SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20110279223A1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Busek, Naimisaranya D., Hatambeiki, Arsham, Kohanek, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

A hand-held device having a touch sensitive surface uses a relative distance from an origin location to each of a plurality of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface activated by a user to select a one of the plurality of touch zones as being intended for activation by the user.

Claims

1. A hand-held device, comprising:

a housing having a touch sensitive surface; and

a processing device having associated programming that uses a relative distance from an origin location to each of a plurality of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface activated by a user to select a one of the plurality of touch zones as being intended for activation by the user.

2. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein select ones of the plurality of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface are provided with a priority and wherein the processing device and associated programming additionally considers the priority of each of the select ones of the plurality of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface activated by the user to select the one of the plurality of touch zones as being intended for activation by the user.

3. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein activation of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface causes the hand-held device to transmit commands for controlling operational functions of one or more external devices.

4. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein the origin location is established during a configuration process.

5. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein the origin location is user selectable.

6. The hand-held device as recited in claim 5, wherein one or more keys of the hand-held device are provided for allowing a user to establish the origin location.

7. The hand-held device as recited in claim 5, wherein an accelerometer is provided for allowing a user to establish the origin location.

8. A hand-held device, comprising:

a housing having a touch sensitive surface; and

a processing device having associated programming that uses a priority provided to each of a plurality of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface activated by a user to select a one of the plurality of touch zones as being intended for activation by the user wherein the priorities are established considering an origin location of a user'"'"'s reach across the touch sensitive surface.

9. The hand-held device as recited in claim 8, wherein the priorities are user adjustable.

10. The hand-held device as recited in claim 8, wherein activation of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface causes the hand-held device to transmit commands for controlling operational functions of one or more external devices.

11. The hand-held device as recited in claim 8, wherein the origin location is established during a configuration process.

12. The hand-held device as recited in claim 8, wherein the origin location is user selectable.

13. The hand-held device as recited in claim 12, wherein one or more keys of the hand-held device are provided for allowing a user to establish the origin location.

14. The hand-held device as recited in claim 12, wherein an accelerometer is provided for allowing a user to establish the origin location.

15. A system comprising:

a display device displaying a 3-D object having a plurality of layered surfaces;

a controlling device adapted to transmit commands to control functional operations of the display device having an accelerometer wherein operational software of the controlling device responds to a signal generated by the accelerometer indicative of z-axis navigational movement of the controlling device made to initiate a transmission of a communication to the display device to cause a different surface of the 3-D object to be displayed by the display device.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the communication comprises an individual step page command.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the accelerometer additionally provides a signal for selectively enabling user interfaces of the controlling device.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the display device communicates with the control device to selectively enable and disable transmission of a communication to cause a different surface of the 3-D object to be displayed by the display devices.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the 3-D object comprises a program guide and the plurality of surfaces comprise pages of program guide data.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein operational software of the controlling device differentiates between a signal generated by the accelerometer indicative of z-axis navigational movement of the controlling device made to initiate a transmission of a communication to the display device to cause a different surface of the 3-D object to be displayed by the display device and a signal generated by the accelerometer indicative of z-axis navigation movement of the controlling device made to initiate a transmission of a command to cause the 3-D object displayed within the display device to be moved within the display of the display device.

21. A system comprising:

a controlled device;

a controlling device adapted for bi-directional communication with the controlled device;

wherein the controlled device stores a message communication intended for the controlling device in a deferred transfer queue and wherein the controlled device responds to a command communication received from the controlling device by performing a functional operation corresponding to the received command communication and responds to a fetch communication received from the controlling device by transferring to the controlling device the message communication stored in the deferred transfer queue.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the deferred transfer queue comprises a first-in-first-out queue.

23. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein message communications stored in the deferred transfer queue are transferred to the controlling device in response to a fetch communication in an order considering a message priority.

24. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the controlled device responds to a command communication received from the controlling device by providing the controlling device with an acknowledgement which includes a status of the deferred transfer queue.

25. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the controlling device transmits a fetch communication in response to the controlling device transitioning from a quiescent state.