REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20150015378A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Aliakseyeu, Dzmitry Viktorovich, Mason, Jonathan David
• Granted Patent: US 9,715,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A remote control device (1) for remotely controlling an appliance (A) is provided. The remote control device (1) comprises a contact sensing facility (10), a control mode selection facility (20), an input facility (30), a processor facility (40) and a transmission facility (50). The contact sensing facility (10) determines a degree of physical contact between the remote control device and a user (U) and generates a mode control signal (S_mc) indicative for this degree. The control mode selection facility (20) selects one of a plurality of selectable operational modes (M1, M2, M3) of the remote control device dependent on the degree indicated by the mode control signal. The selectable operational modes enable respective subsets of user control modes from a plurality of user control modes. The input facility (30) is arranged to receive user input and generating a user input signal (S_inp) indicative for the user input. The processor facility (40) derives appliance control information (S_aci) for the appliance from the user input signal according to a function enabled by the selected operational mode and the transmission facility (50) transmits the appliance control information to the appliance.

Claims

1. A remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, comprising

a contact sensing facility for determining a degree of physical contact between the remote control device and a user and for generating a mode control signal indicative for this degree,

a control mode selection facility for selecting one of a plurality of selectable operational modes of the remote control device dependent on the degree indicated by the mode control signal, wherein said plurality of selectable operational modes comprise at least a second and a third operational mode said selectable operational modes enabling respective subsets of user control modes from a plurality of user control modes, wherein the second operational mode only enables a second user control mode, and wherein the third operational mode only enables a third user control mode, wherein in the third user control mode the user is enabled to control the appliance by providing touch input to the remote control device,

an input facility for receiving user input and generating a user input signal indicative for said user input,

a processor facility for deriving appliance control information for the appliance from the user input signal according to a function enabled by the selected operational mode,

a transmission facility for transmitting said appliance control information to the appliance

3. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said contact sensing facility is arranged to detect at least one of the following conditions, absence or presence of physical contact between the remote control device and the user, a direction of the remote control device with respect to a users face, a distance of the remote control device with respect to a users face a way in which the remote control device is held, an orientation in which the remote control device is held.

4. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said contact sensing facility comprises at least a touch sensing facility for determining whether the device is held by a user, and for generating a grip indication signal indicative for this determination.

5. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said contact sensing facility comprises at least a face recognition facility for determining whether the device is orientated towards a human face and for generating an orientation indication signal indicative for this determination.

6. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said contact sensing facility comprises a distance sensor facility for determining a distance between the remote control device and the user, and for generating a distance indication signal indicative for this determination.

7. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said input facility comprises a visual-input sensor and having a first user control mode, in which first user control mode the remote control device is enabled to detect visual input by the user with the visual-input sensor and generate a visual-input signal, to derive appliance control information for the appliance from the visual-input signal according to a first function and to transmit said appliance control information to the appliance with said transmission facility.

8. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said input facility comprises a spatial-state sensor and having a second user control mode, in which second user control mode the spatial-state sensor is enabled to detect a spatial-state of the remote control device caused by the user, and generate a spatial-state signal as the user input signal, to derive appliance control information for the appliance from the user input signal according to a second function and to transmit said appliance control information to the appliance with said transmission facility.

9. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said input facility comprises a touch-input sensor and having a third user control mode wherein the remote control device is enabled to accept user input from said touch-input sensor, to derive appliance control information for the appliance from said user input according to a third function and to transmit said appliance control information to the appliance with said transmission facility.

10. The remote control device according to claim 6, wherein said input facility comprises an audio input sensor, and having a fourth user control mode wherein the remote control device is enabled to accept user input from said audio input sensor, to derive appliance control information for the appliance from said user input according to a fourth function and to transmit said appliance control information to the appliance with said transmission facility.

15. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of selectable operational modes further comprises a first operational mode that enables at least a first user control mode wherein the user is enabled to control the appliance by providing visual input to the remote control device.

2. (canceled)

11. A method for remotely controlling an appliance with a remote control device, comprising the steps of

determining a degree of physical contact between the remote control device and a user and generating a mode control signal indicative for this degree, wherein said plurality of selectable operational modes comprise at least a second and a third operational mode, wherein the second operational mode only enables a second user control mode, and wherein the third operational mode only enables a third user control mode, wherein in the third user control mode the user is enabled to control the appliance by providing touch input to the remote control device,

selecting one of a plurality of selectable operational modes dependent on the degree indicated by the mode control signal, said selectable operational mode enabling respective subsets of user control modes from a plurality of user control modes,

deriving appliance control information from user input according to a function dependent on the enabled subset of user control modes,

transmitting said appliance control information to the appliance characterized in that in the second user control mode the user is enabled to control the appliance by controlling a spatial state of the remote control device, and wherein said determining includes determining mutually different degrees of presence of physical contact and for in the presence of physical contact setting the second or the third operational mode depending on said determined degree of presence of physical contact.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of selectable operational modes further comprises a third operational mode that enables at least a first user control mode, wherein the user is enabled to control the appliance by providing visual input to the remote control device.

13. Method according to claim 11 wherein said step of determining a degree of physical contact comprises a detection of at least one of the following conditions, absence or presence of physical contact between the remote control device and the user, a direction of the remote control device with respect to a users face, a distance of the remote control device with respect to a users face a way in which the remote control device is held, an orientation in which the remote control device is held.

14. Storage medium having stored thereon a computer program enabling a processor to carry out the method of claim 11.