Electronic device control based on user gestures applied to a media headset

• US 20090179789A1
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rottler, Benjamin Andrew, Haughay, Allen P. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/231,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179789A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

An electronic device including an interface for receiving a control signal from a peripheral control device via a wired communications channel where the control signal is derived from a user control gesture. The electronic device also includes a data store for storing a list of known control signals where each known control signal has an associated control instruction. The electronic device further includes a processor that identifies the received control signal by comparing the received control signal with the list of known control signals and controls an operation of the electronic device based on the control instruction associated with the identified control signal.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an interface for receiving a control signal from a peripheral control device via a wired communications channel, the control signal being derived from a user control gesture;

a data store for storing a list of known control signals, each known control signal having an associated control instruction; and

a processor for i) identifying the received control signal by comparing the received control signal with the list of known control signals and ii) controlling an operation of the electronic device based on the control instruction associated with the identified control signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the data store includes a database.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface sends media information to the peripheral control device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the interface sends media information concurrently with receiving the control signal.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the interface receives the control signal in a first frequency range and sends media information in a second frequency range.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to operate the electronic device using a plurality of applications.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the data store includes a plurality of lists of known control signals and associated control instructions, each list of known control signals and associated control instructions being associated with one of the plurality of applications.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein an application performs at least one of media playback, radio playback, voice memo recording, voice memo playback, voice feedback, user exercise support.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a user control gesture is derived from a sequence of user interactions with one or more control interfaces.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a control interface includes at least one of a button, click wheel, touch screen, a section of a touch screen, and a switch.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes at least one of a cellular telephone, media player, audio player, music player, video player, multimedia player, and personal computer.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the control instruction includes at least one of media play, media pause, volume increase, volume decrease, volume ramp increase, volume ramp decrease, tag media, memo play, memo pause, skip to next song, radio playback, radio mute, radio skip to next preset, radio wrap around, go to next chapter, play select song, and activate voice feedback, activate feature, mute, un-mute, and go to next tag.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface for receiving the control signal includes a high frequency tone receiver for receiving the control signal from the peripheral control unit in the form of one or more high frequency tones.

32. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes at least one of a cellular telephone, media player, audio player, music player, video player, multimedia player, and personal computer.

14. A media system comprising:

an electronic device including;

an interface for receiving a control signal from a peripheral control device via a wired communications channel and sending media information to the peripheral control device;

a data store for storing a list of known control signals, each known control signal having an associated control instruction;

a processor for i) identifying the received control signal by comparing the received control signal with the list of known control signals and ii) controlling an operation of the electronic device based on the control instruction associated with the identified control signal;

wherein the peripheral control device includes;

a data interface for sending the control signal to the electronic device via the communications channel and receiving the media information from the electronic device; and

a plurality of control interfaces for generating the control signal in response to a user control gesture, the user control gesture being based on a sequence of user interactions with the plurality of control interfaces.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein a control interface includes at least one of a button, click wheel, touch screen, a section of a touch screen, and a switch.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein a sequence of user interactions includes at least one of a click, double click, triple click, press and hold, click and press and hold, double click press and hold, and triple click press and hold.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the control instruction includes at least one of media play, media pause, volume increase, volume decrease, volume ramp increase, volume ramp decrease, tag media, memo play, memo pause, skip to next song, radio playback, radio mute, radio skip to next preset, radio wrap around, go to next chapter, play select song, and activate voice feedback, activate feature, mute, un-mute, and go to next tag.

18. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising:

establishing a wired communications channel between the electronic device and a peripheral control unit,

providing a single-handed user interface for i) holding the peripheral control unit and ii) inputting control gestures,

inputting control gestures via the single-handed user interface,

sending control information via the communications channel from the peripheral control unit to the electronic device in response to the user gestures,

receiving media information via the communications channel from the electronic device, and

sending media information to the peripheral control unit via the communications channel, and

controlling an operation of the electronic device in response the received control information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the single-handed user interface includes a plurality of control interfaces.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a control interface includes at least one of a button, click wheel, touch pad, switch, and presence sensor.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein inputting the control gestures includes actuating the plurality of control interfaces using at least one finger of a hand of the user.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the wired communications channel includes a data cable.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the sending of control information includes transmitting a control signal to the electronic device in the form of one or more high frequency tones along the wired communications channel.

24. The method of claim 18 comprising providing a form factor for enabling the user to hold the peripheral control unit between at least one finger and thumb of the user'"'"'s hand.

25. An electronic device comprising:

a data store for storing a first list of known control signals related to a first function of the electronic device, each known control signal of the first list having an associated control instruction based on the first function of the electronic device; and

an interface for receiving a first control signal via an audio jack, the first control signal being derived from a user control gesture applied to a peripheral control unit in communication with the audio jack;

a processor for i) identifying the received first control signal by comparing the received first control signal with the first list of known control signals related to the first function, and ii) controlling an operation of the electronic device based on the control instruction associated with the identified first control signal.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the function includes an application running on the electronic device.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the function includes a subroutine of and application running on the electronic device.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the data store stores a second list of known control signals related to a second function of the electronic device, each known control signal of the second list having an associated control instruction based on the second function of the electronic device

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the interface receives a second control signal via the audio jack and wherein the processor i) identifies the received second control signal by comparing the received second control signal with the second list of known control signals related to the second function, and ii) controls an operation of the electronic device based on the control instruction associated with the identified second control signal.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to operate the electronic device using a plurality of functions.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the data store includes a plurality of lists of known control signals and associated control instructions, each list of known control signals and associated control instructions being associated with one of the plurality of functions.