Gesture-Based Control of IPTV System

• US 20120057081A1
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Petersson, Justus, Cedervall, Mats, Skog, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlling an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system by gestures on a remote control involve determining a number of fingers touching a screen of the remote control; identifying at least one characteristic of movement by the fingers; based on the number determined and at least one characteristic identified, finding a corresponding predefined gesture in a set of predefined gestures; and based on the gesture found, generating a corresponding control command to be sent to the IPTV system.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system by gestures on a remote control, comprising:

(a) determining a number of fingers touching a screen of the remote control;

(b) identifying at least one characteristic of action by the fingers;

(c) mapping at least one identified characteristic of action by the fingers to a corresponding predefined gesture in a set of predefined gestures; and

(d) based on the gesture mapped in (c), generating a corresponding control command to be sent to the IPTV system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying at least one characteristic comprises identifying a type of movement and a direction of movement;

the type of movement includes a flick, a slide, a tap, and a double-tap; and

the direction of movement includes left, right, up, down, diagonal, and curved on the screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control command corresponding to a tap of three fingers toggles the IPTV system between pause and play of a media stream.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the control command corresponding to a double-tap of three fingers causes the IPTV system to end play of a media stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic is identified based on data indicating at least one of screen position, movement direction, and speed of each finger;

respective distances between fingers; and

spatial patterns formed by the fingers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the at least one identified characteristic includes sorting the at least one identified characteristic into at least one predefined category that corresponds to a predefined gesture.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one identified characteristic is sorted based on at least one of a number of fingers used, an average total movement direction, an initial movement direction, an ending movement direction, and start and end distances between fingers.

8. A remote control for controlling an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen;

a programmable electronic processor in communication with the touch-sensitive screen; and

a transceiver in communication with the programmable electronic processor;

wherein the processor is configured to determine a number of fingers touching the touch-sensitive screen, to identify at least one characteristic of action by the fingers touching the screen, to map at least one identified characteristic of action by the fingers to a corresponding predefined gesture in a set of predefined gestures, and to generate based on the mapped gesture a corresponding control command.

9. The remote control of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to identify at least one characteristic of action by at least identifying a type of movement and a direction of movement;

the type of movement includes a flick, a slide, a tap, and a double-tap; and

the direction of movement includes left, right, up, down, diagonal, and curved on the screen.

10. The remote control of claim 9, wherein the control command corresponding to a tap of three fingers toggles the IPTV system between pause and play of a media stream.

11. The remote control of claim 9, wherein the control command corresponding to a double-tap of three fingers causes the IPTV system to end play of a media stream.

12. The remote control of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to identify the at least one characteristic based on data indicating at least one of screen position, movement direction, and speed of each finger;

respective distances between fingers; and

spatial patterns formed by the fingers.

13. The remote control of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to map the at least one identified characteristic by at least sorting the at least one identified characteristic into at least one predefined category that corresponds to a predefined gesture.

14. The remote control of claim 13, wherein the at least one identified characteristic is sorted based on at least one of a number of fingers used, an average total movement direction, an initial movement direction, an ending movement direction, and start and end distances between fingers.

15. A computer-readable medium having non-transitory stored instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method of controlling an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system by gestures on a remote control, wherein the method comprises:

(a) determining a number of fingers touching a screen of the remote control;

(b) identifying at least one characteristic of action by the fingers;

(c) mapping at least one identified characteristic of action by the fingers to a corresponding predefined gesture in a set of predefined gestures; and

(d) based on the gesture mapped in (c), generating a corresponding control command to be sent to the IPTV system.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein identifying at least one characteristic comprises identifying a type of movement and a direction of movement;

the type of movement includes a flick, a slide, a tap, and a double-tap; and

the direction of movement includes left, right, up, down, diagonal, and curved on the screen.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the control command corresponding to a tap of three fingers toggles the IPTV system between pause and play of a media stream.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the control command corresponding to a double-tap of three fingers causes the IPTV system to end play of a media stream.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic is identified based on data indicating at least one of screen position, movement direction, and speed of each finger;

respective distances between fingers; and

spatial patterns formed by the fingers.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein mapping the at least one identified characteristic includes sorting the at least one identified characteristic into at least one predefined category that corresponds to a predefined gesture.

21. The medium of claim 20, wherein the at least one identified characteristic is sorted based on at least one of a number of fingers used, an average total movement direction, an initial movement direction, an ending movement direction, and start and end distances between fingers.