Earlier this month the US Patent & Trademark Office published two patent applications from Samsung that reveal their ongoing work with wearable computers. In this particular report we cover Samsung's work on smart gloves. The primary patent application is, in an odd way, trying to introduce multimedia or music gloves as an MP3 replacement to players such as Apple's iPod. The question becomes, who would want to wear gloves indoors year round in order to play music? Who would wear gloves outdoors beyond winter? In Samsung's secondary patent on smart gloves they introduce two interesting features plus add advanced features relating braille applications. Although Samsung doesn't make any connection in this patent to the work being done on their "Smart Hazard Suits," it would make more sense that these gloves will eventually be added to such a suit. I think that it would make more sense than trying to use them as magic music gloves. Then again, maybe this generation will think that this idea is cool.
Samsung's Patent Background
Advancements in electronic technologies have resulted in development of various types of electronic devices. As such, development of games, music, multimedia contents, and applications that can be used in various kinds of electronic devices has been accelerated.
In particular, users require enhancements in audio and video contents, as well as advanced editing and creating capabilities of various multimedia contents.
However, since a device to perform such functions is generally expensive and complicated to use, an average user has difficulty acquiring and using such an advanced device. Accordingly, there is a need for a more inexpensive and user-friendly multimedia creating and editing device.
Samsung Invents Smart Gloves for Music & Videos
Samsung's patent application relates to a wearable device that can be worn by a user to allow them to control an external device that processes contents easily with various methods. The wearable device may include, as noted below, a pair of gloves. This pair of gloves could very well be designed to challenge a device such as Apple's iPod touch in the form of a pair of gloves.
The gloves include both motion and bending sensors that are controlled by a communication unit to transmit the control signals. When an audio reproducing program is executed in the gloves, the controller may activate the motion sensor and the bending sensor.
The wearable device may further include storage to store a plurality of control codes. The wearable device may further include a speaker to output an audio signal that is transmitted from the external device.
The wearable device may include a body formed in the glove shape and which is made of flexible material, and supports the motion sensor, the bending sensor, the controller, the communication unit, and the display, and a power supply embedded in the body and which is made of flexible material, and supplies power to the motion sensor, the bending sensor, the controller, the communication unit, and the display. The description and details of the flexible material noted above is covered in our report titled "Samsung to Advance Smart Wearables to Hazard Suits."
The method may further include, when an audio reproducing program is executed in the external device, activating the motion sensor and the bending sensor.
In Samsung's patent FIG. 2 below we're able to see and illustration of an example wearable device 100 that is implemented in a glove shape. Specifically, the gloves are made a flexible material. The body may be made of leather, fabric and/or a high molecular resin. The motion sensor #110, the bending sensor #120, the controller #130, the communication unit #140, and the display #150 may be attached to a surface of the body of the glove or may be buried within the body and supported by the body.
In Samsung's patent FIG. 4 we're able to see a view explaining types of motions that can be sensed by the motion sensor. The pitch angle and the roll angle may be measured by the acceleration sensor #111 and the yaw angle may be measured by the geomagnetic sensor #112 or the gyro sensor as noted in patent FIG. 3 above.
DJ Music Gloves & Methods
In Samsung's patent FIG. 6 they're illustrating a result of adjusting an audio reproducing time which is displayed on the display 150-1 of the left-hand glove 100-1. The user may perform scratching of "DJ-ing" operations by placing his/her left hand wearing the left-hand glove 100-1 on a table and rubbing the table with his/her left hand.
Also, the controller disposed in the right-hand glove 100-2 may control an equalizer app. In particular, the user may perform "DJ-ing" operations by performing a real DJ gesture.
When it is determined that a predetermined end motion occurs, the controller may generate an end signal to finish adjusting audio data and store adjusted data, and may transmit the end signal to the external device. The end motion may be implemented variously. For example, various motions such as a motion of joining both hands, a motion of drawing a specific shape in the air with fingers being stretched, and a motion of clenching a fist, may be the end motion. When the end signal is received, the external device stores the audio content that has been adjusted until the end signal is received. Accordingly, adjustment such as remix and sampling may be performed with respect to the audio content.
In Samsung's patent FIG. 9 we're able to see a touch sensor (#190) integrated into the fingertip of the glove. Accordingly, when the user touches a table or other thing such as their own body with their middle finger, the touch sensor notifies the controller of touch.
When touch is notified, the controller regards only the signals sensed by the motion sensor or the bending sensor as effective information and determines a movement. When touch does not occur, the controller may disregard the signals sensed by the motion sensor or the bending sensor.
In patent FIG. 10 we're able to see a state in which the user controls their gloves and touches a surface of a table (#20), and moves the left and right hands in various directions while still touching. Also, the user may tap or double tap the surface of the table or may strongly press the surface of the table with his/her finger provided with the touch sensor.
By combining such movements, various operations such as changing a tune or reproducing a video may be performed. For example, if the wearable device includes the touch sensors provided on every finger of the glove, then when the user taps their index finger while an audio content is being reproduced, an operation of adding a drum sound may be performed.
Also, when the user makes a gesture as if they were striking, an operation of reproducing or adding a key sound may be performed.
Also, when the user rubs the table with their left hand in a vertical direction while tapping with the index finger of their left hand, the music app's equalizer may be adjusted.
When the user rubs the table with their left hand in the vertical direction while double tapping, an output volume adjustment is made.
When the user rubs the table with their right hand in a horizontal direction, scratching may be performed. Such a matching relationship between movements and control operations is merely an example and may be set differently according to a situation.
Samsung filed their patent application back in Q4 2013. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
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Samsung Smart Gloves Part 2
In a secondary patent application, Samsung adds two new dimensions and/or features for their smart gloves as noted below.
In Samsung's patent FIG. 9 we're able to see that the gloves can get even more sophisticated with the addition of units that could include a camera, an optical mouse #185, and an output unit for audio, alarms, headphone jacks and beyond.
The last point is that these smart gloves could also be designed to work with braille at a high level allowing users to text and use email. Samsung's patent claim number two states that "The wearable device comprises a plurality of actuators that can be projected, and the actuator unit forms the Braille pattern..."
Samsung filed their patent application back in Q4 2013. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
A Note for Tech Sites covering our Report: We ask tech sites covering our report to kindly limit the use of our graphics to one image. Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.
Patently Mobile presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. About Posting Comments: Patently Mobile reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments.
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