Remote control apparatus, remote control system, information processing method of remote control apparatus, and program

• US 10,402,051 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Yoshinori, Ito, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jung-Mu T
• Application Number:
  US15/092,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20160224196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/42215 by measuring the time interval during which a key is pressed, e.g. for inputting sequences of digits when selecting a television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

A remote control apparatus includes a display panel, an operation detector detecting an operation of touching the display panel, a remote controller remotely controlling an electronic apparatus in accordance with the touch operation, an item selection unit allowing a user to select a selection item in the display panel, a touch operation determination unit comparing a duration time of an operation of touching the selection item with a predetermined threshold value, a detailed information obtaining unit obtaining detailed information on the selection item from the electronic apparatus when the duration time is smaller than the threshold value, a related information obtaining unit obtaining related information on the selection item using the selection item as a searching condition from an external service apparatus when the duration time is equal to or larger than the threshold value, and a display controller controlling display of the detailed information or the related information.

Claims

1. A remote control apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

an operation detector which detects an operation of touching the display panel;

a remote controller which remotely controls an electronic apparatus in accordance with the operation of touching the display panel;

a hardware controller configured to function as;

an item selection unit which allows a user to select a selection item displayed on the display panel;

a touch operation determination unit which determines a touch operation based on a comparison of a duration time with a threshold value, the duration time comprising a time period associated with touching of the selection item;

an information obtaining unit which obtains information about the selection item selectively from the electronic apparatus when the duration time is less than the threshold value and from an external service apparatus, different from the electronic apparatus, when the duration time is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the obtained information being one of detailed information on the selection item from the electronic apparatus and related information on the selection item obtained using the selection item as a searching condition from the external service apparatus; and

a display controller which controls display of the obtained information on the display panel,

wherein the information obtaining unit requests the external service apparatus to

start a searching process, prior to completion of the comparison of the duration time to the threshold value, using the selection item as the searching condition when the operation of touching the selection item is detected, and

stop the searching process automatically in response to detection of release of the touching of the selection item when the comparison indicates the duration time is smaller than the threshold value.

2. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the related information is not obtained from the external service apparatus before the duration time reaches the threshold value, the display controller controls display of identification information representing that the searching process is in progress, and when the related information is obtained from the external service apparatus, the display controller controls display of the related information.

3. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where the duration time is smaller than the threshold value, the information obtaining unit discards or temporarily stores the related information obtained from the external service apparatus after detection of release of the touching of the selection item.

4. A remote control system including a remote control apparatus and an electronic apparatus remotely controlled by the remote control apparatus, the remote control apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

an operation detector which detects an operation of touching the display panel;

a remote controller which remotely controls the electronic apparatus in accordance with the operation of touching the display;

a hardware controller configured to function as;

an item selection unit which allows a user to select a selection item displayed in the display panel;

a touch operation determination unit which determines a touch operation based on a comparison of a duration time with a threshold value, the duration time comprising a time period associated with touching of the selection item;

an information obtaining unit which obtains information of the selection item selectively from the electronic apparatus when the duration time is less than the threshold value and from an external service apparatus, different from the electronic apparatus, when the duration time is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the obtained information being one of detailed information on the selection item from the electronic apparatus and related information on the selection item obtained using the selection item as a searching condition from the external service apparatus; and

a display controller which controls display of the obtained information on the display panel,

wherein the information obtaining unit requests the external service apparatus to

start a searching process, prior to completion of the comparison of the duration time to the threshold value, using the selection item as the searching condition when the operation of touching the selection item is detected, and

stop the searching process automatically in response to detection of a release of the touching of the selection item and a result of the comparison indicates the duration time is smaller than the threshold value.

5. An information processing method employed in a remote control apparatus, the method comprising:

controlling display of a selection item in a display panel for selection by a user;

determining a touch operation based on a comparison of a duration time of an operation of touching the selection item with a threshold value;

obtaining information of the selection item selectively from an electronic apparatus when the duration time is less than the threshold value and from an external service apparatus, different from the electronic apparatus, when the duration time is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the obtained information being one of detailed information on the selection item from the electronic apparatus and related information on the selection item obtained using the selection item as a searching condition from the external service apparatus;

controlling display of the obtained information on the display panel; and

controlling requesting the external service apparatus to

start a searching process, prior to completion of the comparison of the duration time to the threshold value, using the selection item as the searching condition when the operation of touching the selection item is detected, and

stop the searching process automatically in response to detection of a release of the touching of the selection item when the comparison indicates the duration time is smaller than the threshold value.

6. A non-transitory recording medium configured to store a program which causes a computer to execute an information processing method employed in a remote control apparatus, the program comprising:

controlling display of a selection item in a display panel for selection by a user;

determining a touch operation based on a comparison of a duration time of an operation of touching the selection item with a threshold value;

obtaining information of the selection item selectively from an electronic apparatus when the duration time is less than the threshold value and from an external service apparatus, different from the electronic apparatus, when the duration time is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the obtained information being one of detailed information on the selection item from the electronic apparatus and related information on the selection item obtained using the selection item as a searching condition from the external service apparatus;

controlling display of the related information on the display panel; and

controlling requesting the external service apparatus to

start a searching process, prior to completion of the comparison of the duration time to the threshold value, using the selection item as the searching condition when the operation of touching the selection item is detected, and

stop the searching process automatically in response to detection of a release of the touching of the selection item when the comparison indicates the duration time is smaller than the threshold value.