Handling-noise based gesture control for electronic devices

1. An apparatus comprising:

a case, the case including a front cover and an opposite back cover, and the case further including a top edge and a bottom edge;

a plurality of noise detection elements in the case, the noise detection elements to detect handling-noise and to generate noise data in response to the detection of the handling-noise, the handling noise including noise generated by a command gesture that is performed on a surface of the back cover of the apparatus, the plurality of noise detection elements including at least a first noise detection element in a first location and a second noise detection element in a second location, wherein the first location is nearer to the top edge of the case than the second location and the second location is nearer to the bottom edge of the case than the first location; and

a processor, the processor to process the noise data generated by the plurality of noise detection elements to detect and identify the command gesture;

wherein the processing of the noise data includes at least the following:

detecting a location on the back cover of a first component of the command gesture performed on the back cover, the first component of the command gesture including a tap on the surface of the back cover, wherein detecting a location of the first component of the command gesture by performing a calculation based on a time of arrival of when a first noise is detected at each of the noise detection elements,

detecting a second component of the command gesture performed on the back cover;

in response to detecting the second component, determining that noise associated with the second component occurs within a predetermined time after the first noise and performing a comparison with a noise signature, the second component of the command gesture including a swipe across the surface of the back cover, and

determining whether the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus based at least in part on: the first component and the second component of the command gesture and the determining that the noise occurs within the predetermined time, and, upon determining that the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus, performing the first command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display screen in the front cover of the apparatus, wherein the performing the first command includes scrolling upward or downward on the display screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first noise detection element is a first microphone and a second noise detection element is a second microphone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the back cover is not touch sensitive.

5. A mobile device comprising:

a touchscreen display;

a case including a front cover containing the touchscreen display and an opposite back cover, and the case further including a top edge and a bottom edge;

a first microphone and a second microphone to detect handling-noise and to generate noise data in response to the detection of the handling noise, the handling noise including noise generated by a command gesture that is performed on a surface of the back cover of the mobile device, the first microphone being in a first location in the case and the second microphone being in a second location in the case, wherein the first location is nearer to the top edge of the case than the second location and the second location is nearer to the bottom edge of the case than the first location; and

a processor, the processor to process the noise data generated by first and second microphones to detect and identify the command gesture

wherein the processing of the noise data includes at least the following:

detecting a location on the back cover of a first component of the command gesture on the back cover, the first component of the command gesture including a tap on the surface of the back cover, wherein detecting a location of the first component of the command gesture by performing a calculation based on a time of arrival of when a first noise is detected at the first microphone and at the second microphone,

detecting a second component of the command gesture performed on the back cover;

in response to detecting the second component, determining that noise associated with the second component occurs within a predetermined time after the first noise and performing a comparison with a noise signature, the second component of the command gesture including a swipe across the surface of the back cover, and

determining whether the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus based at least in part on: the first component and the second component of the command gesture and the determining that the noise occurs within the predetermined time, and, upon determining that the command gesture represents the first command for the apparatus, performing the first command.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein detecting the location of the first component of the command gesture includes identifying a portion of the back cover receiving an impact.

7. The mobile device of claim 5 , further comprising a memory element to store one or more of:

one or more noise signatures; and

timing data for detecting a location of a noise.

8. The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein the processing of the noise data includes rejecting a noise as a command gesture upon a predetermined amount of time elapsing after detection of a first component of the command gesture without detection of a second component of a command gesture.

9. The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is to perform a gesture recognition training sequence for the mobile device.

10. The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein the surface of the back cover is not touch sensitive.

11. The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein performing the first command includes scrolling upward or downward on the touchscreen display of the mobile device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting handling-noise with a plurality of noise detectors of a mobile device including a first microphone and a second microphone, the noise detectors to generate noise data in response to the detection of the handling-noise, the mobile device including a case, the case including a front cover and an opposite back cover, the case further including a top edge and an opposite bottom edge, the handling-noise being related to a command gesture that is performed on the back cover of the mobile device;

processing the noise data generated by the first microphone and by the second microphone of the mobile device to detect and identify the command gesture performing an action in response to the command gesture, the first microphone being located at a first location in the case and the second microphone being located at a second location in the case, wherein the first location is nearer to the top edge of the case than the second location and the second location is nearer to the bottom edge of the case than the first location; and

performing an action in response to the identified command gesture;

wherein processing the noise data includes at least the following:

detecting a location on the back cover of a first component of the command gesture performed on the back cover, the first component of the command gesture including a tap on the surface of the back cover, wherein detecting a location of the first component of the command gesture by performing a calculation based on a time of arrival of when a first noise is detected at the first microphone and at the second microphone; and

detecting a second component of the command gesture performed on the back cover;

in response to detecting the second component, determining that noise associated with the second component occurs within a predetermined time after the first noise and performing a comparison with a noise signature, the second component of the command gesture including a swipe across the surface of the back cover; and

determining whether the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus based at least in part on: the first component and the second component of the command gesture and the determining that the noise occurs within the predetermined time, and, upon determining that the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus, performing the first command.

13. The medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

rejecting a noise as a command gesture upon a predetermined amount of time elapsing after detection of a first component of the command gesture without detection of a second component of a command gesture.

14. The medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

performing a training sequence for the mobile device.

15. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the surface of the back cover is not touch sensitive.

16. The medium of claim 12 , wherein performing the first command includes scrolling upward or downward on a display screen of the mobile device.

17. A method comprising:

detecting handling-noise with a plurality of noise detectors of a mobile device including a first microphone and a second microphone, the noise detectors to generate noise data in response to the detection of the handling-noise, the mobile device including a case, the case including a front cover and an opposite back cover, the case further including a top edge and an opposite bottom edge, the handling-noise being related to a command gesture that is performed on the back cover of the mobile device;

processing noise data generated by the first microphone and by the second microphone of the mobile device to detect and identify the command gesture performing an action in response to the command gesture, the first microphone being located at a first location in the case and the second microphone being located at a second location in the case, wherein the first location is nearer to the top edge of the case than the second location and the second location is nearer to the bottom edge of the case than the first location; and

performing an action in response to the identified command gesture;

wherein processing the noise data includes at least the following:

detecting a location on the back cover of a first component of the command gesture performed on the back cover, the first component of the command gesture including a tap on the surface of the back cover, wherein detecting a location of the first component of the command gesture by performing a calculation based on a time of arrival of when a first noise is detected at the first microphone and at the second microphone; and

detecting a second component of the command gesture performed on the back cover;

in response to detecting the second component, determining that noise associated with the second component occurs within a predetermined time after the first noise and performing a comparison with a noise signature, the second component of the command gesture including a swipe across the surface of the back cover; and

determining whether the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus based at least in part on: the first component and the second component of the command gesture and the determining that the noise occurs within the predetermined time, and, upon determining that the command gesture represents a first command for the apparatus, performing the first command.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

rejecting a noise as a command gesture upon a predetermined amount of time elapsing after detection of a first component of the command gesture without detection of a second component of a command gesture.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the surface of the back cover is not touch sensitive.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein performing the first command includes scrolling upward or downward on a display screen of the mobile device.