Touchless user interface navigation using gestures

Abstract

An example method includes displaying, by a display ( 104 ) of a wearable device ( 100 ), a content card ( 114 B); receiving, by the wearable device, motion data generated by a motion sensor ( 102 ) of the wearable device that represents motion of a forearm of a user of the wearable device; responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user has performed a movement that includes a supination of the forearm followed by a pronation of the forearm at an acceleration that is less than an acceleration of the supination, displaying, by the display, a next content card ( 114 C); and responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user has performed a movement that includes a supination of the forearm followed by a pronation of the forearm at an acceleration that is greater than an acceleration of the supination, displaying, by the display, a previous content card ( 114 A).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 displaying, by a display of a wearable computing device, a first content card of a list of content cards;   receiving, by the wearable computing device, motion data generated by a motion sensor of the wearable computing device that represents motion of a forearm of a user of the wearable computing device; and   in response to determining, by the wearable computing device and based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a first movement that includes a repeated pronation and supination of the forearm of the user within a period of time, displaying, by the display, a home screen.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, the method further comprising:
 in response to determining, by the wearable computing device and based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a second movement that includes a lowering of at least a distal end of the forearm of the user away from a head of the user followed by a raising of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user toward the head of the user, displaying, by the display, a content card of the list of content cards at a second hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels that is lower than the first hierarchical level.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, the method further comprising:
 in response to determining, by the wearable computing device and based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a third movement that includes a raising of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user towards the head of the user followed by a lowering of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user away from the head of the user, displaying, by the display, a content card of a list of content cards at a third hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels that is higher than the first hierarchical level.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, wherein the home screen is a content card of the list of content cards that is not a content card of the list of content cards at a lower hierarchical level than the first content card, a content card of the list of content cards at a higher hierarchical level than the first content card, or the first content card. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises a smartwatch. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises an activity tracker. 
     
     
         7 . A wearable computing device configured to be worn on a forearm of a user, the wearable computing device comprising;
 a display component that displays content cards;   at least one motion sensor that detects movement of the wearable computing device and generates, based on the movement, motion data that represents motion of the forearm of the user of the wearable computing device;   one or more processors; and   at least one module operable by the one or more processors to:
 cause the display component to display a first content card of a list of content cards; and 
 responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a first movement that includes a repeated pronation and supination of the forearm of the user within a period of time, cause the display component to display a home screen. 
   
     
     
         8 . The wearable computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, and wherein, responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a second movement that includes a lowering of at least a distal end of the forearm of the user away from a head of the user followed by a raising of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user toward the head of the user, the at least one module is further operable to cause the display component to display a content card of the list of content cards at a second hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels that is lower than the first hierarchical level. 
     
     
         9 . The wearable computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, and wherein, in response to determining, based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a third movement that includes a raising of at least a distal end of the forearm of the user towards the head of the user followed by a lowering of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user away from the head of the user, the at least one module is further operable to cause the display component to display a content card of a list of content cards at a third hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels that is higher than the first hierarchical level. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, wherein the home screen is a content card of the list of content cards that is not a content card of the list of content cards at a lower hierarchical level than the first content card, a content card of the list of content cards at a higher hierarchical level than the first content card, or the first content card. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises a smartwatch. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises an activity tracker. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a wearable computing device to:
 output for display, by a display component of a wearable computing device, a first content card of a list of content cards;   receive motion data generated by a motion sensor of the wearable computing device that represents motion of a forearm of a user of the wearable computing device; and   responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a first movement that includes a repeated pronation and supination of the forearm of the user within a period of time, output for display, by the display component, a home screen.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that cause the one or more processors to:
 responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a second movement that includes a lowering of at least a distal end of the forearm of the user away from a head of the user followed by a raising of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user toward the head of the user, output for display, by the display component, a content card of the list of content cards at a second hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels that is lower than the first hierarchical level.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that cause the one or more processors to:
 responsive to determining, based on the motion data, that the user of the wearable computing device has performed a third movement that includes a raising of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user towards the head of the user followed by a lowering of at least the distal end of the forearm of the user away from the head of the user, output for display, by the display component, a content card of a list of content cards at a third hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels that is higher than the first hierarchical level.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first content card corresponds to a first hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels, wherein the home screen is a content card of the list of content cards that is not a content card of the list of content cards at a lower hierarchical level than the first content card, a content card of the list of content cards at a higher hierarchical level than the first content card, or the first content card. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises a smartwatch. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the wearable computing device comprises an activity tracker.