Universal remote TV mouse
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source, comprising:
- a first photodiode for receiving a first portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein the first photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit detection of light beyond a certain angle of orientation of the positioning controller measured from a perpendicular axis;
a second photodiode for receiving a second portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein the upper half of the second photodiode is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
a third photodiode for receiving a third portion of infrared light from the external infrared source, wherein the third photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a second plane bisecting the third photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the second plane;
a wide angle sensor having an output which is lower than the first photodiode output within a selected range of angles and higher than the-first photodiode output outside said range; and
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller, specifically, the pitch and yaw of the controller, using the first, second and third portions of received infrared light and the wide angle sensor output and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source.
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Abstract
Componentry is added to a conventional universal remote device to enable it to cooperate with a set to beacon to position a cursor or arrow on a television or other display screen and to allow the remote control to perform the functions of a conventional personal computer “mouse” in connection with the cursor, such as, for example, “clicking” on icons on the screen. A wide angle sensor and a stepped beacon pulse are used to increase range of the device, and the beacon pulse sent to the infrared sensor is automatically disabled upon detection of activity on the universal remote section.
259 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source, comprising:
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a first photodiode for receiving a first portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein the first photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit detection of light beyond a certain angle of orientation of the positioning controller measured from a perpendicular axis;
a second photodiode for receiving a second portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein the upper half of the second photodiode is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
a third photodiode for receiving a third portion of infrared light from the external infrared source, wherein the third photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a second plane bisecting the third photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the second plane;
a wide angle sensor having an output which is lower than the first photodiode output within a selected range of angles and higher than the-first photodiode output outside said range; and
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller, specifically, the pitch and yaw of the controller, using the first, second and third portions of received infrared light and the wide angle sensor output and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A positioning controller having a receiving side for receiving light from an infrared light source, the receiving side including an axis extending perpendicularly therefrom, and a vertical plane and a horizontal plane intersecting at the axis, the positioning controller comprising:
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a reference sensor for receiving light from the source, the reference sensor being masked to receive light within a predetermined range of acute angles measured from the axis;
a vertical angle sensor for receiving light from the source, wherein a portion of the vertical sensor is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the vertical angle sensor and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
a horizontal angle sensor for receiving light from the source, the horizontal angle sensor being masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the vertical plane than from a second side of the vertical plane;
a wide angle sensor for receiving light from the source and having a wider acceptance angle than that of the reference sensor;
circuitry for detecting an off axis error condition using amounts of light received by the reference sensor and the wide angle sensor;
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller relative to the light source, specifically, the pitch and yaw of the controller, using amounts of light received by the reference sensor, the vertical angle sensor, the horizontal angle sensor and the wide angle sensor. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source, comprising:
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a first photodiode for receiving a first portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, the first photodiode masked to limit detection of light beyond a certain angle of orientation of the pointing device measured from a perpendicular axis;
a second photodiode for receiving a second portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein a portion of the second photodiode is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
a third photodiode for receiving a third portion of infrared light from the infrared light source, the third photodiode having a portion masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a second plane bisecting the photodiode, and to promote reception of light on second side of the second plane;
a wide angle sensor for receiving a fourth portion of infrared light from the infrared light source and having a wider acceptance angle that that of the reference sensor;
circuitry for detecting an off axis error condition using amounts of light received by the reference sensor and the wide angle sensor;
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller using the first, second, third and fourth portions of received infrared light and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of obtaining a large range of operable distances between a positioning controller and a display, the positioning controller including a first reference sensor, a second wider angle reference sensor and an angle-detecting sensor, the method comprising the following steps:
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transmitting infrared light from a beacon located near the display;
receiving the transmitted light into the reference sensors and the angle-detecting sensor, each of the reference sensors and the angle-detecting sensor generating an output proportional to the amount of light received therein;
integrating the output of the reference sensors for a predetermined amount of time, each of the two integrals representing respective accumulation of output over the predetermined amount of time; and
comparing the outputs of the first and second reference sensors to determine operation outside of a permissible range of operating angles. - View Dependent Claims (14)
a) making a first determination of whether a predetermined maximum amount of light has been received into the reference sensor, the first determination being made by comparing the accumulation of the reference sensor output with a predetermined threshold;
1) discontinuing integration of the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of light has been received; and
2) continuing to integrate the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of light has not been received; and
b) making a second determination of whether a predetermined amount of time has passed from a time that the integrations began, if the predetermined maximum amount of light has not been received;
1) discontinuing integration of the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of time has passed; and
2) continuing to integrate the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of time has not passed;
comparing the two accumulations; and
determining an orientation of the positioning controller based on the comparison.
