Estimating control feature from remote control with camera

• US 10,051,169 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Gritti, Tommaso, Van Grinsven, Petrus Augustinus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Luong T
• Application Number:
  US15/144,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An apparatus estimates control features of remote controls comprising cameras for detecting light points from beacons located at or near devices that are to be controlled via the remote controls by letting the cameras further detect light points from non-beacons. Processors estimate the control features in response to information from the detections of the light points. The non-beacons comprise noise sources or any other sources different from the beacons. Memories store per time-interval the information per detection. The light coming from the beacons may be modulated light and the light coming from the non-beacons may be other light. The information may comprise coordinates, sizes and intensities of light points per detection and per time-interval. The control feature may comprise a pointing position, a distance, a rotation, a tilt, a location, a speed, an acceleration, a movement and/or a zoom of the remote control.

Claims

1. A remote control device comprising:

a sensor; and

a processor configured to;

receive, from the sensor, an input from at least one beacon source wherein the input from a corresponding one of the at least one beacon source is received in at least one of;

a first time period and a second time period; and

receive, from the sensor, an input from at least one non-beacon source wherein the input from a corresponding one of the at least one non-beacon source is received in at least one of;

the first time period and the second time period,

determine the received inputs of the at least one beacon source and at least one non-beacon source present in the first time period and the second time period;

determine a change of a corresponding one of the available received inputs of the at least one beacon source and at least one non-beacon source between the first time period and the second time period;

develop a map for each of the first time period and the second time period, each of the maps of the first time period and the second time period being determining with regard to a known coordinate, wherein a position of each of the received inputs of the at least one beacon source and the received inputs of the at least one non-beacon source is determined on a corresponding map, wherein the change of corresponding ones of the available received inputs of the at least one beacon source and the available received inputs of at least one non-beacon source between the first time period and the second time period represents said change in position;

estimate a change of the remote control device based on the determined change of received inputs of the at least one beacon source and at least one non-beacon source; and

determine a control feature of the remote control device based on the estimated change.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control feature comprises at least one of:

a pointing position, a distance from a second device, a rotation, a tilt, a location with respect to the second device, a speed, an acceleration, a movement and a zoom.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of:

a camera, an IR sensor and a visible light sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the received inputs from the at least one beacon source is a light having a known modulation.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the maps comprise:

at least one of;

a size and an intensity of each of the received inputs of the at least one beacon source and at least one non-beacon source.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a position of each of the at least one beacon source is known with respect to said known coordinate.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter, wherein the processor is configured to;

transmit, through the transmitter, data associated with the determined control feature.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the data associated with the determined control feature provides an instruction.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the device of claim 1, wherein the received input is from an unmodulated light source.

9. A control system comprising:

a controlling device comprising;

a detection unit; and

a transmitting unit; and

a controlled device comprising;

a receiving device;

the control system further comprising;

at least one beacon source; and

a processor configured to;

receive, from the detection unit, at least one input associated with a transmission from at least one of the at least one beacon source in at least one of;

a first time period and a second time period;

receive, from the detection unit, at least one second input in at least one of;

the first time period and in the second time period, the at least one second input associated with a transmission from a corresponding source not associated with the at least one beacon source;

determine which of the received inputs of the at least one beacon source and the source not associated with the at least one beacon source, is present in the first time period and the second time period;

determine a change between each of the received inputs present in the first time period and the second time period;

develop a map for each of the first time period and the second time period, each of the maps being determining with regard to a known coordinate, wherein a position of each of the inputs received from the beacon source and the inputs received from the source not associated with the beacon source is determined on a corresponding map, wherein the change of the received inputs represents a change in position;

estimate a change of the controlling device based on the determined change of received inputs present in the first time period and the second time period;

determine a control function of the controlling device based on the estimated change; and

transmit, through a transmitter, data associated with the determined control function.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is located within one of:

the controlling device and the controlled device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one beacon source is located, with respect to the controlled device, in at least one of:

external to and internal to.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the control function comprises at least one of:

a pointing position, a distance from a second device, a rotation, a tilt, a location with respect to the second device, a speed, an acceleration, a movement and a zoom.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the detection unit is at least one of:

a camera, an IR sensor and a visible light sensor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the received inputs from the at least one beacon source is a light having a known modulation.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the maps comprises:

at least one of;

a size and an intensity of each of the inputs received.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing the received at least one input from the beacon source and the received at least one second input from the source not associated with the beacon source of each of the first time period and the second time period.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one beacon source not associated with the at least one non-beacon source represents at least a noise source.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the first time period and the second time period are dis-joint in time.

19. A method, operable in a processor, for controlling a controllable device, the method causing the processor to:

receive, through a sensor, at least one first input signal, at least one of the at least one input signal associated with a beacon, in each of a plurality of non-time overlapping time slots;

generate a map of the received at least one second input signal for each of the plurality of non-time overlapping time slots, wherein each map representing a position of each of the received at least one input signal;

determine which of the received first and second input signals is available in at least two maps;

determine a change of a position of the first and second received input signals between the at least two maps;

determine a control function based on the determined change position; and

generate a control signal comprising information associated with the determined control function.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the control function comprises at least one:

a pointing position, a distance from a second device, a rotation, a tilt, a location with respect to the second device, a speed, an acceleration, a movement and a zoom.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of:

a camera, an IR sensor and a visible light sensor.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the received input from the at least one beacon source is a light having a known modulation.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the maps comprise:

at least one of;

a size and an intensity of each of the received inputs.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing the received inputs associated with at least two time periods.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

eliminating the received inputs not associated with the at least one beacon.

27. A computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory propagating signal or wave, the computer readable storage medium containing control information for a method for operating a controllable device, the method comprising:

receive, through a sensor, at least one first input associated with a beacon in each of a plurality of non-time overlapping time slot;

generate, by a processor, a map of the recited at least one second input signal for each of the plurality of no-time overlapping time slots, wherein each map representing a position of each of the received at least one input signal;

determine, by the processor, which of the received first and second input signal are available in at least two maps,

determine, by the processor, the received first and second input signals between the at least two maps;

determine, by the processor, a control function of the remote control device based on the determined change position; and

generate, by the processor, a control signal comprising information associated with the determined control function.