Remote-control system, remote controller, remote-control method, information-processing device, information-processing method, and program

• US 20060220902A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shiomi, Takayuki, Takahashi, Naomasa, Karasawa, Hidenori, Ikeda, Yasuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,724,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.690
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00352 Input means H04N1/00411 takes precedence; input arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

A remote-control system includes a remote controller which transmits the command signal corresponding to an operation performed by a user, and an information-processing device which receives the command signal and performs the processing corresponding to the command signal. The remote controller includes a sensing unit that has the sensing areas corresponding to areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, a generation unit that generates the command signal according to the sensing result, and a transmission unit that transmits the command signal. The information-processing device includes a reception unit that receives the command signal, and a processing unit that performs the processing corresponding to the command signal.

Claims

1. A remote-control system comprising:

a remote controller which transmits the command signal corresponding to an operation performed by a user; and

an information-processing device which receives the transmitted command signal and performs the processing corresponding to the transmitted command signal,

wherein the remote controller includes sensing means that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, generation means that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing means, and transmission means that transmits the generated command signal, and

wherein the information-processing device includes reception means that receives the command signal transmitted from the remote controller, and processing means that performs the processing corresponding to the command signal received by the reception means.

2. A remote-control method used for a remote-control system including a remote controller which transmits the command signal corresponding to an operation performed by a user, and an information-processing device which receives the transmitted command signal and performs the processing corresponding to the transmitted command signal, the remote-control method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis;

generating the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed at the sensing step;

transmitting the command signal generated at the generation step;

receiving the command signal transmitted from the remote controller; and

performing the processing corresponding to the command signal received at the reception step.

3. A remote controller which transmits a command signal used for controlling an information-processing device according to an operation performed by a user, the remote controller comprising:

sensing means that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area;

generation means that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing means; and

transmission means that transmits the generated command signal.

4. The remote controller according to claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of detection means provided in at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction, so as to detect the press-down operation performed by the user,

wherein the generation means generates the command signal according to a result of the detection.

5. The remote controller according to claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of detection means provided in an area surrounding the sensing means in at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction, so as to detect the press-down operation performed by the user,

wherein the generation means generates the command signal according to a result of the detection.

6. The remote controller according to claim 3, wherein the sensing means includes position-determination means that determines for which of the sensing areas the user performs the touch operation, and press-down-detection means that detects for which of the sensing areas the user performs the press-down operation.

7. A remote-control method used for a remote controller which transmits a command signal used for controlling an information-processing device according to an operation performed by a user, the remote-control method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for a plurality of the sensing areas that corresponds to a plurality of areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis;

generating the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed at the sensing step; and

transmitting the command signal generated at the generation step.

8. The remote-control method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

detecting the press-down operation performed by the user, the press-down operation corresponding to at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction,

wherein, at the generation step, the command signal is generated according to a result of the detection performed at the detection step.

9. The remote-control method according to claim 7, wherein the sensing step includes the steps of determining for which of the sensing areas the user performs the touch operation, and detecting for which of the sensing areas the user performs the press-down operation.

10. An information-processing device comprising:

reception means which receives a command signal transmitted from a remote controller having sensing means that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, a plurality of detection means provided in an area surrounding the sensing means in at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction, so as to sense the press-down operation performed by the user, generation means that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing means and or a result of the detection performed by the detection means, and transmission means that transmits the generated command signal; and

processing means which performs the processing corresponding to the command signal received by the reception means,

wherein the processing means moves a marking indicating which of the plurality of areas is selected according to the command signal corresponding to the sensing result, or performs processing assigned to at least one of the plurality of areas, the area being selected, so as to change information shown on the screen according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

11. The information-processing device according to claim 10, wherein the processing means shows information on the screen, the information being on a level higher or lower than a level of the information that is currently shown on the screen, according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

12. The information-processing device according to claim 10, wherein the processing means shows information on the screen, the information preceding and/or following the information that is currently shown on the screen, according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

13. An information-processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving a command signal transmitted from a remote controller having sensing means that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, a plurality of detection means provided in an area surrounding the sensing means in at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction, so as to sense the press-down operation performed by the user, generation means that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing means and or a result of the detection performed by the detection means, and transmission means that transmits the generated command signal; and

performing the processing corresponding to the command signal received at the reception step,

wherein, at the processing step, a marking indicating which of the plurality of areas is selected is moved according to the command signal corresponding to the sensing result, or processing assigned to at least one of the plurality of areas is performed, the area being selected, so as to change information shown on the screen according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

14. The information-processing method according to claim 13, wherein, at the processing step, information on a level higher or lower than a level of the information that is currently shown on the screen is shown on the screen according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

15. The information-processing method according to claim 13, wherein, at the processing step, information preceding and/or following the information that is currently shown on the screen is shown on the screen according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

16. A program which makes a computer execute processing comprising the steps of:

receiving a command signal transmitted from a remote controller having sensing means that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, a plurality of detection means provided in an area surrounding the sensing means in at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction, so as to sense the press-down operation performed by the user, generation means that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing means and or a result of the detection performed by the detection means, and transmission means that transmits the generated command signal; and

performing the processing corresponding to the command signal received at the reception step,

wherein, at the processing step, a marking indicating which of the plurality of areas is selected is moved according to the command signal corresponding to the sensing result, or processing assigned to at least one of the plurality of areas is performed, the area being selected, so as to change information shown on the screen according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.

17. A remote-control system comprising:

a remote controller which transmits the command signal corresponding to an operation performed by a user; and

an information-processing device which receives the transmitted command signal and performs the processing corresponding to the transmitted command signal,

wherein the remote controller includes a sensing unit that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, a generation unit that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the generated command signal, and

wherein the information-processing device includes a reception unit that receives the command signal transmitted from the remote controller, and a processing unit that performs the processing corresponding to the command signal received by the reception unit.

18. A remote controller which transmits a command signal used for controlling an information-processing device according to an operation performed by a user, the remote controller comprising:

a sensing unit that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen showing an image of a video signal transmitted from the information-processing device on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area;

a generation unit that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing unit; and

a transmission unit that transmits the generated command signal.

19. An information-processing device comprising:

a reception unit which receives a command signal transmitted from a remote controller having a sensing unit that has a plurality of the sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of areas provided on a screen on a one-to-one basis and that senses at least one of a touch operation and a press-down operation performed by a user for the sensing area, a plurality of detection units provided in an area surrounding the sensing unit in at least four directions including an upper direction, a lower direction, a left direction, and a right direction, so as to sense the press-down operation performed by the user, a generation unit that generates the command signal according to a result of the sensing performed by the sensing unit and or a result of the detection performed by the detection unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the generated command signal; and

a processing unit which performs the processing corresponding to the command signal received by the reception unit,

wherein the processing unit moves a marking indicating which of the plurality of areas is selected according to the command signal corresponding to the sensing result, or performs processing assigned to at least one of the plurality of areas, the area being selected, so as to change information shown on the screen according to the command signal corresponding to the detection result.