CONFIDENCE-BASED APPLICATION-SPECIFIC USER INTERACTIONS

Organization Name

Inventor(s)

Andrew Christopher Felch of Palo Alto CA (US)

James Paul Tobin of San Francisco CA (US)

CONFIDENCE-BASED APPLICATION-SPECIFIC USER INTERACTIONS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18401917 titled 'CONFIDENCE-BASED APPLICATION-SPECIFIC USER INTERACTIONS

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a method for controlling user experience (UX) operations on an electronic device by using touchless gestures. Here is a simplified explanation of the patent:

The method involves detecting a presence and a gesture in close proximity to the electronic device with a certain level of confidence.
The device determines the proximity of the presence using a sensor signal.
If the proximity is within the required range, the device then determines the gesture and its associated confidence level using another sensor signal.
If the determined gesture and confidence level meet the initiation condition, the touchless UX operation associated with the application is initialized.

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in various industries such as:

Gaming
Virtual reality
Automotive interfaces

Problems Solved

This technology solves the following problems:

Touchless interaction for improved user experience
Enhanced accessibility for users with physical limitations

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

Hands-free operation
Increased convenience and ease of use
Enhanced user engagement

Potential Commercial Applications

The potential commercial applications of this technology include:

Smartphones and tablets
Smart home devices
Automotive infotainment systems

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for touchless gesture control is the Microsoft Kinect, which allowed users to interact with games and applications using gestures without the need for a controller.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology impact user privacy and data security?

The article does not address the potential privacy concerns or data security risks associated with using touchless gestures on electronic devices.

What are the limitations of this technology in terms of gesture recognition accuracy?

The article does not discuss the potential challenges or limitations of accurately recognizing gestures in different environments or lighting conditions.

Original Abstract Submitted

This application is directed to a method for controlling user experience (UX) operations on an electronic device that executes an application. A touchless UX operation associated with the application has an initiation condition including at least detection of a presence and a gesture in a required proximity range with a required confidence level. The electronic device then determines from a first sensor signal the proximity of the presence with respect to the electronic device. In accordance with a determination that the determined proximity is in the required proximity range, the electronic device determines from a second sensor signal a gesture associated with the proximity of the presence and an associated confidence level of the determination of the gesture. In accordance with a determination that the determined gesture and associated confidence level satisfy the initiation condition, the electronic device initializes the touchless UX operation associated with the application.

18401917. CONFIDENCE-BASED APPLICATION-SPECIFIC USER INTERACTIONS simplified abstract (GOOGLE LLC)