Apparatus, Methods And Computer Program Products Providing Finger-Based And Hand-Based Gesture Commands For Portable Electronic Device Applications

Abstract

A method includes executing a gesture with a user-manipulated physical object in the vicinity of a device; generating data that is descriptive of the presence of the user-manipulated object when executing the gesture; and interpreting the data as pertaining to at least one object, such as an object displayed by the device.

1 . A method, comprising:
 detecting execution of a gesture performed with a user-manipulated physical object in the vicinity of a device;   generating data that is descriptive of the presence or movement of the user-manipulated object when executing the gesture; and   interpreting the data as pertaining to at least one object displayed by the device.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating data comprises generating data that is descriptive of motion being made by the user-manipulated object in either three dimensional space or two dimensional space. 
     
     
         4 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating data comprises generating data that is descriptive of motion being made by the user-manipulated object over a period of time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating data comprises sequentially creating individual ones of a plurality of records, wherein individual ones of the plurality of records comprises data descriptive of a location of the user-manipulated physical object at a corresponding point in time while the gesture is executed. 
     
     
         8 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presence or motion comprises at least one of:
 a substantially circular motion, a substantially linear motion, at least one substantially circular motion in combination with at least one substantially linear motion, a substantially circular motion and a substantially linear motion, in combination with a period of substantially no motion, a substantially curved motion, and a tapping motion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , where the user-manipulated physical object is comprised of at least two objects, and where the motion comprises movement of one of the at least two objects relative to at least one other of the at least two objects. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , where the data is descriptive of at least one of a velocity and an acceleration of the user-manipulated physical object. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data is descriptive of at least one of a spatial orientation of at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space, a repose of at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space and a shape formed by at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory storing computer program instructions configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:   detecting execution of a gesture performed with a user-manipulated physical object in the vicinity of a device;   generating data that is descriptive of the presence or movement of the user-manipulated object when executing the gesture; and   interpreting the data as pertaining to at least one object displayed by the device.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , comprising a sensor arrangement configured to output data that is descriptive of motion being made by the user-manipulated physical object or portion of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space, and wherein the sensor arrangement is comprised of at least one of a plurality of acoustic sensors and a plurality of light sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , embodied in a device that comprises means for conducting wireless communications. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the data is descriptive of at least one of a spatial orientation of at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space, the repose of at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space and a shape formed by at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium,
 storing computer program instructions that, when performed by at least one processor, causes at least the following to be performed:   detecting execution of a gesture performed with a user-manipulated physical object in the vicinity of a device;   generating data that is descriptive of the presence or movement of the user-manipulated object when executing the gesture; and   interpreting the data as pertaining to at least one object displayed by the device.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein generating data comprises generating data that is descriptive of a motion made by the user-manipulated object in either three dimensional space or two dimensional space. 
     
     
         22 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein generating data comprises generating data that is descriptive of a motion made by the user-manipulated object over a period of time. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein generating data comprises sequentially creating individual ones of a plurality of records, wherein individual ones of the plurality of records comprise data descriptive of a location of the user-manipulated physical object at a corresponding point in time while the gesture is executed. 
     
     
         26 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein generating data comprises generating data that is descriptive of a motion made by the user-manipulated object in at least one of two dimensional space and three dimensional space, wherein the motion comprises at least one of:
 a substantially circular motion;   a substantially linear motion;   at least one substantially circular motion in combination with at least one substantially linear motion;   a substantially circular motion and a substantially linear motion, in combination with a period of substantially no motion;   a substantially curved motion; and   a tapping motion.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the user-manipulated physical object is comprised of at least two objects, and wherein the motion comprises movement of one of the at least two objects relative to at least one other of the at least two objects. 
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the data is descriptive of at least one of a velocity and an acceleration of the user-manipulated physical object. 
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the data is descriptive of at least one of a spatial orientation of at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space, the repose of at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space and a shape formed by at least a part of the user-manipulated physical object in two or three dimensional space. 
     
     
         33 - 45 . (canceled)