GUI APPLICATIONS FOR USE WITH 3D REMOTE CONTROLLER

• US 20090322676A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan R., King, Nicholas V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region

Abstract

A remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system is provided. The wand may be operative to control the movement of a cursor displayed on screen by the position and orientation at which the wand is held. As the user moves the wand, the on-screen cursor may move. The user may use the wand to control a plurality of operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application.

Claims

1. A method for scrolling through content with a media system comprising a screen and a wand for providing user inputs, the method comprising:

displaying content on the screen;

determining that additional content is hidden from view beyond at least one edge of the screen;

detecting that the wand was moved based on a transmission received from the wand, the transmission comprising an instruction to move a cursor towards the at least one edge of the screen; and

displaying the additional content hidden from view beyond the at least one edge of the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a transmission comprising the output of at least one motion detection component incorporated in the wand; and

moving the cursor on the screen based on the received transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the motion detection component comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining the amount and orientation of the movement of the wand based on the output of the at least one motion detection component; and

wherein displaying the additional content further comprises displaying additional content based on the determined amount and orientation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the additional content further comprises scrolling the content based on the determined amount and orientation of the movement of the wand.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the additional content further comprises paging the content based on the determined amount and orientation of the movement of the wand.

7. A system for displaying content to a user, the system comprising an electronic device, a display and a wand, the electronic device operative to:

direct the display to display a plurality of objects forming a set on the display;

detect at least one object of the set that is not displayed on the display, the at least one object beyond an edge of the display;

receiving a transmission from a motion detection component of the wand indicating that the wand was moved towards the edge; and

directing the display to display the at least one object in response to receiving.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the motion detection component comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic device is further operative to:

determine the speed with which the wand was moved from the received transmission; and

direct the display to change the at least one displayed object at a rate related to the determined speed.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic device is further operative to direct the display to scroll the display of the set of objects.

11. A method for illuminating only a portion of a display of a media system, the media system comprising a screen, and a wand, the method comprising:

determining the position of a cursor displayed on the screen; and

illuminating the portion of the screen surrounding the cursor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the screen surrounding the cursor comprises less than the entire screen.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the screen is at least one of a circular, square, and rectangular shape.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a transmission from the wand comprising an instruction to move the cursor;

moving the cursor in response to receiving the transmission; and

moving the illuminated portion of the display to follow the movement of the cursor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising changing the shadows of objects displayed on the screen based on the movement of the cursor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving a transmission from the wand to move the cursor further comprises receiving a transmission of the output of at least one motion detection component incorporated in the wand.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the motion detection component comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the amount and orientation that the wand was moved based on the received output of the at least one motion detection component; and

moving the cursor based on the determined amount and orientation.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a user input from an input mechanism of the wand; and

changing the size of the illuminated portion of the screen based on the received user input.

20. A method for illuminating only a portion of a display of a media system, the media system comprising a screen, and a wand, the method comprising:

determining the position of a cursor displayed on the screen; and

darkening the portion of the screen surrounding the cursor.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising illuminating the portions of the screen surrounding the darkened portion of the screen.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a transmission from the wand comprising an instruction to move the cursor;

moving the cursor in response to receiving the transmission; and

moving the darkened portion of the display to follow the movement of the cursor.

23. A machine-readable medium for scrolling through content with a media system comprising a screen and a wand for providing user inputs, comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

displaying content on the screen;

determining that additional content is hidden from view beyond at least one edge of the screen;

detecting that the wand was moved based on a transmission received from the wand, the transmission comprising an instruction to move a cursor towards the at least one edge of the screen; and

displaying the additional content hidden from view beyond the at least one edge of the screen.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising additional machine program logic recorded thereon for:

receiving a transmission comprising the output of at least one motion detection component incorporated in the wand; and

moving the cursor on the screen based on the received transmission.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the motion detection component comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.