HP's foot activated user interface
As a diversion from pretexting, engadget discusses HP's foot-activated interface:
Nevermind those fancy thought-based biometric systems and brain controlled computers, as a clever group of inventors have patented a foot-activated user interface that can bring mousing abilities to those without hands / arms (or a suitable amount of dexterity).
The patent is US 6,922,184 (titled: Foot activated user interface), issued July 26, 2005, with first claim:
A user input device for computing apparatus, comprising: a foot control unit adapted to be worn on a user's foot and comprising a position sensor for sensing relative position with respect to a reference unit; a reference unit remote from the foot control unit; and a data carrier containing program instructions for execution by a processor of said computing apparatus, wherein the processor executing said program instructions is adapted to receive a stream of relative position information from the foot control unit or the reference unit and to convert the stream of relative position information into a position of a selection element on a user display.
The first inventor is Richard Anthony Lawrence.
The abstract includes text:
Movement of the foot, which drives operation of a selection element, provides user input to the processor unit. The foot control unit contains a position sensor 27 that detects position relative to a reference unit 26 in the processor unit 10. A stream of relative position data is used to indicate alternative options at the information presentation device. Selection may be carried out by various alternative methods in different embodiments --if the position sensor 27 is also an orientation sensor, this may be by rotation of the foot. This arrangement is particularly suitable for a wearable computing apparatus.
Nevermind those fancy thought-based biometric systems and brain controlled computers, as a clever group of inventors have patented a foot-activated user interface that can bring mousing abilities to those without hands / arms (or a suitable amount of dexterity).
The patent is US 6,922,184 (titled: Foot activated user interface), issued July 26, 2005, with first claim:
A user input device for computing apparatus, comprising: a foot control unit adapted to be worn on a user's foot and comprising a position sensor for sensing relative position with respect to a reference unit; a reference unit remote from the foot control unit; and a data carrier containing program instructions for execution by a processor of said computing apparatus, wherein the processor executing said program instructions is adapted to receive a stream of relative position information from the foot control unit or the reference unit and to convert the stream of relative position information into a position of a selection element on a user display.
The first inventor is Richard Anthony Lawrence.
The abstract includes text:
Movement of the foot, which drives operation of a selection element, provides user input to the processor unit. The foot control unit contains a position sensor 27 that detects position relative to a reference unit 26 in the processor unit 10. A stream of relative position data is used to indicate alternative options at the information presentation device. Selection may be carried out by various alternative methods in different embodiments --if the position sensor 27 is also an orientation sensor, this may be by rotation of the foot. This arrangement is particularly suitable for a wearable computing apparatus.
posted by Lawrence B. Ebert at 11:47 AM
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