Wearable terminal and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A wearable terminal includes voice data generation unit a voice data generation unit configured to generate audio data, a sensing unit configured to sense a motion of a user's upper limb in a first axis direction perpendicular to a plane defined by a vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb and a direction of movement of the user, and to generate motion data concerning the motion, a determination unit configured to determine, based on the motion data, whether or not the user is going to perform remote control of a home electric appliance, and a data processing unit configured to process the audio data. The data processing unit includes a transmission data generation unit configured to generate transmission data corresponding to the audio data if the determination unit determines that the user is going to perform the remote control, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the transmission data to a network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wearable terminal configured to be wearable on an upper limb of a user and usable in a system for allowing remote control of a home electric appliance device via a network by using voice instructions, the wearable terminal comprising:
 a voice data generation unit configured to generate audio data from the voice instructions generator; 
 a sensing unit configured to sense a motion of the upper limb in a first axis direction perpendicular to a plane defined by (i) a second axis direction extending in a vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb and (ii) a third axis direction extending in a direction of movement of the user and being perpendicular to the second axis direction, and to generate motion data concerning the motion; 
 a determination unit configured to determine, based on the motion data, whether or not the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance; and 
 a data processing unit configured to process the audio data, 
 the data processing unit including
 (i) a transmission data generation unit configured to generate transmission data corresponding to the audio data in a case where the determination unit determines that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance, and 
 (ii) a transmission unit configured to transmit the transmission data to the network. sensor wearable on an upper limb of a user, the sensor being configured to generate motion data after detection of motion of the upper limb, the motion data including 
 acceleration data indicating an acceleration of the upper limb in a first axis direction extending away from the user, the first axis direction being perpendicular to a plane defined by (i) a second axis direction extending in a vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb and (ii) a third axis direction extending in a travelling direction of the user and being perpendicular to the second axis direction, and 
 angular velocity data indicating an angular velocity of a rotational motion of the upper limb around the second axis; and 
 
 a processor configured to
 determine whether or not the acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction is larger than an acceleration threshold, 
 determine whether or not a rotation angle calculated from the angular velocity data is larger than a rotation angle threshold, 
 cause the voice data generator to generate audio data from the voice instructions, when (i) the motion of the upper limb is detected, (ii) the acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction is determined to be larger than the acceleration threshold, and (iii) the rotation angle calculated from the angular velocity data is determined to be larger than the rotation angle threshold, the voice instructions being inputted by the user, and 
 start a processing of the generated audio data. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The wearable terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the motion data indicates an acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction, and   when the acceleration is larger than an acceleration threshold, the determination unit determines that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance.   
     
     
       3. The wearable terminal according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the sensing unit is configured to sense an angular velocity of a rotational motion of the upper limb about the second axis extending in the vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb, and to generate angular velocity data indicating the angular velocity as the motion data, and   the determination unit determines that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance when a rotation angle of the upper limb calculated from the angular velocity data is larger than the rotation angle threshold.   
     
     
       4. The wearable terminal according to  claim 1 , further comprising a power supply unit supplier configured to supply power to the data processing unit processor, wherein
 in a case where the determination unit determines that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance, the power supply unit supplier starts supplying the power to the data processing unit processor, on receiving the trigger signal. 
 
     
     
       5. The wearable terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second axis direction extends along the upper limb, from shoulder to fingertip when the upper limb is extended, in the vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb, and 
 the third axis direction extends in a direction across a hand of the user perpendicular to the second axis direction. 
 
     
     
       6. A method for controlling a wearable terminal, with a sensor wearable to an upper limb of a user, configured to be wearable on an upper limb of a user and usable in a system for allowing remote control of a home electric appliance device via a network by using voice instructions, the method comprising:
 a sensing step of sensing a motion of the upper limb in a first axis direction perpendicular to a plane defined by (i) a second axis direction extending in a vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb and (ii) a third axis direction extending in a direction of movement of the user and being perpendicular to the second axis direction, and generating motion data concerning the motion; 
 a determination step of determining, based on the motion data, whether or not the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance; 
 a generation step of receiving the voice instructions and generating transmission data corresponding to the voice instructions in a case where it is determined in the determination step that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance; and 
 a transmission step of transmitting the transmission data to the network. 
 generating motion data after detection of motion of the upper limb, the motion data including
 acceleration data indicating an acceleration of the upper limb in a first axis direction extending away from the user, the first axis direction being perpendicular to a plane defined by (i) a second axis direction extending in a vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb and (ii) a third axis direction extending in a travelling direction of the user and being perpendicular to the second axis direction, and   velocity data indicating an angular velocity of a rotational motion of the upper limb around the second axis;   
 determining whether or not the acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction is larger than an acceleration threshold; 
 determining whether or not a rotation angle calculated from the angular velocity data is larger than a rotation angle threshold; 
 causing the voice data generator to generate audio data from the voice instructions, when (i) the motion of the upper limb is detected, (ii) the acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction is determined to be larger than the acceleration threshold, and (iii) the rotation angle calculated from the angular velocity data is determined to be larger than the rotation angle threshold, the voice instructions being inputted by the user; and 
 starting a processing of the generated audio data. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the sensing step includes sensing an acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction, and   the determination step includes comparing the acceleration with an acceleration threshold, and determining that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance when the acceleration is larger than the acceleration threshold.   
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the sensing step includes sensing an angular velocity of a rotational motion of the upper limb about the second axis extending in the vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb, and   the determination step includes comparing a rotation angle of the upper limb calculated using the angular velocity with a rotation angle threshold, and determining that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance if the rotation angle is larger than the rotation angle threshold.   
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the second axis direction extends along the upper limb, from shoulder to fingertip when the upper limb is extended, in the vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb, and 
 the third axis direction extends in a direction across a hand of the user perpendicular to the second axis direction. 
 
     
     
       10. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein
 a power supplier stops supplying the power to the processor, when a predetermined period elapses after the power supplier starts supplying the power to the processor.   
     
     
       11. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein
 the processor is further configured to generate transmission data corresponding to the generated audio data, and to transmit the transmission data to the network.   
     
     
       12. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein
 the terminal is a wearable terminal.   
     
     
       13. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display information to the user, wherein
 the processor generates display data that indicates that the terminal becomes available to receive voice instructions, when the value of the motion in the first axis direction is determined to exceed the threshold, and the display displays the generated display data.   
     
     
       14. A wearable terminal configured to be wearable on an upper limb of a user and usable in a system for allowing remote control of a home electric appliance via a network by using voice instructions, the wearable terminal comprising:
 a voice data generator;   a sensor wearable on the upper limb of the user, the sensor being configured to generate motion data after detection of motion of the upper limb, the motion data including
 acceleration data indicating an acceleration of the upper limb in a first axis direction extending away from the user, the first axis direction being perpendicular to a plane defined by (i) a second axis direction extending in a vertically downward oriented direction of the upper limb and (ii) a third axis direction extending in a travelling direction of the user and being perpendicular to the second axis direction, and 
 angular velocity data indicating an angular velocity of a rotational motion of the upper limb around the second axis; and 
   a processor configured to
 after the motion of the upper limb is detected, determine whether or not the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance by (i) determining whether or not the acceleration of the upper limb in the first axis direction is larger than an acceleration threshold, and (ii) determining whether or not a rotation angle calculated from the angular velocity data is larger than a rotation angle threshold, 
 cause the voice data generator to generate audio data from the voice instructions, when it is determined that the user is going to perform remote control of the home electric appliance, the voice instructions being inputted by the user, 
 start a processing of the generated audio data, and 
 generate transmission data corresponding to the generated audio data, and 
   transmit the transmission data to the network.