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15. A method of increasing the dynamic range of an infrared sensor device employing vertical, horizontal and reference sensors comprising the steps of:
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increasing the effective area of each of said vertical, horizontal and reference sensors by employing respective lens elements to increase their effective area wherein at least one sensor includes optics;
employing a second reference sensor to detect data which is unreliable due to reflections within the sensor optics;
providing a transmitted pulse of increased magnitude; and
shaping said pulse to a pulse starting at a low level and proceeding to higher levels.
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16. A method for use in increasing the range of an infrared pointing device employing a vertical sensor, horizontal sensor and a first reference sensor, comprising the steps of:
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providing a second reference sensor having a wider acceptance angle than that of said first reference sensor; and
comparing the output of the first reference sensor to the output of the second reference sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. An apparatus for controlling electronic devices using infrared coded signals specific to each electronic device comprising:
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memory to store a number of device specific codes;
a control circuit to convert user inputs into a plurality of said device specific codes;
output circuitry to convert a selected device specific code into corresponding infrared signal; and
circuitry to monitor an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source includes, a first photodiode for receiving a first portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein the first photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit detection of light beyond a certain angle of orientation of the positioning controller measured from a perpendicular axis;
a second photodiode for receiving a second portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein a portion of the second photodiode is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
a third photodiode for receiving a third portion of infrared light from the external infrared source, wherein the third photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a second plane bisecting the third photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the second plane; and
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller, specifically, the pitch and yaw of the controller, using the first, second and third portions of received infrared light and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source.- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
the first photodiode for receiving a first portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein the first photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit detection of light beyond a certain angle of orientation of the positioning controller measured from a perpendicular axis;
the second photodiode for receiving a second portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source, wherein a portion of the second photodiode is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
the third photodiode for receiving a third portion of infrared light from the external infrared source, wherein the third photodiode has a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a second plane bisecting the third photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the second plane;
a wide angle sensor for receiving a fourth portion of infrared light from the infrared light source and having a wider acceptance angle than that of the reference sensor;
circuitry for detecting an off axis error condition using amounts of light received by the reference sensor and the wide angle sensor;
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller, specifically, the pitch and yaw of the controller, using the first, second, third and fourth portions of received infrared light and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source.
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20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the apparatus controls the external infrared light source so that said external infrared light source is not producing infrared energy when the apparatus is transmitting infrared coded signals specific to each electronic device.
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21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said positioning controller device is adapted to cooperate in emulating functions of a computer mouse.
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22. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source, comprising:
- a reference sensor for receiving light from the source, the reference sensor being masked to receive light within a predetermined range of acute angles measured from a perpendicular axis;
a vertical angle sensor for receiving light from the source, wherein a portion of the vertical sensor is masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the vertical angle sensor and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane;
a horizontal angle sensor for receiving light from the source, the horizontal angle sensor being masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the vertical plane than from a second side of the vertical plane;
a wide angle sensor having a relative output which when lower than the reference sensor output within a selected range of angles is higher than the reference sensor output outside said range; and
circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller relative to the light source, specifically, the pitch and yaw of the controller, using amounts of light received by the reference sensor, the vertical angle sensor, the horizontal angle sensor and the wide angle sensor.
- a reference sensor for receiving light from the source, the reference sensor being masked to receive light within a predetermined range of acute angles measured from a perpendicular axis;
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23. A method of increasing the dynamic range of an infrared sensor device employing vertical, horizontal and reference sensors with optical elements comprising the steps of:
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employing a second reference sensor to detect data which is unreliable due to reflections within the sensor optical elements;
providing a transmitted pulse of increased magnitude; and
shaping said pulse to a pulse starting at a low level and proceeding to higher levels.
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Specification