ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130155334A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHOI, Eun-seok, YOO, Ho-june, CHOI, Sang-on, SOH, Byung-seok
• Granted Patent: US 8,941,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An electronic apparatus, control method thereof, remote control apparatus that controls the electronic apparatus, and control method thereof. The remote control apparatus includes a communication unit which communicates with the electronic apparatus; a user input unit which receives a user button selection indicating an input button; a sensing unit which senses movement of the remote control apparatus; and a control unit which controls the communication unit to transmit information about the user button selection to perform a function corresponding to the input button if the remote control apparatus is in a button input mode, and to transmit information about the movement of the remote control apparatus to the electronic apparatus to control the electronic apparatus by the movement if the remote control apparatus is in a motion recognition mode. Accordingly, controlling a game or a multimedia content is easier, and the user is provided with a new and interesting experience.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An electronic apparatus which is configured to transmit remote control information to an external device, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a user input interface configured to receive a user input;

a sensor configured to sense a movement of the electronic apparatus; and

a control unit configured to operate in a pointing mode in which information corresponding to the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus is transmitted to the external device, and configured to operation in a non-pointing mode in which information corresponding to the user input is transmitted to the external device,

wherein, when the electronic apparatus operates in the non-pointing mode, the control unit is configured to control the sensor to operate in a power saving state.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the movement of the electronic apparatus sensed by the sensor comprises a three dimensional movement.

20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the movement of the electronic apparatus sensed by the sensor comprises at least one of a pointing motion indicating a pointing location within a display area of the external device and a predetermined type of movement.

21. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a communication unit configured to establish communication with the external device.

22. The electronic apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the external device information about an operation mode of the electronic apparatus together with at least one of information about the user input and information regarding the movement of the electronic apparatus.

23. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor.

24. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, when the electronic apparatus is operating in the pointing mode, the control unit controls the sensor to operate in the power saving state when no movement of the electronic apparatus is sensed during a predetermined time period.

25. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the sensor senses a movement of the electronic apparatus in the power saving state.

26. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the sensor is operable in a first power saving state and a second power saving state, and wherein, when the sensor senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time duration while the sensor is in the first power saving state, the control unit is configured to control the sensor to transition from the first power saving state to the second power saving state.

35. The electronic apparatus according to claim 26, wherein less power is saved in the first power saving state of the sensor than in the second power saving state of the sensor.

38. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, the information corresponding to the user input is provided in a form other than the information corresponding to the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus.

27. An electronic apparatus which is configured to transmit remote control information to an external device, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a user input unit configured to receive a user input;

a sensor configured to sense a movement of the electronic apparatus in an active state; and

wherein, when the senor is in the active state and senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a first predetermined time period, the sensor transitions from an active state to a first power saving state, and

wherein, when the sensor is in the first power saving state and senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a second predetermined period of time, the sensor transitions from the first power saving state to a second power saving state.

28. The electronic apparatus according to claim 27, wherein, when the sensor is in the first power saving state and senses a movement of the electronic apparatus, the sensor transitions from the first power saving state to the active state.

29. The electronic apparatus according to claim 27, further comprises a communication unit configured to communicate with the external device.

30. The electronic apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit to the external device information about an operation mode of the electronic apparatus together with at least one of information about the user input and information regarding the movement of the electronic apparatus.

31. The electronic apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor.

36. The electronic apparatus according to claim 27, wherein less power is saved in the first power saving state of the sensor than in the second power saving state of the sensor.

37. The electronic apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a power supplier which supplies an electric power to the sensor, wherein when the electronic apparatus is operating in the non-pointing mode input mode, the control unit controls the power supplier to block an electric power supplied to the sensor to switch the sensor to the first power saving state.

32. An electronic system comprising:

a first electronic apparatus comprising;

a user input unit which receives a user input;

a sensor which senses a movement of the first electronic apparatus; and

a signal output unit which outputs a control signal comprising at least one of information about the user input and information regarding the sensed movement of the first electronic apparatus;

a second electronic apparatus comprising;

a display configured to display a plurality of menu items;

a signal receiver configured to receive the control signal from the first electronic apparatus; and

a control unit which is configured to determine an operation mode of the first electronic apparatus,

wherein the operation mode comprises one of a pointing mode in which the sensed movement of the first electronic apparatus is detected and a non-pointing mode in which the user input in a form other than the movement of the electronic apparatus is received,

wherein the selection between the pointing mode and the non-point mode is based on the control signal from the first electronic apparatus,

wherein, in the non-pointing mode, the control unit navigates the plurality of menu items according to the information about the user input received from the first electronic apparatus, and

wherein in the pointing mode, the control unit controls the display unit to display a pointer which is moved according to the information regarding the sensed movement received from the first electronic apparatus.

33. The electronic system according to claim 32, wherein the first electronic apparatus further comprises a controller which is configure to operate in the non-pointing mode in which the controller provides to the second electronic apparatus information corresponding to the user input and which is configured to operation in the pointing mode in which the controller provides to the second electronic apparatus movement information corresponding to the movement of the first electronic apparatus, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the sensor to operate in a power saving state if the first electronic apparatus is operating in the non-pointing mode.

34. The electronic system according to claim 33, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor.