Glove-like device with ergonomically advantageously activatable camera integrated therein

Abstract

The invention proposes a glove-like device which has a carrier structure, a camera and a switching arrangement. The camera is designed to record an image or series of images when it receives a contact signal. The carrier structure is designed, in the manner of a glove or of a cuff, to be readily fastened on a user's hand and/or wrist such that, in a state in which it has been drawn over the hand, at least some parts of the carrier structure enclose the user's hand. The camera and the switching arrangement are fastened on the carrier structure. The switching arrangement has an actuable component which is specifically arranged, and designed, such that it can be actuated by virtue of the user's thumb executing an actuating movement in the direction of a finger of the same hand and/or in the direction of a finger joint of the same hand, and which thus activates the contact signal and passes the latter on to the camera. In particular for activities such as, for example, many types of sport in which a user protects his hands in any case in gloves, the glove-like device described can make it possible for the user to record images in a straightforward and ergonomically intuitive manner.

Claims

1. Glove-like device, comprising: a carrier structure, a camera, a switching arrangement, wherein the camera is configured to take an image or a sequence of images upon receiving a contact signal, the carrier structure being configured to be attached without further provisions to a hand, a palm, and/or a wrist of a user such that, in a state pulled over the hand, at least parts of the carrier structure surround the hand of the user, the camera and the switching arrangement being integrated into the carrier structure, the glove-like device thereby being an integrated standalone device, and the switching arrangement comprising a component to be actuated which is arranged and configured such that it is actuated by an actuating movement of a thumb of the user towards a finger of the same hand and/or towards a finger joint of the same hand, thereby triggering the contact signal and forwarding it to the camera, the camera being integrated into the carrier structure at a position which lies on at least one of the heel and the palm of the hand, in the state pulled over the hand, the component to be actuated being integrated into the carrier structure at a position which, in the state pulled over the hand, lies on a side of the index finger joint opposite the thumb.

2. Glove-like device according to claim 1, the switching arrangement comprising a securing component which in a secured state prevents the triggering of the contact signal and which is converted to an unsecured state to permit the triggering of the contact signal by the actuation movement.

3. Glove-like device according to claim 1, the switching arrangement further comprising an actuating component and the switching arrangement being configured to generate the contact signal only when the actuating component is brought into mechanical contact with the component to be actuated.

4. Glove-like device according to claim 1, the camera being integrated into the carrier structure at a position which lies on the underside of the palm, in the state pulled over the hand.

5. Glove-like device according to claim 1, wherein the switching arrangement and/or the camera is encapsulated in a watertight manner.

6. Glove-like device according to claim 1, the switching arrangement further comprising an anti-bounce arrangement which suppresses generation of a plurality of switching signals by a single actuation movement.

7. Glove-like device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier structure is formed of a flexible, substantially not elastically stretchable material.

8. Glove-like device according to claim 1, further comprising a display which is integrated into the carrier structure and is configured to display images taken by the camera.

9. Glove-like device according to claim 8, wherein the display is a flexible display.

10. Glove-like device according to claim 8, wherein the display is integrated into the carrier structure at a position which lies on the back of the hand in the state pulled over the hand.

11. Glove-like device comprising: a carrier structure, a camera, a switching arrangement, wherein the camera is configured to take an image or a sequence of images upon receiving a contact signal, the carrier structure being configured to be attached without further provisions to a hand, a palm, and/or a wrist of a user such that, in a state pulled over the hand, at least parts of the carrier structure surround the hand of the user, the camera and the switching arrangement being integrated into the carrier structure, the glove-like device thereby being an integrated standalone device, and the switching arrangement comprising: a component to be actuated which is arranged and configured such that it is actuated by an actuating movement of a thumb of the user towards a finger of the same hand and/or towards a finger joint of the same hand, thereby triggering the contact signal and forwarding it to the camera, the camera being integrated into the carrier structure at a position which lies on at least one of the heel and the palm of the hand, in the state pulled over the hand; and an actuating component, the switching arrangement being configured to generate the contact signal only when the actuating component is brought into mechanical contact with the component to be actuated, wherein the component to be actuated comprises a contact and the actuating component comprises a magnet that closes the contact when approaching the component to be actuated.

12. Glove-like device according to claim 11, the component to be actuated being integrated into the carrier structure at a position which, in the state pulled over the hand, lies on a side of the index finger and/or the index finger joint opposite the thumb and the actuating component being integrated into the carrier structure at a position, which in the state pulled over the hand, lies on a side of the thumb opposite the index finger and/or the index finger joint.

13. Glove-like device according to claim 11, wherein the contact comprises a reed contact.

14. Glove-like device, comprising: a carrier structure, a camera, a switching arrangement, wherein the camera is configured to take an image or a sequence of images upon receiving a contact signal, the carrier structure being configured to be attached without further provisions to a hand, a palm, and/or a wrist of a user such that, in a state pulled over the hand, at least parts of the carrier structure surround the hand of the user, the camera and the switching arrangement being integrated into the carrier structure, and the switching arrangement comprising a component to be actuated which is arranged and configured such that it is actuated by an actuating movement of a thumb of the user towards a finger of the same hand and/or towards a finger joint of the same hand, thereby triggering the contact signal and forwarding it to the camera, the camera being integrated into the carrier structure at a position which lies on at least one of the heel of the hand, the palm, and the wrist, in the state pulled over the hand, the component to be actuated being integrated to the carrier structure at a position which, in the state pulled over the hand, lies on a side of the index finger joint opposite the thumb.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages of the present invention become apparent to a person having skills in the art from the following description of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the description nor the drawings are to be interpreted as restricting the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a glove-like device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show a top view from below and from above of a glove-like device according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows components of a glove-like device according to the invention and their interconnection.

(5) The details shown in the figures are only schematically illustrated and not reproduced to scale. Same reference signs indicate same features or features of same effect in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a glove-like device 1 in the form of a glove that may be pulled over a user's hand. The glove-like device 1 comprises a carrier structure 3. This carrier structure 3 corresponds essentially to a conventional glove in form and function. The carrier structure 3 is made up of one or more textile material layers that are flexible but essentially not elastically extensible.

(7) To give the glove-like device 1 a camera function, a camera 5 is attached to the carrier structure 3. Camera 5 is preferably miniaturised in such a way that its surface covers only a small part of the surface of carrier structure 3, for example less than 2 cm.sup.2. For example, the camera 5 may be embodied in a similar way as cameras included in mobile phones. In particular, the camera 5 may comprise a two-dimensional image sensor, for example in the form of a CCD chip or a CMOS chip. In addition, the camera 5 may have an optics, preferably a miniaturized optics and especially preferably an auto-focusing optics.

(8) Camera 5 is connected to a central control unit 9. Therein, one the one side, the camera 5 may transmit image data recorded by it to the central control unit 9, on the other side, the central control unit 9 may control the function of the camera 5.

(9) In the example shown, the central control unit 9 is arranged in the area of a cuff 11 of the glove-like device 1 and the camera 5 is arranged just above, i.e. in the area adjacent to a palm or a wrist of the user. This means that the central control unit 9 and the camera 5 hardly hinder any movement of the user's hand on the one side, and, on the other side, the camera 5 may be positioned particularly in a position where it is not easily covered by a user's jacket sleeve, for example.

(10) A special switching arrangement 7 is provided on the glove-like device 1 to enable images to be taken easily and ergonomically intuitively with the camera 5. This switching arrangement 7 is designed in such a way that the user may perform a kind of actuation movement by moving his thumb 51 towards his index finger 53 or towards the associated finger joint 55, as a result of which the switching arrangement 7 triggers a contact signal, which in turn causes the camera 5 to take one or more images.

(11) In the example shown, the switching arrangement 7 is constructed in two parts. On the one hand, a component 13 to be actuated is arranged in the area adjacent to the index finger 53 or finger joint 55. This component 13 to be actuated, for example, may be a switchable contact that closes a circuit when actuated and may thus trigger the contact signal. An actuating component 15 is provided in the area of the opposite thumb 51 of the same hand, which actuates the component 13 to be actuated when approaching the component 13 to be actuated and in particular when there is mechanical contact with it. For example, the component 13 to be actuated may be a reed contact and the actuating component 15 may be a small magnet that closes the reed contact when approaching the reed contact so that the contact signal is triggered.

(12) In an alternative or supplementary embodiment, the switching arrangement 7 may additionally have a securing component 14 which may be transferred from a secured state to an unsecured state and vice versa, wherein it prevents triggering the contact signal in the secured state but permits this in the unsecured state. Such a securing component 14 may be implemented in different ways. For example, as indicated in FIG. 1, the securing component may be provided as a kind of supplementary component to be actuated, which must be actuated simultaneously or prior to actuation of the component 13 to be actuated to actuate the contact signal in order to actually trigger the contact signal and thus trigger the acquisition of an image by the camera 5.

