REDUCTION OF POWER CONSUMPTION IN REMOTE CONTROL ELECTRONICS

• US 20090243909A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,520,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• 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 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A remote controlling device is disclosed that includes one or more motion sensors configured to sense a motion of the device. The remote control further includes a capacitive sensor and a power source. The capacitive sensor selectively couples the power source to the one or more motion sensors.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

at least one control interface for controlling an electronic component;

at least one power source;

one or more motion sensors configured to sense a motion of the device; and

a capacitive sensor selectively coupling the one or more batteries to the one or more motion sensors.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor selectively couples based on whether a user is holding the device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more motion sensors are selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope; and

a touchpad.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more wireless transmitting and receiving devices, wherein the capacitive sensor selectively couples the one or more batteries to the one or more wireless transmitting and receiving devices.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor that selectively couples the at least one power source to the one or more motion sensors occurs in a predetermined period of time.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the capacitive sensor comprises traces on the PCB.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein PCB utilizes at least two different dielectric materials between the traces.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a housing, wherein the capacitive sensor is located along the periphery of the housing.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the remote electronic device further comprises a screen and the user'"'"'s movement of the wireless remote controlling device corresponds to moving one or more user selection devices on the screen.

10. A method of operating a wireless remote control device, comprising the acts of:

generating one or more signals indicative of the wireless remote control device'"'"'s motion;

transmitting the one or more signals to one or more remote electronic devices;

detecting a capacitance;

comparing the capacitance to an expected value; and

in the event the capacitance is not equal to the expected value, entering a low power mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of transmitting further comprises the act of controlling the position of one or more user selection devices on a screen based on the remote control device'"'"'s motion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of entering a low power mode further comprises decoupling at least a portion of power from a motion sensor selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a touchpad.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of entering a low power mode further comprises the act of enabling a reduced set of operations of a microprocessor.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of entering a low power mode further comprises the act of enabling a reduced set of operations of a motion sensor.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of entering a low power mode further comprises the act of reducing data transmission from the remote control device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein in the event the capacitance is not equal to the expected value, enabling one or more motion sensors.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the event that the capacitance does not equal the expected value for a predetermined period of time, determining whether the one or more motion sensors are changing, and in the event that the one or more motion sensors are not changing for the predetermined period of time, disabling the one or more motion sensors.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of enabling one or more motion sensors occurs within a predetermined period of time.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising the act of modifying the capacitance based upon the act of detecting a capacitance.

20. A broadcast receiver system, comprising:

a set-top box receiver;

a remote controlling device, comprising;

one or more buttons;

one or more batteries;

one or more motion sensors configured to indicate a user'"'"'s movement with respect to a screen; and

a capacitive sensor that selectively couples the one or more batteries to the one or more motion sensors.

21. The wireless remote controlling device of claim 20, wherein the capacitive sensor selectively couples based on whether a user is holding the wireless remote controlling device.