INPUT APPARATUS, CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM, AND HANDHELD APPARATUS

• US 20090201249A1
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/329,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device

Abstract

An input apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen is provided and includes a casing, a sensor, an operation section, and a mode switch section. The sensor detects a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing. The operation section is used to input an operation. The mode switch section makes a switch among a first mode for moving the pointer on the screen based on the physical amount, a second mode for scrolling the image on the screen based on the physical amount, and a third mode for zooming in/out on the image on the screen based on the physical amount, in accordance with the operation to the operation section.

Claims

1. An input apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen, the input apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a sensor to detect a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing;

an operation section through which an operation is input; and

a mode switch section to make a switch among a first mode for moving the pointer on the screen based on the physical amount, a second mode for scrolling the image on the screen based on the physical amount, and a third mode for zooming in/out on the image on the screen based on the physical amount, in accordance with the operation to the operation section.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation section is a single operation section,

the input apparatus further comprising:

a command output section to output a determination command in accordance with the operation to the operation section; and

a controller to control the command output section and the mode switch section so that one of the output of the determination command and the switch of any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode is executed in accordance with a timing of the operation to the operation section.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the controller controls the command output section so that, when the operation to the operation section is canceled within a first time period since a start of the operation, the determination command is output, and

wherein the controller controls the mode switch section so that, when the operation to the operation section is not canceled within the first time period since the start of the operation, any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode is switched to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the controller controls the mode switch section so that, when the operation to the operation section is canceled within the first time period since the start of the operation, and the operation is started again within a second time period since the cancel of the operation but the operation is not canceled within the first time period, any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode is switched to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the controller controls the command output section so that, when the operation to the operation section is canceled within a first time period since a start of the operation, the determination command is output, and

wherein the controller controls the mode switch section so that, when the operation to the operation section is not canceled within the first time period since the start of the operation, any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode is switched to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode every time a predetermined time passes from after an end of the first time period to the cancel of the operation.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a calculation section to calculate a displacement correspondence amount corresponding to a displacement amount of the pointer that corresponds to the physical amount; and

an output section to output information on the displacement correspondence amount and mode switch information as information indicating the switch of any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a calculation section to calculate a displacement correspondence amount corresponding to a displacement amount of the pointer that corresponds to the physical amount, a scroll correspondence amount corresponding to a scroll amount of the image that corresponds to the physical amount, and a zoom correspondence amount corresponding to a zoom amount of the image that corresponds to the physical amount; and

an output section to output information on the displacement correspondence amount during the first mode, information on the scroll correspondence amount during the second mode, and information on the zoom correspondence amount during the third mode.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the calculation section calculates one of the scroll correspondence amount and the zoom correspondence amount based on the displacement correspondence amount.

9. The input apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the calculation section calculates one of the scroll correspondence amount and the zoom correspondence amount by multiplying the displacement correspondence amount by a gain that increases along with the displacement correspondence amount.

10. The input apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the calculation section calculates one of the scroll correspondence amount and the zoom correspondence amount by integrating the displacement correspondence amount.

11. The input apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the calculation section calculates a first scroll correspondence amount based on a first displacement correspondence amount corresponding to the displacement amount of the pointer in a first direction on the screen, and a second scroll correspondence amount based on a second displacement correspondence amount corresponding to the displacement amount of the pointer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction on the screen,

the input apparatus further comprising

an output controller to control the output section so that, when the first displacement correspondence amount is smaller than the second displacement correspondence amount during the second mode, the output of the first scroll correspondence amount is stopped.

12. The input apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein one of the scroll correspondence amount and the zoom correspondence amount has a value the same as that of the displacement correspondence amount.

13. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mode switch section carries out one of a switch of any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode every time a predetermined time passes since a start of the operation to the operation section until the operation is canceled, and a switch of any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode every time the operation section is operated.

14. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation section is a two-step operation section capable of performing a two-step switch.

15. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor includes at least one of a biaxial angular velocity sensor, a biaxial acceleration sensor, and a biaxial angle sensor.

