USER INTERFACE, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS, AND APPARATUS

• US 20090309825A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: LARSSON, Mats, SODERGREN, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/138,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309825A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A user interface for a portable apparatus is disclosed. The user interface comprises a sensor arranged to determine a spatial change, wherein said user interface being arranged to control at least one function, wherein the function is controlled by said determined spatial change; an actuator arrangement; and at least one mass, wherein the actuator arrangement is arranged to controllably actuate at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration to by inertia of the actuated mass provide a force on the portable apparatus. Further, an apparatus, a method, and a computer program for controlling a function are disclosed.

Claims

1. A user interface for a portable apparatus, the user interface comprising a sensor arranged to determine a spatial change, wherein said user interface being arranged to control at least one function, wherein the function is controlled by said determined spatial change;

an actuator arrangement; and

at least one mass, wherein the actuator arrangement is arranged to controllably actuate at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration to by inertia of the actuated mass provide a force on the portable apparatus.

2. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the spatial change comprises a linear movement.

3. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the spatial change comprises a rotational movement.

4. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein said spatial change comprises a change in orientation.

5. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein said function is control of a gaming parameter.

6. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is arranged to determine movements, and the actuator arrangement controllably actuating at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration is arranged to apply the force on the portable apparatus, in one, two, or three dimensions, respectively.

7. The user interface according to claim 1, further comprising a gyroscope arranged to be controllably activated by the actuator arrangement to provide a reaction force on the portable apparatus upon change in orientation by an angular momentum.

8. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the actuator arrangement and the at least one mass are distributed within the portable apparatus to provide an aggregate force on the portable apparatus.

9. The user interface according to claim 8, wherein the distribution of the actuator arrangement and the at least one mass within the portable apparatus is distal from a mass centre of the portable apparatus.

10. A portable apparatus comprising a processor and a user interface connected to the processor, wherein the user interface comprises

a sensor arranged to determine a spatial change, wherein said user interface being arranged to provide input to said processor to control at least one function, wherein the function is controlled by said determined spatial change;

an actuator arrangement controlled by the processor; and

at least one mass, wherein the actuator arrangement is arranged to controllably actuate at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration to by inertia of the actuated mass provide a force on the portable apparatus

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said spatial change comprises a linear movement.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the spatial change comprises a rotational movement.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said spatial change comprises a change in orientation.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said function is control of a gaming parameter.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is arranged to determine movements, and the actuator arrangement controllably actuating at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration is arranged to apply the force on the portable apparatus, in one, two, or three dimensions, respectively.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a gyroscope arranged to be controllably activated by the actuator arrangement to provide a reaction force on the portable apparatus upon change in orientation by an angular momentum.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the actuator arrangement and the at least one mass are distributed within the portable apparatus to provide an aggregate force on the portable apparatus.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the distribution of the actuator arrangement and the at least one mass within the portable apparatus is distal from a mass centre of the portable apparatus.

19. A user interface method comprising

determining a spatial change;

controlling a function based on the determined spatial change; and

controllably actuating at least one mass by an actuator arrangement which is arranged to actuate at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration to, by inertia of the actuated mass, provide a force on the portable apparatus.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining the spatial change comprises determining a linear movement.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining the spatial change comprises determining a rotational movement.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining the spatial change comprises determining a change in orientation.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determination of movements by the sensor, and the controllably actuating by the actuator arrangement are applied in one, two, or three dimensions, respectively.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising controllably activating a gyroscope by the actuator arrangement to provide a reaction force on the portable apparatus upon change in orientation by an angular momentum.

25. A computer readable medium comprising program code comprising instructions which when executed by a processor is arranged to cause the processor to perform

determination of a spatial change;

control of a function based on the determined spatial change; and

controllable actuation of at least one mass by an actuator arrangement which is arranged to actuate at least one of the at least one mass by acceleration to, by inertia of the actuated mass, provide a force on the portable apparatus.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the program code instructions for determination of a spatial change is further arranged to cause the processor to perform determination of a linear movement.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the program code instructions for determination of a spatial change is further arranged to cause the processor to perform determination of a rotational movement.

28. The computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the program code instructions for determination of a spatial change is further arranged to cause the processor to perform determination of a change in orientation.

29. The computer readable medium according to claim 28, wherein the determination of movements by the sensor, and the controllably actuating by the actuator arrangement are applied in one, two, or three dimensions, respectively.

30. The computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the program code instructions for determination of a spatial change is further arranged to cause the processor to perform controllable activation of a gyroscope by the actuator arrangement to provide a reaction force on the portable apparatus upon change in orientation by an angular momentum.