# US 12,602,114 B2 · Electrodes for gesture recognition

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- Number: US 12,602,114 B2
- Document ID: US12602114B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/794,921
- Filed: 2024-08-05
- Published: 2024-11-28
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-24
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Kaan E. Dogrusoz; Ali Moin; Benjamin J. Grena; Erdrin Azemi; Joseph Cheng; Lia M. Uesato; Daniel A. Podhajny
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602114B2

## 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)}
- A61B 5/1123: {Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running (A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence)}
- A61B 5/279: specially adapted for particular uses
- A61B 5/296: for electromyography [EMG]
- A61B 5/313: for electromyography [EMG]
- A61B 5/397: Analysis of electromyograms
- A61B 5/681: {Wristwatch-type devices}
- G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt}
- G06F 1/1679: {for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/1684: {Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675}
- G06F 3/014: {Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves}
- G06F 3/015: {Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection}
- A61B 5/0533: Measuring galvanic skin response
- A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Electrodes that can be formed in a flexible band of a wrist-worn device to detect hand gestures are disclosed. Multiple rows of electrodes can be configured to detect electromyography (EMG) signals produced by activity of muscles and tendons. The band can include removable electrical connections (e.g., pogo pins) to enable the electrode signals to be routed to processing circuitry in the housing of the wrist-worn device. Measurements between signals from the active electrodes and one or more reference electrodes can be obtained to capture EMG signals at a number of locations on the band. The measurement method and mode of operation (lower power coarse detection or higher power fine detection) can determine the location and number of electrodes to be measured. These EMG signals can be processed to identify hand movements and recognize gestures associated with those hand movements.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for gesture recognition, comprising:
a wearable band;
a housing including:
one or more multiplexers; and
one or more differential measurement circuits communicatively coupled to the one or more multiplexers and configured for making one or more referential measurements;
a plurality of electrodes located on one or both of the wearable band and the housing; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more differential measurement circuits and the one or more multiplexers, the one or more processors programmed to:
determine a power state of the device;
in accordance with a determination that the device is in a first power state, configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more first pairs of electrodes from a first set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain a first referential measurement for recognizing a first gesture; and
in accordance with a determination that the device is in a second power state, configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more second pairs of electrodes from a second set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain a second referential measurement for recognizing a second gesture, wherein the second set of the plurality of electrodes is smaller than the first set of the plurality of electrodes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, the one or more processors further programmed to:
detect an activation event; and
in accordance with the detection of the activation event:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the second power state, transition the power state of the device to the first power state, higher than the second power state; and
in accordance with a determination that the device is in the first power state, maintain the power state of the device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the activation event corresponds to a particular gesture.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, the one or more processors further programmed to:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the first power state, configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more different pairs of electrodes from the first set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits, to obtain a referential measurement for recognizing a subsequent gesture, wherein the subsequent gesture is recognized at a time after the activation event.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
in the first power state, the one or more processors and the one or more differential measurement circuits perform a first gesture recognition; and
in the second power state, the one or more processors and the one or more differential measurement circuits perform a second gesture recognition that has less granularity than the first gesture recognition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the first power state, obtaining the one or more referential measurements at a first sampling rate; and
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the second power state, obtaining the one or more referential measurements at a second sampling rate lower than the first sampling rate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, the one or more processors further programmed to, in the first power state:
designate a first electrode of the first set of the plurality of electrodes as a reference electrode;
designate one or more second electrodes of the first set of the plurality of electrodes as active electrodes; and
configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple the reference electrode and one of the active electrodes to the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain one or more unipolar measurements at one or more of the active electrodes relative to the reference electrode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, the one or more processors further programmed to dynamically configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple the one or more of the active electrodes to the one or more of the differential measurement circuits at different times to obtain unipolar measurements at the one or more of the active electrodes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, the one or more processors programmed to, in the first power state:
designate one or more first electrodes of the first set of the plurality of electrodes as reference electrodes;
designate one or more second electrodes of the first set of the plurality of electrodes as active electrodes; and
configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple the one or more first electrodes of the first set of electrodes designated as reference electrodes and the one or more second electrodes of the first set of electrodes in one or more different pairs of electrodes to the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain one or more bipolar measurements of the active electrodes relative to the reference electrodes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, the one or more processors programmed to, in the second power state:
designate a first electrode and a second electrode of the first set of the plurality of electrodes as reference electrodes;
designate a third electrode and a fourth electrode of the first set of the plurality of electrodes as active electrodes; and
configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple the first electrode and third electrode as a first pair of electrodes to the one or more differential measurement circuits and couple the second electrode and fourth electrode in as a second pair of electrodes to the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain first and second bipolar measurements.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
at a device comprising a wearable band, a housing, one or more multiplexers, one or more differential measurement circuits, a plurality of electrodes located on one or both of the wearable band and the housing, and one or more processors:
determining a power state of the device;
in accordance with a determination that the device is in a first power state, configuring the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more first pairs of electrodes from a first set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain a first referential measurement for recognizing a first gesture; and
in accordance with a determination that the device is in a second power state, configuring the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more second pairs of electrodes from a second set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain a second referential measurement for recognizing a second gesture, wherein the second set of the plurality of electrodes is smaller than the first set of the plurality of electrodes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
detecting an activation event; and
in accordance with the detection of the activation event:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the second power state, transitioning the power state of the device to the first power state, higher than the second power state; and
in accordance with a determination that the device is in the first power state, maintaining the power state of the device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the first power state, configuring the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more different pairs of electrodes from the first set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits, to obtain a referential measurement for recognizing a subsequent gesture, wherein the subsequent gesture is recognized at a time after the activation event.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
in the first power state, performing a first gesture recognition; and
in the second power state, performing a second gesture recognition that has less granularity than the first gesture recognition.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
in the first power state, obtaining a plurality of unipolar measurements at one or more active electrodes relative to a reference electrode; and
in the second power state, obtaining one or more bipolar measurements at a first of the one or more active electrodes relative to a first reference electrode and at a second of the one or more active electrodes relative to a second reference electrode.

### Claim 16

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a device comprising a wearable band, a housing, one or more multiplexers, one or more differential measurement circuits, and a plurality of electrodes located on one or both of the wearable band and the housing, cause the device to:
determine a power state of the device;
in accordance with a determination that the device is in a first power state, configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more first pairs of electrodes from a first set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain a first referential measurement for recognizing a first gesture; and
in accordance with a determination that the device is in a second power state, configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more second pairs of electrodes from a second set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits to obtain a second referential measurement for recognizing a second gesture, wherein the second set of the plurality of electrodes is smaller than the first set of the plurality of electrodes.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
detect an activation event; and
in accordance with the detection of the activation event:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the second power state, transition the power state of the device to the first power state, higher than the second power state; and
in accordance with a determination that the device is in the first power state, maintain the power state of the device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
in accordance with the determination that the device is in the first power state, configure the one or more multiplexers to electrically couple one or more different pairs of electrodes from the first set of the plurality of electrodes to one of the one or more differential measurement circuits, to obtain a referential measurement for recognizing a subsequent gesture, wherein the subsequent gesture is recognized at a time after the activation event.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
in the first power state, perform a first gesture recognition; and
in the second power state, perform a second gesture recognition that has less granularity than the first gesture recognition.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
in the first power state, obtain a plurality of unipolar measurements at one or more active electrodes relative to a reference electrode; and
in the second power state, obtain one or more bipolar measurements at a first of the one or more active electrodes relative to a first reference electrode and at a second of the one or more active electrodes relative to a second reference electrode.