# US 2014/0191963 A1 · Apparatus and method for controlling a user interface of a device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191963 A1 - Document ID: US20140191963A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,241 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Sho MURAKOSHI; Kazumoto KONDO; Peter SHINTANI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191963A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0433: {in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member} - G06F 3/03545: {Pens or stylus} - G06F 2200/1636: Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Certain aspects of an apparatus and a method for controlling a user interface of a device may comprise one or more sensors coupled to a vibratory surface associated with the apparatus. The one or more sensors may detect one or more vibrations of the vibratory surface caused by an interaction of an object with the vibratory surface. The one or more sensors may generate one or more vibratory signals in response to the detected one or more vibrations. One or more processors that are communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors may generate a control signal corresponding to the one or more generated vibratory signals to control the user interface of the device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for controlling a user interface of a device, said apparatus comprising: one or more sensors coupled to a vibratory surface associated with said apparatus, wherein said one or more sensors are operable to: detect one or more vibrations of said vibratory surface caused by an interaction of an object with said vibratory surface; and generate one or more vibratory signals in response to said detected one or more vibrations; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to said one or more sensors, wherein said one or more processors are operable to generate a control signal corresponding to said one or more generated vibratory signals to control said user interface of said device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more processors are operable to convert each of said generated one or more vibratory signals into vibratory signal components, wherein each of said converted vibratory signal components corresponds to a coordinate axis in a three-dimensional coordinate system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said one or more processors are operable to: generate a first signal based on a difference between a first vibratory signal component and a second vibratory signal component of said converted vibratory signal components; generate a second signal based on a difference between one of said first vibratory signal component or said second vibratory signal component, and a third vibratory signal component of said converted vibratory signal components; and determine said interaction of said object based on said generated first signal and said generated second signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said one or more processors are operable to determine a location corresponding to said interaction of said object with said vibratory surface, wherein said location is determined based on said generated first signal and said generated second signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said one or more processors are operable to: transform a sample of said generated first signal during a first pre-determined duration from a time domain to a frequency domain; and transform a sample of said generated second signal during a second pre-determined duration from said time domain to said frequency domain. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said one or more processors are operable to determine a cross-correlation between said transformed sample of said generated first signal and said transformed sample of said generated second signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said one or more processors are operable to determine said location based on said determined cross-correlation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more processors are operable to determine a vibration frequency corresponding to each of said generated one or more vibratory signals, wherein said determined vibration frequency is indicative of an operation associated with said device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said vibration frequency is determined based on one or more of: a material of said vibratory surface, a type of said object, a type of said interaction, and/or a roughness of said vibratory surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interaction comprises one or more of: scratching said vibratory surface, tapping on said vibratory surface, sliding said object on said vibratory surface, and/or dragging said object on said vibratory surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprise one or both of: an accelerometer or a gyroscope. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling a user interface of a device, said method comprising: detecting one or more vibrations of a vibratory surface caused by an interaction of an object with said vibratory surface; generating one or more vibratory signals in response to said detected one or more vibrations; and generating a control signal corresponding to said one or more generated vibratory signals to control said user interface of said device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising converting each of said generated one or more vibratory signals into vibratory signal components, wherein each of said converted vibratory signal components corresponds to a coordinate axis in a three-dimensional coordinate system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: generating a first signal based on a difference between a first vibratory signal component and a second vibratory signal component of said converted vibratory signal components; generating a second signal based on a difference between one of said first vibratory signal component or said second vibratory signal component and a third vibratory signal component of said converted vibratory signal components; and determining said interaction of said object based on said generated first signal and said generated second signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising determining a location corresponding to said interaction of said object with said vibratory surface, wherein said location is determined based on said generated first signal and said generated second signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating a sample of said generated first signal during a first pre-determined duration; generating a sample of said generated second signal during a second pre-determined duration; and transforming each of said generated samples of said generated first signal and said generated second signal from a time domain to a frequency domain. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein each of said samples of said generated first signal and said generated second signal is generated by applying a window function to each of said generated first signal and said generated second signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a cross-correlation between said transformed sample of said generated first signal and said transformed sample of said generated second signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising determining said location and/or said interaction based on said determined cross-correlation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a vibration frequency corresponding to each of said generated one or more vibratory signals based on one or more of: a material of said vibratory surface, a type of said object, a type of said interaction, and/or a roughness of said vibratory surface, wherein said determined vibration frequency is indicative of an operation associated with said device. ### Claim 21 A device for interaction, said device comprising: one or more processors and/or circuits in said device that is communicatively coupled to an apparatus, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to: receive a control signal from said apparatus, wherein said control signal is generated by said apparatus in response to detection of one or more vibrations of a vibratory surface associated with said apparatus caused by an interaction of an object with said vibratory surface; and control a user interface of said device based on said received control signal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, wherein said interaction comprises one or more of: scratching said vibratory surface, tapping on said vibratory surface, sliding said object on said vibratory surface, and/or dragging said object on said vibratory surface.