16. An input apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen, the input apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a sensor to detect a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing;

a single operation section through which an operation is input;

a command output section to output a determination command in accordance with the operation to the operation section;

a mode switch section to make a switch among a first mode for moving the pointer on the screen based on the physical amount, a second mode for scrolling the image on the screen based on the physical amount, and a third mode for zooming in/out on the image on the screen based on the physical amount, in accordance with the operation to the operation section; and

a controller to control the command output section and the mode switch section so that one of the output of the determination command and the switch of any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode is executed in accordance with a timing of the operation to the operation section.

17. A control apparatus controlling display of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen in accordance with information output from an input apparatus, the control apparatus comprising:

a casing,

a sensor to detect a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing,

an operation section through which an operation is input,

a mode switch section to make a switch among a first mode for moving the pointer on the screen based on the physical amount,

a second mode for scrolling the image on the screen based on the physical amount, and

a third mode for zooming in/out on the image on the screen based on the physical amount, in accordance with the operation to the operation section, a calculation section to calculate a displacement correspondence amount corresponding to a displacement amount of the pointer that corresponds to the physical amount, and

an output section to output information on the displacement correspondence amount and mode switch information as information indicating the switch of any of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode to any other one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode, wherein;

the reception section receives the information on the displacement correspondence amount and the mode switch information;

the calculation section calculates a scroll correspondence amount corresponding to a scroll amount of the image based on the displacement correspondence amount during the second mode, and calculate a zoom correspondence amount corresponding to a zoom amount of the image based on the displacement correspondence amount during the third mode; and

the display controller controls display of a movement of the pointer by the displacement correspondence amount, display of scroll of the image by the scroll correspondence amount, and display of zoom of the image by the zoom correspondence amount.

18. A control apparatus receiving, from an input apparatus comprising:

a casing,

a sensor to detect a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing, and

an operation section through which an operation is input, information on the physical amount and information on the operation, and controlling display of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen, wherein

the reception section receives the information on the physical amount and the information on the operation,

the calculation section calculates a displacement correspondence amount corresponding to a displacement amount of the pointer on the screen that corresponds to the information on the physical amount, a scroll correspondence amount corresponding to a scroll amount of the image on the screen that corresponds to the information on the physical amount, and a zoom correspondence amount corresponding to a zoom amount of the image on the screen that corresponds to the information on the physical amount; and

the mode switch section makes a switch among a first mode for controlling display of a movement of the pointer based on the displacement correspondence amount, a second mode for controlling display of scroll of the image based on the scroll correspondence amount, and a third mode for controlling display of zoom of the image based on the zoom correspondence amount, in accordance with the information on the operation.

19. A control system controlling display of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen, the control system comprising:

an input apparatus including

a casing,

a sensor to detect a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing,

an operation section through which an operation is input,

a mode switch section to make a switch among a first mode for moving the pointer on the screen based on the physical amount, a second mode for scrolling the image on the screen based on the physical amount, and a third mode for zooming in/out on the image on the screen based on the physical amount, in accordance with the operation to the operation section,

a calculation section to calculate a displacement correspondence amount corresponding to a displacement amount of the pointer that corresponds to the physical amount, a scroll correspondence amount corresponding to a scroll amount of the image that corresponds to the physical amount, and a zoom correspondence amount corresponding to a zoom amount of the image that corresponds to the physical amount, and

an output section to output information on the displacement correspondence amount during the first mode, information on the scroll correspondence amount during the second mode, and information on the zoom correspondence amount during the third mode; and

a control apparatus including

a reception section to receive the information on the displacement correspondence amount, the information on the scroll correspondence amount, and the information on the zoom correspondence amount, and

a display controller to control display of a movement of the pointer by the displacement correspondence amount, display of scroll of the image by the scroll correspondence amount, and display of zoom of the image by the zoom correspondence amount.

20. A handheld apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer and an image displayed on a screen, the handheld apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a display section to display the screen;

a sensor to detect a physical amount corresponding to a movement of the casing;

an operation section through which an operation is input;

a mode switch section to make a switch among a first mode for moving the pointer on the screen based on the physical amount, a second mode for scrolling the image on the screen based on the physical amount, and a third mode for zooming in/out on the image on the screen based on the physical amount, in accordance with the operation to the operation section; and

a display controller to control display of the movement of the pointer during the first mode, display of scroll of the image during the second mode, and display of zoom of the image during the third mode.