ELECTRONIC SYSTEM CONTROL USING SURFACE INTERACTION
First Claim
1. Control apparatus for controlling an electronic system (16), the apparatus comprising;
- a sensor (12) for mounting on or proximate to a surface (10), wherein the sensor includes a microphone for detecting sounds caused by physical interaction with the surface; and
translation means for translating sounds detected by the microphone into one or more commands recognizable by the system,such that physical interaction with the surface is arranged to control the operation of the system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Simple gestures such as stroking or tapping of a surface (10) can be used to control common functions of electronic systems (16) by positioning one or more sensors (12) on the surface and detecting sounds generated by the interaction with the surface. Signals corresponding to detected sounds are filtered and interpreted either in the system to be controlled or else in the sensors themselves. The direction of movement of a hand (18) stroking the surface can be interpreted as a command to increase or decrease a parameter, such as the sound volume level of a television, for example. Determination of the position of the user'"'"'s hand is unnecessary. The apparatus is therefore simple, inexpensive, robust and discrete, requiring only a minimum of installation and without being necessarily dedicated to a particular electronic system to be controlled.
23 Citations
10 Claims
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1. Control apparatus for controlling an electronic system (16), the apparatus comprising;
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a sensor (12) for mounting on or proximate to a surface (10), wherein the sensor includes a microphone for detecting sounds caused by physical interaction with the surface; and translation means for translating sounds detected by the microphone into one or more commands recognizable by the system, such that physical interaction with the surface is arranged to control the operation of the system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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- 9. A method of controlling an electronic system, the method comprising physically interacting with a surface to generate sounds which are electronically detected and translated into commands recognizable by the system.
Specification