(13) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a view from below and a view from above of an alternative embodiment of a glove-like device 1. In this case, the glove-like device 1 is not designed as a whole glove, but merely as a kind of glove cuff which, in a state pulled over the hand of a user, surrounds only parts of the user's hand, in particular his wrist and a lower part of the hand including the ball of the hand and an index finger joint 55. Such a cuff type device 1 may be pulled both directly over the user's hand and, if necessary, over a conventional glove already covering this hand. The carrier structure 3 of the glove-like device 1 is designed in such a way that it may be attached to the user's hand or wrist without any further provisions, i.e. for example without additional straps, belts or similar, which are not themselves part of the carrier structure 3, in such a way that it at least partially surrounds the user's hand when pulled over the hand and is held on it.

(14) As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 5 is provided on one side of the glove-like device 1 in the area of a cuff 11 surrounding the wrist. A miniaturized microphone 17 may be located directly next to camera 5.

(15) As shown in FIG. 3, the carrier structure 3 of the glove-like device 1 has a large and preferably flexible display 23 on an opposite surface, on which images taken by the camera 5, among other things, may be displayed. The display 23 may preferably be touch-sensitive, i.e. designed as a so-called touch screen.

(16) Furthermore, a status LED 27 is provided on the carrier structure 3. For example, the status LED may light up in different colours and/or switch on and off in different time patterns, thus visualising the current status of the camera function of the glove-type device 1.

(17) In addition, further sensors such as a proximity sensor 25 may be provided. Such a proximity sensor 25 may detect near objects without physical contact being necessary. Such sensors may be used, for example, to switch a display on or off with one hand movement without touching the glove.

(18) A switching arrangement 7 is provided adjacent to a position in which the carrier structure 3, when mounted on the user's hand, is adjacent to the index finger 53 or the corresponding finger joint 55 of the hand. In this case, the switching arrangement is designed as a simple switch or button 21 that may be actuated by mechanical contact. If necessary, a securing component 14 may also be provided, which may be used to suppress readout of the contact signal by push-button 21 until the securing component 14 has been released.

(19) FIG. 4 shows a possible embodiment of electrical or electronic components to be provided for the implementation of the desired camera function in the glove-like device 1. Many of these components are optional only and may provide additional functions for the glove-like device 1. The components shown in FIG. 4 on the left are input devices, whereas output devices are shown on the right.

(20) For triggering the contact signal, the switching arrangement 7 is designed with a button 21. A generated switching signal is first filtered by an anti-bouncer arrangement 29 (“debouncer”) to ensure that a single actuation of the switching arrangement 7 leads to a single generation of a switching signal. The switching signal may then be forwarded to the central control unit 9.

(21) The central processing unit 9 may then cause the camera 5 to take an image or a sequence of images. Camera 5 is equipped with an optics 31 and an image sensor 33. Signals from the image sensor 33 may pass through an A/D converter, if necessary.

(22) In addition, a microphone may deliver 17 audio signals to the central control unit 9, if necessary, after they have passed through an audio processing unit 37 (Audio CODEC).

(23) Furthermore, additional sensors 39 such as e.g. a proximity sensor 25 may supply signals to the central control unit 9.

(24) The central control unit 9 may process the signals supplied by the switching arrangement 7, the camera 5, the microphone 17 and, if necessary, additional sensors 39 and/or control the components mentioned. For this purpose, it has at least one data-processing processor.

(25) Images taken by the camera 5 may then be output on the display 23. A current status of the components implementing the camera function may be displayed using a status LED 27 controlled by a driver 43.

(26) It is also possible to transmit images taken by the camera 5 of glove-like device 1 to other devices such as a mobile phone, for example, using a Bluetooth interface 45.

(27) In addition, an internal memory 47 may be provided in which image data may be stored.

(28) The electrical and electronic components described above may be powered with electric energy by a battery 41, preferably a lithium-ion battery.

(29) Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising”, “including”, etc. do not exclude any other elements or steps and terms such as “one” or “a” do not exclude a multitude. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as restrictions.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(30) 1 Glove-like device 3 Carrier structure 5 Camera 7 Switching arrangement 9 Central control unit 11 Cuff 13 Component to be actuated 14 Securing component 15 Actuating component 17 Microphone 19 Display 21 Push-button 23 Display 25 Proximity sensor 27 Status LED 29 Anti-bounce device 31 Optics 33 Image sensor 35 A/D converter 37 Sound processing unit 39 Sensor 41 Battery 43 Driver 45 Bluetooth interface 47 Internal memory 51 Thumb 53 Index finger 55 Index finger join