Method for controlling electronic device and electronic system

• US 7,110,761 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus, Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuslaitos
• Original Assignee: Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuslaitos
• Inventors: Remes, Jukka, Latvakoski, Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRERA, DIEGO D
• Application Number:
  US10/473,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 359/146, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams

Abstract

Method and apparatus for controlling an electronic device. The method comprises pointing using a pointing device at a link device in order to create a wireless data transmission connection between the pointing device and the link device, and transferring identification data between the pointing device and the link device along the created data transmission connection. Next, a first association between the identification data of the pointing device and the identification data of the link device is formed. After this, a second association between the identification data of the user of the pointing device and the identification data device to be controlled communicating with the link device is formed.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising:

pointing physically using a pointing device at a link device in order to create a wireless data transmission connection between the pointing device and the link device;

transferring identification data between the pointing device and the link device along the created data transmission connection;

forming a first association between the identification data of the pointing device and the identification data of the link device;

forming a second association between the identification data of the user of the pointing device and the identification data of the electronic device to be controlled communicating with the link device, the second association being based on the first association, on a third association between the identification data of the pointing device stored in a database and the identification data of the user, and on a fourth association between the identification data of the link device stored in a database and the identification data of the electronic device to be controlled; and

transferring control data between the pointing device and the electronic device to be controlled utilizing the information in the associations.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification data of the pointing device is transferred to the link device along the created data transmission connection and/or the identification data of the link device is transferred to the pointing device along the created data transmission connection.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one object to be identified using the identification data to which the control is directed.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the object is a physical object or an abstract object.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the physical object is a device, a passive item or a physical location.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the abstract object is information or a service.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control data to be transferred to the pointing device includes the type of information the user has determined in advance concerning the electronic device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control data to be transferred to the pointing device includes an interface of the electronic device.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control data to be transferred to the pointing device includes positioning data of the electronic device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a time stamp is attached to the pointing operation.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein it is deduced on the basis of the time stamped pointing operations which pointing operations the user generally performs at a particular time.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein if the user does not perform a certain pointing operation at a particular time, then the user is reminded through the pointing device about the performance of the pointing operation.

13. An electronic system comprising

a link device for establishing a data transmission connection

a pointing device for physically pointing at the link device in order to create a wireless data transmission connection between the pointing device and the link device, the link device and the pointing device comprising identification data identifying the device, and the identification data is transferred over the wireless data transmission connection between the pointing device and the link device,

a database, in which associations are stored, means for forming a first association between the identification data of the pointing device and the identification data of the link device;

means for forming a second association between the identification data of the user of the pointing device and the identification data of the electronic device to be controlled communicating with the link device, the second association being based on the first association, on a third association between the identification data of the pointing device obtained as an input from a database and the identification data of the user, and on a fourth association between the identification data of the link device obtained as the input from the database and the identification data of the electronic device to be controlled; and

means for transferring control data between the pointing device and the electronic device to be controlled utilizing the information in the associations.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pointing device comprises means for transferring the identification data of the pointing device to the link device along the created data transmission connection and/or the link device comprises means for transferring the identification data of the link device to the pointing device along the created data transmission connection.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one object to be identified using the identification data to which the control is directed.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the object is a physical object or an abstract object.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the physical object is a device, a passive item or a physical location.

18. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the abstract object is information or a service.

19. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control data to be transferred to the pointing device includes the type of information the user has determined in advance concerning the electronic device.

20. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control data to be transferred to the pointing device includes an interface of the electronic device.

21. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control data to be transferred to the pointing device includes positioning data of the electronic device.

22. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system comprises means for attaching a time stamp to the pointing operation.

23. A system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the system comprises the means for deducing on the basis of the time stamped pointing operations which pointing operations the user generally performs at a particular time using the pointing device thereof.

24. A system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the system comprises the means for reminding the user through the pointing device about the performance of the pointing operation, if the user does not perform a certain pointing operation at a particular time using the pointing device thereof.