Mobile device with wide-angle optics and a radiation sensor

• US 7,567,818 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motionip LLC
• Inventors: Pylkko, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US11/072,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20050208978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/550.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/486.1, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/557, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/333, 455/344, 455/347, 455/115.1, 455/115.4, 455/67.11, 349/156, 349/188, 345156-159, 345161-169, 345/175, 345/184, 382312-313, 382/315
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

The invention comprises a mobile device controlled by moving it, for example, by tilting. The mobile device is equipped with wide-angle optics and with a radiation sensor detecting either visible light or infrared radiation. The wide-angle optics may be directed towards the user, whereupon the radiation sensor receives useful images through the wide-angle optics. The images include contrast or thermal differences which it make possible to determine in which way the user has moved the mobile device. In more detail, a tilt angle or a corresponding change can be calculated and then, on the basis of the change, the content shown on a display of the mobile device is altered. The content is, for example, a menu or a web page.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a memory,

a processor,

a display for showing content,

wide-angle optics, and

a navigation chip having a radiation sensor for detecting positions of the mobile device, the wide angle optics being disposed in front of the navigation chip and configured such that the navigation chip receives, through the wide angle optics, radiation from a large area outside of the mobile device,

the mobile device being adapted to receive at least first and second images through the wide-angle lens and the navigation chip, wherein the first image indicates a first position of the mobile device at a first point in time and the second image indicates a second position of the mobile device at a second point in time, to store the first and second images as sets of luminosity values in the memory, to determine a change between the first position and the second position of the mobile device by applying a motion detection method to the first image and the second image, and to alter the content shown on the display in accordance with the determined change,

wherein the motion detection method comprises superimposing the first image and the second image, calculating a best-fit offset between the first image and the second image, and calculating the change on the basis of the best-fit offset.

2. The mobile device as in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further adapted to determine another change between the first position and second position of the mobile device by applying the motion detection method and to alter the content shown on the display in accordance with the other change.

3. The mobile device as in claim 2, wherein when the determined change between the first position and the second position meets a first predefined criterion of a certain point in time and when the other change between the first position and the second position meets a second predefined criterion within a predetermined time period starting from the certain point in time, the mobile device is further adapted to perform a predetermined operation on the display of the mobile device.

4. The mobile device as in claim 3, wherein the predetermined operation is one of a zoom in on the content shown on the display or a zoom out on the content shown on the display.

5. The mobile device as in claim 3, wherein the predetermined operation performed on the display is one of move a cursor, close a menu, open a menu, and select a menu option.

6. The mobile device as in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a music player, and a game device.

7. The mobile device as in claim 1, wherein the wide-angle optics is arranged on the same side of the mobile device as the display, whereby the wide-angle optics face the user during operation of the device.

8. The mobile device as in claim 1, wherein the radiation sensor comprises a pixel array not greater than 24×

24.

9. The mobile device as in claim 1, wherein the navigation chip is separate from the processor and configured to implement at least a portion of the motion detection method.

10. A mobile device comprising:

a memory,

a processor,

a display for showing content,

wide-angle optics, and

a navigation chip having a radiation sensor for detecting positions of the mobile device,

the mobile device being adapted to receive at least first and second images through the wide-angle lens and the navigation chip, wherein the first image indicates a first position of the mobile device at a first point in time and the second image indicates a second position of the mobile device at a second point in time, to store the first and second images as sets of luminosity values in the memory, to determine a change between the first position and the second position of the mobile device by applying a motion detection method comprising superimposing the first image and the second image, calculating a best-fit offset between the first image and the second image, and calculating the change on the basis of the best-fit offset,

the mobile device being configured to alter the content of the display as follows;

when the mobile device determines, by the motion detection method, a single change between the first position and the second position, the mobile device alters the content of the display by moving a cursor in accordance with the single change, and

when the mobile device determines, by the motion detection method, two successive changes in position including first and second changes in position of the mobile device, wherein the first change meets a first predetermined criterion at a third point in time and the second change meets a second predetermined criterion within a predetermined time period starting from the third point in time, the mobile device alters the content of the display by performing one of zooming in the content, zooming out the content, closing a menu, opening a menu, and selecting a menu option.

11. A mobile device comprising:

a memory,

a processor,

a display for showing content,

wide-angle optics, and

a navigation chip having a radiation sensor for detecting positions of the mobile device,

the mobile device being adapted to receive at least first and second images through the wide-angle lens and the navigation chip, wherein the first image indicates a first position of the mobile device at a first point in time and the second image indicates a second position of the mobile device at a second point in time, to store the first and second images as sets of luminosity values in the memory, to determine a change between the first position and the second position of the mobile device by applying a motion detection method comprising superimposing the first image and the second image, calculating a best-fit offset between the first image and the second image, and calculating the change on the basis of the best-fit offset,

the mobile device being configured to alter the content of the display as follows;

when the mobile device is moved from the first position to the second position, the mobile device determines, by the motion detection method, a first change and alters a first content on the display to a second content, and

when the mobile device is moved from the second position back to the first position, the mobile device determines, by the motion detection method, a second change and alters the second content on the display back to the first content.