Google receives 'seeing with your hand' glove-gesture patent
updated 11:05 am EDT, Tue August 21, 2012
Technology similar to optical mice adapted for use in gloves
Google has been granted a patent from the USPTO for glove-based gesture control. Patent number 8,248,364, entitled "Seeing With Your Hand", uses a hand-mounted sensor that records the environment through a detector and can work out what motion occurred. In theory, this would allow for gesture controls on surfaces that do not have a touchscreen.
One example suggests a sensor on one finger taking images of a surface while the user draws a letter. A system would compare the two images and work out the distance and direction traveled between the two, in a similar way to how an optical mouse works. By taking into account multiple readings, the system can work out what letter is being written, and by using multiple sensors on multiple fingers, can also detect gesture control commands such as pinching.
Google has submitted a number of patents for control systems since the beginning of the year. A patent filing in February suggested using continuous gesture technology in mobile devices, while a finger ring designed for mobile systems such as Google's Project Glass could allow for three-dimensional gestures and navigation. [via Engadget]
