# US 12,008,169 B2 · Radar gesture input methods for mobile devices

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- Number: US 12,008,169 B2
- Document ID: US12008169B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/804,006
- Filed: 2022-05-25
- Published: 2022-09-08
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-30
- Assignees: Google Inc.
- Applicants: Google LLC
- Inventors: Devon James O'Reilley Stern; Leonardo Giusti; Vignesh Sachidanandam
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008169B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G01S 13/88: Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00)
- G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)}
- G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
- G01S 13/56: for presence detection {(presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26)}
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- H04M 1/72403: with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

This document describes techniques and systems that enable input methods for mobile devices. A radar field enables an electronic device to accurately determine that a part of a user is within a gesture zone around the device. Further, the device can determine whether an application configured to receive input through radar-based gestures (radar gestures) is operating on the device. Using these techniques, the device can present a feedback indicator on a display when the user's hand is within a gesture zone around the device. The feedback indicator alerts the user that the user's hand is close enough to the device to make specific radar gestures. This allows the device to provide the user with feedback, which can educate the user about the device's capabilities and allow the user to take advantage of additional functionality and features provided by the availability of the radar gestures.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
determining available input modes for a plurality of applications stored on an electronic device, the input modes including at least two of touch input, voice input, or radar-gesture input;
determining whether an application of the plurality of applications is configured to receive the radar-gesture input and is currently operating on the electronic device;
responsive to a determination that an application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is currently operating on the electronic device and before receiving a radar-gesture input, presenting a feedback indicator with a first characteristic, the feedback indicator indicating that the application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device;
determining, based on radar data received through a radar system, that a portion of a user is within a gesture zone of the electronic device;
responsive to the determination that the portion of the user is within the gesture zone of the electronic device and to the determination that the application configured to receive radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device and before receiving the radar-gesture input, providing the feedback indicator with a second characteristic, the second characteristic being different than the first characteristic and indicating that the portion of the user is within the gesture zone and that the application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device; and
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is no longer within the gesture zone, providing the feedback indicator with the first characteristic.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first brightness; and
the second characteristic comprises a second brightness, the second brightness being different than the first brightness.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first transparency; and
the second characteristic comprises a second transparency, the second transparency being different than the first transparency.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first color; and
the second characteristic comprises a second color, the second color being different than the first color.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first shape; and
the second characteristic comprises a second shape, the second shape being different than the first shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first size; and
the second characteristic comprises a second size, the second size being different than the first size.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises at least two of a first brightness, a first transparency, a first color, a first shape, or a first size; and
the second characteristic comprises at least two of a second brightness, a second transparency, a second color, a second shape, or a second size, the second brightness, the second transparency, the second color, the second shape, and the second size being different than the first brightness, the first transparency, the first color, the first shape, and the first size, respectively.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:
determining, based on radar data received through the radar system, whether or not a portion of a user is within a first gesture sub-zone of the electronic device, the first gesture sub-zone corresponding to another radar-gesture input that the application is configured to receive;
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is within the first gesture sub-zone of the electronic device and to the determination that the application configured to receive the other radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device, and before receiving the other radar-gesture input, providing the feedback indicator with a third characteristic, the third characteristic being different than the first characteristic and the second characteristic and indicating that the portion of the user is within the first gesture sub-zone and the application configured to receive the other radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device; and
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is no longer within the first gesture sub-zone, providing the feedback indicator with the second characteristic.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback indicator is a visual element that appears at an edge of an active area of a display.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the visual element includes:
an area that comprises a portion of the active area of the display;
a visual property, the visual property comprising a luminosity, a color, a contrast, a shape, a saturation, or an opaqueness that is different from a visual property of another portion of the display that is proximate to the visual element; and
a segment of an exterior border that is within a threshold distance of the edge of the active area of the display.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the visual property of the visual element varies across the area of the visual element.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, the method further comprising: dynamically adjusting the visual property of the feedback indicator corresponding to the distance to the electronic device or a movement of the portion of the user in the gesture zone.

### Claim 13

An electronic device comprising:
a display;
a radar system, implemented at least partially in hardware, configured to:
provide a radar field;
sense reflections from a user in the radar field;
analyze the reflections from the user in the radar field; and
provide, based on the analysis of the reflections, radar data;
a processor; and
a computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine available input modes for a plurality of applications stored on the electronic device, the input modes including at least two of touch input, voice input, or radar-gesture input;
determine whether an application of the plurality of applications is configured to receive the radar-gesture input and is currently operating on the electronic device;
responsive to a determination that an application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is currently operating on the electronic device and before receiving a radar-gesture input, present a feedback indicator with a first characteristic, the feedback indicator indicating that the application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device;
determine, based on radar data received through the radar system, that a portion of the user is within a gesture zone of the electronic device;
responsive to the determination that the portion of the user is within the gesture zone of the electronic device and to the determination that the application configured to receive radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device and before receiving the radar-gesture input, provide the feedback indicator with a second characteristic, the second characteristic being different than the first characteristic and indicating that the portion of the user is within the gesture zone and that the application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device; and
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is no longer within the gesture zone, provide the feedback indicator with the first characteristic.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first brightness; and
the second characteristic comprises a second brightness, the second brightness being different than the first brightness.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first transparency; and
the second characteristic comprises a second transparency, the second transparency being different than the first transparency.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first color; and
the second characteristic comprises a second color, the second color being different than the first color.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first shape; and
the second characteristic comprises a second shape, the second shape being different than the first shape.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:
the first characteristic comprises a first size; and
the second characteristic comprises a second size, the second size being different than the first size.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, based on radar data received through the radar system, whether or not a portion of a user is within a first gesture sub-zone of the electronic device, the first gesture sub-zone corresponding to another radar-gesture input that the application is configured to receive;
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is within the first gesture sub-zone of the electronic device and to the determination that the application configured to receive the other radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device, and before receiving the other radar-gesture input, provide the feedback indicator with a third characteristic, the third characteristic being different than the first characteristic and the second characteristic and indicating that the portion of the user is within the first gesture sub-zone and the application configured to receive the other radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device; and
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is no longer within the first gesture sub-zone, provide the feedback indicator with the second characteristic.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processor, cause the processor to:
determine available input modes for a plurality of applications stored on an electronic device, the input modes including at least two of touch input, voice input, or radar-gesture input;
determine whether an application of the plurality of applications is configured to receive the radar-gesture input and is currently operating on the electronic device;
responsive to a determination that an application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is currently operating on the electronic device and before receiving a radar-gesture input, present a feedback indicator with a first characteristic, the feedback indicator indicating that the application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device;
determine, based on radar data received through a radar system, that a portion of a user is within a gesture zone of the electronic device;
responsive to the determination that the portion of the user is within the gesture zone of the electronic device and to the determination that the application configured to receive radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device and before receiving the radar-gesture input, provide the feedback indicator with a second characteristic, the second characteristic being different than the first characteristic and indicating that the portion of the user is within the gesture zone and that the application configured to receive the radar-gesture input is operating on the electronic device; and
responsive to a determination that the portion of the user is no longer within the gesture zone, provide the feedback indicator with the first characteristic.