ADJUSTMENT OF A PARAMETER USING COMPUTING DEVICE MOVEMENT

• US 20130201098A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Schilit, William Noah, Want, Roy
• Application Number:
  US13/612,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201098A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

In general, techniques and systems for controlling a parameter of a target device are described. In one example, a method includes obtaining, by a computing device, control information from an identification device that is associated with a target device, wherein the control information identifies the target device and a parameter that at least partially defines operation of the target device. The method may also include detecting, by at least one sensor of the computing device, physical movement of the computing device subsequent to obtaining the control information and transmitting the control information and movement information to a networked device configured to adjust a value of the parameter of the target device based at least in part on a function of the movement information. The movement information may include information that indicates the detected physical movement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device, control information from an identification device that is associated with a target device, wherein the control information identifies the target device and an adjustable parameter that at least partially defines operation of the target device;

detecting, with at least one sensor, physical movement of the computing device subsequent to obtaining the control information; and

transmitting, by the computing device, the control information and movement information to a networked device different than the target device, wherein the networked device is configured to adjust a value of the adjustable parameter of the target device based at least in part on a function of the movement information, and wherein the movement information comprises information that indicates the detected physical movement of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the physical movement of the computing device comprises detecting a tilt angle between a first measurement and a second measurement of the at least one sensor, and wherein the tilt angle is representative of a rotation about an axis orthogonal to the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the tilt angle comprises measuring an orientation of the computing device with respect to gravity.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the tile angle comprises measuring an orientation of the computing device with respect to Earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the tilt angle comprises measuring an angular acceleration of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the physical movement of the computing device comprises:

measuring one or more accelerations of the computing device; and

calculating a distance and direction that the computing device was moved between a first measurement and a second measurement.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a clutch input during the detection, wherein initiation of the clutch input defines the first measurement and termination of the clutch input defines the second measurement of the sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected movement relates to a magnitude change in the parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustable parameter is one of a volume control, a channel control, a light intensity control, a temperature control, a motor control, a fan control, a timer, or a toggle control.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, the adjusted value of the adjustable parameter based on a function of the movement information; and

presenting, by a display of the computing device, a representation of the adjusted value of the adjustable parameter.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering, by the computing device, an audio feedback to a user based on a magnitude of the detected physical movement.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the control information from the identification device comprises obtaining the control information via near field communication.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification device comprises an optical code.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification device is associated with a visual representation of the adjustable parameter.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises a uniform resource locator configured to direct a browser of the computing device to a web-based service associated with the networked device; and

the uniform resource locator comprises a code that identifies the adjustable parameter and the target device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

launching, by the computing device, a control application in response to obtaining the control information, wherein the control application at least partially controls detecting the physical movement of the computing device and transmitting the control information to the networked device; and

terminating the control application in response to receiving at least one of a termination input or a loss of communication with the identification device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device, the identification device, and the target device are each different devices.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

19. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that cause one or more processors of a computing device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining control information from an identification device that is associated with a target device, wherein the control information identifies the target device and an adjustable parameter that at least partially defines operation of the target device;

detecting physical movement of the computing device subsequent to obtaining the control information; and

transmitting the control information and movement information to a networked device different than the target device, wherein the networked device is configured to adjust a value of the adjustable parameter of the target device based at least in part on a function of the movement information, and wherein the movement information comprises information that indicates the detected physical movement of the computing device.

20. A computing device comprising:

a near-field communication module configured to obtain control information from an identification device that is associated with a target device, wherein the control information identifies the target device and an adjustable parameter that at least partially defines operation of the target device;

a sensor configured to detect physical movement of the computing device subsequent to obtaining the control information; and

at least one processor configured to transmit the control information and movement information to a networked device different than the target device, wherein the networked device is configured to adjust a value of the adjustable parameter of the target device based at least in part on a function of the movement information, and wherein the movement information comprises information that indicates the detected physical movement of the computing device.