TOUCHLESS CONTROL OF A CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20100007511A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ina, Peter Joseph, Camp, William O. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,106,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device

Abstract

A method and a system are provided for controlling a controller without physically touching the controller. A hand or other object interacts with a field surrounding the controller, altering the field. A change in characteristic of the altered field causes a corresponding movement of the controller that, in turn, corresponds to an amount of change in a parameter of a target device being controlled by the controller. The parameter of the target device is controlled by the controller while a user has no physical contact with the controller.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a field proximate a remote controller;

altering the field in the absence of contact with the controller;

determining a change in characteristic of the altered field; and

moving the controller in response to the change.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of altering comprises imposing an object into the field.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of imposing comprises placing a user'"'"'s hand in the vicinity of the controller in a defined relationship with respect to the structural configuration of the controller.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising controlling at least one parameter of an electrical device in response to the movement of the controller.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the electrical device comprises an audio system and the controlled parameter is volume.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of moving comprises pivoting the controller about an axis by an amount related to a change in magnitude of a component of the field.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of generating a field comprises generating first and second non-overlapping fields;

the step of altering the field comprises selectively altering one or the other of the first and second fields; and

the step of moving the controller in response to the change comprises moving the controller in a first direction responsive to altering the first field and moving the controller in a second direction responsive to altering the second field.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the field comprises a capacitive field.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the field comprises a near field communication (NFC) field.

10. Apparatus comprising:

a remote controller for an electrical device, the remote controller embodied in a housing having a predefined structural configuration, the remote controller responsive to the spatial orientation of the housing to adjust a parameter of the electrical device, the housing further comprising;

a processor;

a field sensor having an output coupled to an input of the processor; and

a motive device mechanically coupled to the housing structure and electrically coupled to an output of the processor for adjusting the spatial orientation of the housing structure;

wherein the processor output is generated in accordance with the input received from the field sensor.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises a field generator configured to generate a field proximate and external to the housing.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the output of the field sensor is responsive to a change in the generated field resulting from intervention of an object within range of the field.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the object is a user'"'"'s hand positioned in the vicinity of the controller in a defined relationship with respect to the structural configuration of the housing.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the field generator comprises a near field communication (NFC) generator and the field sensor is responsive to an NFC device held by the user'"'"'s hand.

15. Apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the field sensor comprises a capacitive field sensor.

16. Apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the motive device comprises a motor and a counterbalance mechanism;

and

the motive device is responsive to the processor output to pivot the housing about an axis by an amount related to a change in magnitude of a component of the field.

17. Apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the motor is configured to move the counterbalance mechanism from a first position to one of a plurality of different second positions, and wherein the different second positions correspond to different values of the parameter.

18. Apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the counterbalance mechanism comprises a battery electrically coupled to the remote controller.

19. Apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein

the field sensor comprises first and second field sensors for selectively sensing, respectively, first and second non-overlapping fields;

and

the motive device adjusts the spatial orientation of the housing structure in a first direction responsive to altering the first field and adjusts the spatial orientation of the housing structure in a second direction responsive to altering the second field; and

wherein the processor output is generated in accordance with the input received from a selected one of the first and second field sensors.

20. Apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the parameter comprises audio volume.