US 10,705,113 B2 · Calibration of inertial measurement units attached to arms of a user to generate inputs for computer systems

Abstract

A system including: a sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an arm of a user. The sensor module is initially calibrated to measure its orientation relative an initial reference pose. To recalibrate the sensor module, the arm of the user is moved to obtain a measurement of an orientation of the arm at a calibration pose relative to the reference pose. The arm is in a horizontal plan in both the calibration pose and the reference pose. Preferably, both arms are straight in the horizontal plane; and the hands meet each other at the calibration pose. The arm module may have twisted around the arm of the user from the time of the initial calibration and the time of recalibration. A twist of the arm module around the arm of the user is computed from the orientation measurement at the reference pose for recalibration.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an arm of a user, the sensor module configured to generate a measurement of an orientation of the arm at a calibration pose relative to an initial reference pose, wherein:
at the calibration pose, the arm is in a horizontal plane and forms a predetermined angle with respect to a front facing direction of a torso of the user at the calibration pose;
and
at the initial reference pose, the arm is in the horizontal plane and is perpendicular to a front facing direction of the torso of the user at the initial reference pose;
and
a computing device coupled to the sensor module, the computing device configured to:
calculate, based on the measurement of the orientation of the arm at the calibration pose relative to the initial reference pose, a first rotation of the sensor module along a lengthwise direction of the arm from the initial reference pose to the calibration pose;
and
recalibrate, using the first rotation, subsequent orientation measurements of the sensor module.

6 more elements

A method, comprising:

generating, by a sensor module having an inertial measurement unit and attached to an arm of a user, a measurement of an orientation of the arm at a calibration pose relative to an initial reference pose, wherein:
at the calibration pose, the arm is in a horizontal plane and forms a predetermined angle with respect to a front facing direction of a torso of the user at the calibration pose;
and
at the initial reference pose, the arm is in the horizontal plane and is perpendicular to a front facing direction of the torso of the user at the initial reference pose;
calculating, by a computing device and based on the measurement of the orientation of the arm at the calibration pose relative to the initial reference pose, a first rotation of the sensor module along a lengthwise direction of the arm from the initial reference pose to the calibration pose;
and
recalibrating, using the first rotation, subsequent orientation measurements of the sensor module.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Calibration of inertial measurement units attached to arms of a user to generate inputs for computer systems

Life of this patent

Calibration of inertial measurement units attached to arms of a user to generate inputs for computer systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20