# US 2014/0192259 A1 · Power consumption in motion-capture systems with audio and optical signals

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- Number: US 2014/0192259 A1
- Document ID: US20140192259A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/149,676
- Filed: 2014-01-07
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: Leap Motion, Inc.
- Applicants: Leap Motion, Inc.
- Inventors: David HOLZ
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192259A1

## 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)}
- G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)}
- G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
- G06F 3/0425: {using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected (tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386)}
- G06F 3/043: using propagating acoustic waves
- G06F 2203/04106: Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

The technology disclosed provides systems and methods for reducing the overall power consumption of an optical motion-capture system without compromising the quality of motion capture and tracking. In implementations, this is accomplished by operating the motion-detecting cameras and associated image-processing hardware in a low-power mode (e.g., at a low frame rate or in a standby or sleep mode) unless and until touch gestures of an object such as a tap, sequence of taps, or swiping motions are performed with a surface proximate to the cameras. A contact microphone or other appropriate sensor is used for detecting audio signals or other vibrations generated by contact of the object with the surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating an optical motion-capture system with reduced power consumption, the method including:
monitoring a contact microphone coupled to an optical motion-capture system, wherein the contact microphone is in contact with a surface that a user touches; and
in response to detection of an audio signal generated by contact of an object with the surface that the user touches, switching a camera of the optical motion-capture system from a standby mode to an operational mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the contact is a touch, tap, sequence of taps, or swiping motion of the object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the microphone is a piezo or electromagnetic actuator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the optical motion-capture system includes an ultra-low-power circuit responsive to low-voltage audio signals.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including switching the camera from the operational mode to the standby mode in response to further detection of an audio signal generated by subsequent contact of the object with the surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including filtering the audio signals to exclude frequencies outside a defined range.

### Claim 7

An optical motion-capture system, including:
a camera for capturing images of an object within a field of view thereof;
a contact microphone coupled to the camera and in contact with a surface that a user touches;
a sensor for monitoring the contact microphone; and
a control module for switching the camera from a standby mode to an operational mode in response to detection of an audio signal generated by contact of an object with the surface that the user touches.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the contact is a touch, tap, sequence of taps, or swiping motions of the object.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the microscope is a piezo or electromagnetic actuator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the optical motion-capture system includes an ultra-low-power circuit responsive to low-voltage audio signals.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, further configured to switch the camera from the operational mode to the standby mode in response to further detection of an audio signal generated by subsequent contact of the object with the surface signifying departure of the object from a field of view of the camera.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, further configured to filter the audio signals to exclude frequencies outside a defined range.