Directional remote control based on ranging

• US 10,070,092 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Clay, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/217,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 340 125, 340 1041, 348734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A remote control (RC) has two ultra-wideband tags arranged along the axis of the RC at a known distance “d” from each other. An appliance to be controlled can use a UWB anchor to ping the tags and determine the distance to each tag. The distances are then subtracted and if the difference substantially equals the known distance “d”, this represents an indication that the RC is pointed directly at the appliance, and the appliance accordingly will execute commands from the RC. Otherwise, the appliance ignores the RC commands.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

transmit a wireless interrogation signal to a companion device;

receive one or more responses to the interrogation signal from the companion device;

based on the one or more responses, determine at least first and second distances;

determine a difference between the first and second distances;

compare the difference to a known distance;

based on the compare, generate one of two binary outputs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein responsive to the compare indicating that the difference equals the known distance, the instructions are executable to output a first binary output.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first binary output is to execute a command from a remote control.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the compare is determined to indicate that the difference equals the known distance responsive to the difference being within a threshold range of the known distance.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein responsive to the compare indicating that the difference does not equal the known distance, the instructions are executable to output a second binary output.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second binary output is to not execute a command from a remote control.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the compare is determined to indicate that the difference does not equal the known distance responsive to the difference not being within a threshold range of the known distance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the known distance is a distance between first and second wireless tags disposed on a remote control (RC).

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tags are ultra wideband (UWB) tags.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tags are arranged in a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the RC.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an appliance to be controlled and the companion device is a remote control (RC) configured to send wireless commands to control the appliance.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the companion device is an appliance to be controlled and the apparatus is a remote control (RC) configured to send wireless commands to control the appliance.

13. A method, comprising:

transmitting a wireless interrogation signal to a companion device;

receiving one or more responses to the interrogation signal from the companion device;

based on the one or more responses, determining at least first and second distances;

determining a difference between the first and second distances;

comparing the difference to a first distance;

based on the comparing, generating one of two binary outputs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein responsive to the comparing indicating that the difference equals the first distance, the method comprises outputting a first binary output.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first binary output is to execute a command from a remote control.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the comparing is determined to indicate that the difference equals the first distance responsive to the difference being within a threshold range of the distance.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein responsive to the comparing indicating that the difference does not equal the first distance, the method comprises outputting a second binary output.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first distance is a distance between first and second wireless tags disposed on a remote control (RC).