time of the interception of the reticle and the area of the display.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising determining selection by the user if the dwell time is greater than a predetermined time.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the viewing direction includes a tracked a pattern of movement of an orientation of the head of the user.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the viewing direction includes a tracked gaze of the user's eyes.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNEE CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 8, 2017
From: UPSKILL, INC.
To: UPSKILL, INC.
Reel/Frame 044396/0320 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2017
From: UPSKILL, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 043340/0227 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 28, 2017
From: APX LABS, INC.
To: UPSKILL, INC.
Reel/Frame 041829/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2015
From: BALLARD, BRIAN ADAMS; KIM, WONJAE; JENKINS, JEFFREY EDWARD; REILY, TODD RICHARD
To: APX LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 034875/0262 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 61910419 · Dec 1, 2013
Provisional Application 61910425 · Dec 1, 2013
Provisional Application 62043759 · Aug 29, 2014
Related Publication 20150153922A1 · Jun 4, 2015