# US 8,786,547 B2 · Effects of gravity on gestures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,547 B2 - Document ID: US8786547B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/978,199 - Filed: 2010-12-23 - Published: 2012-06-28 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-12-23 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Applicants: Eric R. Soldan; Kenneth G. Oetzel - Inventors: Eric R. Soldan; Kenneth G. Oetzel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786547B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 3/0346: with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Techniques involving an effect of gravity on gestures are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs and therefore initiate operations of a computing device, such as a mobile communications device having telephone functionality. The techniques described herein may be employed to reduce an effect of gravity on an input that describes the gesture. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, such as gestures that are recognized as involving acceleration, e.g., acceleration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: recognizing an input received by a computing device as describing acceleration; reducing an effect of gravity from the input by the computing device; and identifying a gesture from the input that has the effect of gravity reduced by comparing an order of a plurality of crossings of positive and negative thresholds for one or more of the x, y, or z axis described by the input with a description of the gesture that specifies an order of a plurality of crossings of positive and negative thresholds for one or more of the x, y, or z axis, the gesture effective to cause an operation to be performed by the computing device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the input describes proper acceleration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the acceleration involves acceleration of the computing device through a plurality of axes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, further comprising detecting the input using a plurality of accelerometers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method as described in claim 4, wherein the detecting is performed for at least three axes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the reducing the effect of gravity from the input includes computing an effect of the gravity on the acceleration in a plurality of axes beyond a threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the reducing the effect of gravity from the input involves quaternion interpolation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the operation involves interaction with a user interface output by the computing device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the input describes acceleration of the computing device beyond a threshold for one or more of an x, y, or z axis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as described in claim 1, wherein the identifying is performed without performing integration on the input that has the effect of gravity removed. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: recognizing an input as involving acceleration of a mobile communication device beyond a threshold for one or more of an x, y, or z axis; and identifying a gesture from the input that has an effect of gravity reduced from one or more of the x, y, or z axis without performing integration on the input that has the effect of gravity reduced, the gesture being identified from a plurality of gestures that are defined using a respective order of a plurality of crossings of positive and negative thresholds for the x, y, or z axes, the gesture effective to cause an operation to be performed by the mobile communication device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method as described in claim 11, wherein the effect of gravity is reduced for the one or more of the x, y, or z axis using interpolation of an area of a curve described by the input that is beyond the threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method as described in claim 11, further comprising detecting the acceleration of the mobile communication device using one or more accelerometers of the mobile communication device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A method as described in claim 11, wherein the operation involves interaction with a user interface output by the mobile communication device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A method as described in claim 11, wherein the mobile communication device includes telephone functionality to make and receive telephone calls. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A method as described in claim 11, wherein the identifying of the gesture involves comparing a plurality of crossings of the threshold for one or more of the x, y, or z axis described by the input with a description of the gesture that specifies particular said crossing for particular said one or more of the x, y, or z axis. ### Claim 17 A mobile communication device comprising: a housing; a display device disposed on the housing and configured to be viewable by a user; one or more accelerometers disposed within the housing and configured to detect acceleration through an x, y, and z axis; and one or more modules disposed within the housing an communicatively coupled to the accelerometers and the display device, the one or more modules configured to recognize an input detected using the one or more accelerometers as describing acceleration of the mobile communication device through the x, y, or z axis, reduce an effect of gravity from the input using interpolation and corresponding threshold for each of the x, y, or z axis, and identify a gesture from the input having the effect of gravity reduced by comparing an order of a plurality of crossings of positive and negative thresholds for one or more of the x, y, or z axis described by the input with a description of the gesture that specifies an order of a plurality of crossings of positive and negative thresholds for one or more of the x, y, or z axis. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A mobile communication device as described in claim 17, wherein the one or more modules are configured to reduce the effect of gravity by computing for each curve of the input describing acceleration of the mobile communication device through a respective said x, y, or z axis: an area beyond a respective said threshold for the curve; a time at a start of the curve; a time at an end of the curve, a time of a peak of the curve; and an amplitude of the curve. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A mobile communication device as described in claim 17, wherein the effect of gravity is reduced from the input using quaternion interpolation of at least two samples taken from the input. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) A mobile communication device as described in claim 17, wherein the one or more modules include telephone functionality sufficient to wirelessly communicate via a telephone network.