Cursor control system

• US 7,057,670 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eagle New Media Investments, LLC (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph G.
• Application Number:
  US09/844,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20020005910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/131, 725/133, 725/139, 725/141, 725/151, 725/153, 348/601, 348/734, 345/158, 340/825.69, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 348/601
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/037 using the raster scan of a cathode-ray tube [CRT] for detecting the position of the member, e.g. light pens cooperating with CRT monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a novel cursor control system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention is a method of manipulating a cursor on a tv screen utilizing a wireless remote control. The method includes detecting a location on the screen pointed to by the remote control. The method also includes Transmitting the location to a set-top box.

Claims

1. A remote control device comprising:

a housing having an aperture;

a sensor within the housing, coupled to the housing at a location within an optical path from the aperture;

a microcontroller electrically coupled to the sensor and coupled to the housing;

a transmitter electrically coupled to the microcontroller and coupled to the housing;

a semi-mirror coupled to the housing and disposed within the optical path from the aperture between the aperture and the sensor; and

a light source coupled to the housing and disposed in a position relative to the semi-mirror suitable for emitting a light beam targeted at the semi-mirror which, upon reflection by the semi-mirror, follows the optical path from the semi-mirror to the aperture.

2. The remote control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first focus element disposed in the optical path between the semi-mirror and the aperture.

3. The remote control device of claim 2, further comprising:

a second focus element disposed in the optical path between the semi-mirror and the first focus element.

4. The remote control device of claim 3 wherein:

the light source is a laser LED;

the first focus element is a blind; and

the second focus element is a blind.