REMOTE CONTROLLER AND IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS CONTROLLABLE BY REMOTE CONTROLLER

• US 20130002576A1
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Hyunjung, PARK, Sungjong, CHO, Jaehoon, LEE, Eunji, RAMAPPA, Raghavendra, PRASAD, Krishna, RAJKUMAAR, Kodandarama Suman
• Granted Patent: US 8,933,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A remote controller and an image display apparatus controllable by the remote controller are disclosed. The image display apparatus includes a display, an interface for receiving from the remote controller a signal based on a motion of the remote controller or a signal based on a touch input on the remote controller, and a controller for operating the image display apparatus in motion mode to control the image display apparatus according to the motion of the remote controller, if the degree of the motion is equal to or larger than a reference value and operating the image display apparatus in touch mode to control the image display apparatus according to the touch input on the remote controller, if the degree of the motion is smaller than the reference value.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus remotely controllable by an electronic device, the image display apparatus comprising:

a display unit; and

a controller configured to control the display unit and to;

determine if at least a touch input or a motion input from the electronic device is received,

set an input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be one of a motion-based input mode and a touch-based input mode based on the determination result, and

process an input signal from the electronic device according to the set input processing mode.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the input processing mode of the image display apparatus is set to be the motion-based input mode, the controller processes predetermined movements of the electronic device with respect to the image display apparatus as predetermined user commands for controlling the image display apparatus.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the input processing mode of the image display apparatus is set to be the touch-based input mode, the controller processes predetermined touch inputs to a touch screen of the electronic device communicating with the image display apparatus as predetermined user commands for controlling the image display apparatus.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the controller determines that at least the motion input from the electronic device is received, the controller is further configured to:

compare a degree of motion of the motion input with a predetermined reference value, and

selectively set the input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be one of the motion-based input mode and the touch-based input mode based on the comparison result.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller sets the input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be the motion-based input mode, if the comparison result indicates that the degree of motion of the motion input is equal to or larger than the predetermined reference value.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller sets the input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be the touch-based input mode, if the comparison result indicates that the degree of motion of the motion input is smaller than the predetermined reference value.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the controller determines that at least the touch input from the electronic device is received, the controller is further configured to:

recognize a presence of the touch input, and

set the input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be the touch-based input mode in view of the presence of the touch input.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the controller determines that only the motion input from the electronic device is received without any touch input from the electronic device, the controller is further configured to:

recognize an absence of the touch input, and

set the input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be the motion-based input mode in view of the absence of the touch input.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

provide a menu for a user to select a criterion among a plurality of choices by which the input processing mode is to be set up,

wherein the choices include i) based on a degree of motion by the electronic device, and (ii) based on a presence or absence of a touch input from the electronic device.

10. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a portable terminal, a mobile terminal, or a pointing device having a touch screen.

11. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the input signal from the electronic device is an input for shifting a pointer on the display unit, the controller is configured to move the pointer on the display unit further in the motion-based input mode than in the touch-based input mode based on the same input signal.

12. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the input signal from the electronic device is an input for changing a setting value of the image display apparatus, the controller is configured to change the setting value more in the motion-based input mode than in the touch-based input mode based on the same input signal.

13. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the motion-based input mode, if the electronic device moves in a predetermined direction for a distance equal to or larger than a reference value, the controller processes this motion input as a channel switching and switches a channel for the display unit.

14. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the motion-based input mode, if the electronic device in a predetermined direction for a distance equal to or larger than a reference value, the controller processes this motion input as a volume change and changes a sound volume for the image display apparatus.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the motion-based input mode, if the electronic device moves in a predetermined pattern, the controller processes this motion input as a menu command and controls display of a menu on the display unit.

16. A remote controller for controlling an image display apparatus, the remote controller comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a user interface for receiving a touch input to the touch screen;

a communication module; and

a controller configured to control the touch screen and the communication module, and to transmit, through the communication module, one or more control commands for remotely controlling the image display apparatus,

the one or more control commands corresponding to a motion of the remote controller or the touch input to the touch screen,

wherein the controller generates a different control command depending on (i) a degree of the motion of the remote controller or (ii) a presence or absence of the touch input to the touch screen, and transmits the generated command to the image display apparatus through the communication module.

17. The remote controller according to claim 16, wherein the remote controller is a pointing device.

18. The remote controller according to claim 16, wherein the remote controller is a portable terminal.

19. A method of remotely controlling an image display apparatus using an electronic device, the image display apparatus including a controller, the method comprising:

determining, by the controller of the image display apparatus, if at least a touch input or a motion input from the electronic device is received;

setting an input processing mode of the image display apparatus to be one of a motion-based input mode and a touch-based input mode based on the determination result, and

processing, by the controller, an input signal from the electronic device according to the set input processing mode.

20. A method of remotely controlling an image display apparatus by a remote controller, the remote controller including a touch screen, a communication module and a controller, the method comprising:

displaying, on the touch screen, a user interface for receiving a touch input to the touch screen; and

transmitting, through the communication module, one or more control commands for remotely controlling the image display apparatus, the one or more control commands corresponding to a motion of the remote controller or the touch input to the touch screen,

the transmitting step including

generating, by the controller, a different control command depending on (i) a degree of the motion of the remote controller or (ii) a presence or absence of the touch input to the touch screen, and

transmitting, through the communication module, the generated command to the image display apparatus.