WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL HAVING MOTION-BASED CONTROL FUNCTIONS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

• US 20100060569A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Shamilian, John H.
• Application Number:
  US12/207,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/1694 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• 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 21/42222 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control

Abstract

A wireless remote control and a method of manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, the wireless remote control includes: (1) a body, (2) an orientation detector located in the body, (3) a processor located in the body and coupled to the orientation detector and configured to receive an orientation signal from the orientation detector, (4) a memory located in the body and coupled to the processor and containing software configured to cause the processor to generate a media playback control signal based on the orientation signal and (5) wireless communication circuitry located in the body and coupled to the processor and configured to receive and wirelessly transmit the media playback control signal.

Claims

1. A wireless remote control, comprising:

a body;

an orientation detector coupled to said body;

a processor located in said body and coupled to said orientation detector and configured to receive an orientation signal from said orientation detector;

a memory located in said body and coupled to said processor and containing software configured to cause said processor to generate a media playback control signal based on said orientation signal; and

wireless communication circuitry located in said body and coupled to said processor and configured to receive and wirelessly transmit said media playback control signal.

2. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said orientation detector comprises:

an angular position sensor, and

an accelerometer.

3. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said media playback control signal comprises a playback shuttle control signal.

4. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said media is selected from the group consisting of:

audio media, and

audiovisual media.

5. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said wireless communication circuitry comprises a transceiver selected from the group consisting of:

a Bluetooth transceiver, and

a wireless local area network transceiver.

6. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 further comprising a button-based input device, said memory further configured to contain software configured to cause said processor to generate an electronic device control signal other than said media playback control signal based on a signal received from said button-based input device.

7. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said body, said orientation sensor, said processor, said memory and said wireless communication sensor are part of a device selected from the group consisting of:

a smartphone,

a personal digital assistant, and

a game controller, and

said memory includes writeable memory into which said software is loaded following a transfer of custody of said device to a user.

8. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said wireless remote control is a universal remote control and said memory includes writeable memory into which said software is loaded during manufacture of said universal remote control.

9. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 1 wherein said wireless remote control is configured to provide remote playback control to at least one electronic device selected from the group consisting of:

a videocassette recorder,

a digital versatile disc player,

a personal video recorder,

a digital video recorder,

a compact disc player, and

a cassette tape player.

10. The wireless remote control as recited in claim 9 wherein said wireless remote control is specific to said at least one electronic device.

11. A method of manufacturing a wireless remote control, comprising:

forming a body;

placing an orientation detector in said body;

placing a processor in said body, said processor configured to receive an orientation signal from said orientation detector;

placing a memory in said body, said memory containing software configured to cause said processor to generate a media playback control signal based on said orientation signal; and

placing wireless communication circuitry in said body, said wireless communication circuitry configured to receive and wirelessly transmit said media playback control signal.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said orientation detector comprises:

an angular position sensor, and

an accelerometer.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said media playback control signal comprises a playback shuttle control signal.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said media is selected from the group consisting of:

audio media, and

audiovisual media.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said wireless communication circuitry comprises a transceiver selected from the group consisting of:

a Bluetooth transceiver, and

a wireless local area network transceiver.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising coupling a button-based input device to said body, said memory further configured to contain software configured to cause said processor to generate an electronic device control signal other than said media playback control signal based on a signal received from said button-based input device.

17. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said wireless remote control is a universal remote control and said memory includes writeable memory, said method further comprising loading said software into said memory.

18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said wireless remote control is configured to provide remote playback control to at least one electronic device selected from the group consisting of:

a videocassette recorder,

a digital versatile disc player,

a personal video recorder,

a digital video recorder,

a compact disc player, and

a cassette tape player.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said wireless remote control is specific to said at least one electronic device.

20. A computer-readable storage medium containing software configured to cause a wireless communication device to generate a media playback control signal based on an orientation signal received from an orientation detector thereof.