TELEPHONE OR OTHER PORTABLE DEVICE WITH INERTIAL SENSOR

• US 20100174487A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Soehren, Wayne A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/220
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0221 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence

Abstract

At least one inertial sensor is configured to sense movement of a telephone (or other portable device such as a personal digital assistant, portable computer, portable game device, portable audio player, or portable video player). Information derived at least in part from data output by the inertial sensor is used as input to software executing on the telephone.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

at least one inertial sensor configured to sense movement of the portable device; and

at least one programmable processor configured to execute software, the at least one programmable processor communicatively coupled to the inertial sensor;

wherein the software is configured to use information derived at least in part from data output by the inertial sensor related to the movement of the portable device.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the inertial sensor comprises at least one of:

an accelerometer; and

a gyroscope.

3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the information derived at least in part from the data output by the inertial sensor related to the movement of the portable device comprises information indicative of at least one of an attitude of the portable device, a velocity of the portable device, and an acceleration of the portable device.

4. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the inertial sensor is attached to the portable device.

5. The portable device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:

a display, a speaker, a key pad, a microphone, and a touch screen.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a portable game device, a portable audio player, and a portable video player.

7. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the software comprises at least one of a video game and a user interface.

8. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the software is configured to receive an input related to moving the portable device like a pointing device, a joystick, and a steering wheel of an automobile.

9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the software is configured to use the information derived at least in part from the data output by the inertial sensor in order to recognize at least one gesture

10. The portable device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a magnetic sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a radio frequency sensor, a physiological sensor, a global position system receiver, a time difference of arrival interface, and a time of arrival interface.

11. A method comprising:

sensing movement of a portable device at least in part using an inertial sensor;

providing information derived at least in part from sensor data output by the inertial sensor to at least one programmable processor included in the portable device; and

using at least some of the information provided to the programmable processor as an input to software executing on the programmable processor included in the portable device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the inertial sensor comprises at least one of:

an accelerometer; and

a gyroscope.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein information derived at least in part from the sensor data output by the inertial sensor comprises information indicative of at least one of an attitude of the portable device, a velocity of the portable device, and an acceleration of the portable device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a portable game device, a portable audio player, and a portable video player.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the software comprises at least one of a video game and a user interface.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising using the information derived at least in part from the sensor data output by the inertial sensor to recognize at least one gesture

17. A program product for use with a portable device having an inertial sensor attached thereto, the program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable medium on which program instructions are embodied, wherein the program instructions are operable, when executed by at least one programmable processor included in the portable device, to cause the portable device to:

obtain information derived from sensor data output by the inertial sensor; and

use at least some of the information derived from the sensor data output by the inertial sensor as an input for the program product.

18. The program product of claim 17, wherein the information derived from the sensor data output by the inertial sensor is indicative of at least one of an attitude of the portable device, a velocity of the portable device, and an acceleration of the portable device.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a portable game device, a portable audio player, and a portable video player.

20. The program product of claim 17, wherein the program instructions comprise at least one of a video game and a user interface.