IP Library Granted Patent US 12,561,008
Granted Patent B2
US 12,561,008 · App. 18/917,799 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Gesture recognition device and method for sensing multi-factor assertion

Inventors: Nathan Nocon (Valencia, CA); Tom McWilliams (Studio City, CA)
Assignee: WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
G06F3/017A63F9/24A63H33/22G06F3/016G06F3/0346G06F3/0416G06F3/044G06V40/10G06V40/28A63F2009/2447A63F2009/2454A63F2250/485A63H30/04A63H2200/00G06F2203/04104
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,561,008
App. No.
18/917,799
Granted
Feb 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gesture-recognition (GR) device is disclosed that includes a capacitive touch sensor panel and a controller. The capacitive touch sensor panel comprises a plurality of sensing pads arranged in a cylindrical pattern inside a handle of the GR device and detects a multi-factor touch assertion at a set of sensing pads of the plurality of sensing pads. The controller transmits a driving signal to each of the plurality of sensing pads for the detection of the multi-factor touch assertion, generates an assertion signal, determines a signal sequence based on the assertion signal, and converts a current inactive state of the GR device to an active state based on a validation of the determined signal sequence corresponding to the multi-factor touch assertion and an inferred user intent.

Claims (38)

1 . A gesture recognition device comprising memory and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to:

detect, via a set of capacitive touch sensing pads of the gesture recognition device a multi-factor touch assertion, wherein the multi-factor touch assertion corresponds to a recognized grip technique of the gesture recognition device of a plurality of grip techniques;

generate an assertion signal that corresponds to the multi-factor touch assertion for the recognized grip technique of the gesture recognition device; and

communicate the assertion signal.

2 . The gesture recognition device of claim 1 , wherein the recognized grip technique is detected based, at least in part, on a change in capacitance at the set of capacitive touch sensing pads of the gesture recognition device.

3 . The gesture recognition device of claim 1 , wherein the gesture recognition device comprises an elongated cylindrical body and the set of capacitive touch sensing pads is arranged in a cylindrical pattern along the elongated cylindrical body.

4 . The gesture recognition device of claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

convert a current inactive state of the gesture recognition device to an active state responsive to the assertion signal.

5 . The gesture recognition device of claim 4 , wherein, in response to the gesture recognition device being in the active state, the one or more processors are further configured to:

detect, via a motion sensor, a recognized movement of a plurality of recognized movements of the gesture recognition device;

generate a command based on the recognized movement; and

transmit the command to a target device.

6 . The gesture recognition device of claim 5 , wherein the command is based on the recognized movement and the recognized grip technique.

7 . The gesture recognition device of claim 6 , wherein the command is identified from a command library comprising a plurality of commands corresponding to at least one of the plurality of recognized movements or the plurality of grip techniques.

8 . The gesture recognition device of claim 5 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit and the recognized movement of the gesture recognition device comprises at least one of a tap gesture or a three-dimensional movement of the gesture recognition device.

9 . The gesture recognition device of claim 8 , wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to sense three-dimensional motion in three linear axes and three rotational axes.

10 . A computer-implemented method for a gesture recognition device, comprising:

detecting, via a set of capacitive touch sensing pads of a gesture recognition device a multi-factor touch assertion, wherein the multi-factor touch assertion corresponds to a recognized grip technique of the gesture recognition device of a plurality of grip techniques;

generating an assertion signal that corresponds to the multi-factor touch assertion for the recognized grip technique of the gesture recognition device; and

communicating the assertion signal.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the recognized grip technique is detected based, at least in part, on a change in capacitance at the set of capacitive touch sensing pads of the gesture recognition device.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

converting a current inactive state of the gesture recognition device to an active state responsive to the assertion signal.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein, in response to the gesture recognition device being in the active state, the computer-implemented method further comprises:

detecting, via a motion sensor, a recognized movement of a plurality of recognized movements of the gesture recognition device;

generating a command based on the recognized movement; and

transmitting the command to a target device.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the command is based on the recognized movement and the recognized grip technique.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the command is identified from a command library comprising a plurality of commands corresponding to at least one of the plurality of recognized movements or the plurality of grip techniques.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit and the recognized movement of the gesture recognition device comprises at least one of a tap gesture or a three-dimensional movement of the gesture recognition device.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to sense three-dimensional motion in three linear axes and three rotational axes.

18 . A computer program product including one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect, via a set of capacitive touch sensing pads of a gesture recognition device a multi-factor touch assertion, wherein the multi-factor touch assertion corresponds to a recognized grip technique of the gesture recognition device of a plurality of grip techniques;

generate an assertion signal that corresponds to the multi-factor touch assertion for the recognized grip technique of the gesture recognition device; and

communicate the assertion signal.

19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the recognized grip technique is detected based, at least in part, on a change in capacitance at the set of capacitive touch sensing pads of the device.

20 . The computer program product of claim 18 , the one or more processors further configured to:

convert a current inactive state of the gesture recognition device to an active state responsive to the assertion signal.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC.; WARNER MEDIA, LLC; TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.; HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.; DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; WARNERMEDIA DIRECT LLC; DISCOVERY.COM LLC; WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.; CNN INTERACTIVE GROUP, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072995/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: NOCON, NATHAN; MCWILLIAMS, TOM
To: WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 069731/0858 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 18334045 · Jun 13, 2023
Continuation 17547351 · Dec 10, 2021
Continuation In Part PCTUS2020049372 · Sep 4, 2020
Provisional Application 63250315 · Sep 30, 2021
Provisional Application 62897220 · Sep 6, 2019
Related Publication 20250044877A1 · Feb 6, 2025
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