Method and apparatus for controlling a computer system

• US 7,679,604 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elite Gaming Tech LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Durham Logistics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Orchard, John T., Uhlik, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said; Mansour M
• Application Number:
  US11/497,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345156-158, 345164-166, 345/169, 345901-903, 345/173, 700/17, 700/28, 700/46, 700/83, 379/433.04, 382/276, 702150-151
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A handheld computing device is introduced comprising a motion detection sensor(s) and a motion control agent. The motion detection sensor(s) detect motion of the computing device in one or more of six (6) fields of motion and generate an indication of such motion. The motion control agent, responsive to the indications of motion received from the motion sensors, generate control signals to modify, one or more of the operating state and/or the displayed content of the computing device based, at least in part, on the received indications.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a computer device, the method comprising:

sensing an initial motion of said computer device in an initial direction, wherein the initial motion meets or exceeds an initial motion threshold;

sensing a complementary motion of said computer device in a reverse direction to the initial direction, wherein the complementary motion meets or exceeds a complementary motion threshold; and

generating at least one control signal configured to modify an operating state of the device or content being displayed by the device;

wherein sensing the initial motion and sensing the complementary motion occur before the generating the at least one control signal; and

wherein the initial or complementary motions comprise motion in one or more of at least six fields of motion including lateral x, y, or z motion or rotational x, y, or z motion.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein sensing the initial or complementary motions includes sensing lateral motion in one or more of x, y, or z directions.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein sensing the initial or complementary motions includes sensing rotational motion about one or more of an x, y, or z axis.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein sensing the initial or complementary motions includes sensing rotational motion about one or more of an x, y, or z axis.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising receiving an enabling signal configured to enable said generating of at least one control signal.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising determining an operating state of the device.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the generating comprises generating the at least one control signal based, at least in part, on said determining the operating state of the device.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the determining the operating state of the device includes determining an operating system has operational control of the device or determining an application has operational control of the device.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein the at least one control signal causes a highlighted active region displayed on the device to be moved from one icon to another icon.

10. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein the at least one control signal causes an application that is associated with an icon, which is displayed on the device and denoted by a highlighted active region, to be invoked.

11. The method as defined in claim 7 and further comprising modifying content displayed by the device by at least one of scrolling, zooming, or moving to a different displayed page.

12. A system, comprising:

a server including a storage medium, having stored thereon machine-executable instructions;

an executing system communicatively coupled to the server to execute at least a subset of the instructions stored on the server to implement a motion control agent, the motion control agent, if implemented, being configured to;

detect an initial motion of a handheld computing device in an initial direction, wherein the initial motion meets or exceeds an initial motion threshold;

detect a complementary motion of the handheld computing device in an alternate direction to the initial motion, wherein the complementary motion meets or exceeds a complementary motion threshold; and

generate control signals configured to modify an operating state or displayed content of the handheld computing device;

wherein the motion control agent is further configured to detect the initial and complementary motions before generating the control signals; and

wherein the motion control agent is further configured to detect the initial or complementary motions in one or more of at least six fields of motion, including lateral x, y, or z motion, or rotation about x, y, or z axis.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server comprises a remote server.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the executing system is at least partially embodied on the handheld computing device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the motion control agent is configured to detect the initial or complementary motions via a motion sensor communicatively coupled to the handheld computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the motion sensor is selected from the group comprising:

a micro-accelerometer, a mercury switch, a shock detector, and gyroscope.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the handheld computing device is selected from the group comprising:

a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal gaming device, and a wireless communication device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the motion control agent is further configured to detects the initial or complementary motions in at least two of said six fields of motion.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the control signals are further configured to modify the operating state or the displayed content of the handheld computing device responsive to the detected initial or complementary motions.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions that, if executed by a device, cause the device to perform a method comprising:

detecting an initial motion of a handheld computing device in an initial direction, wherein the initial motion meets or exceeds an initial motion threshold;

detecting a complementary motion of the handheld computing device in an alternate direction to the initial direction, wherein the initial motion meets or exceeds a complementary motion threshold; and

generating at least one control signal configured to modify at least one of an operating state or to modify content displayed on the handheld computing device in accordance with said initial or complementary motions;

wherein detecting the initial and complementary motions occurs before the generating the at least one control signal; and

wherein the initial or complementary motions comprise motion in one or more of at least six fields of motion including lateral x, y, or z motion or rotation about an x, y, or z axis.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the handheld computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal gaming device, or a wireless communication device.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises determining the operating state of the handheld computing device.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises generating at least one control signal responsive to said determining the operating state.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises modifying at least one of the operating state or the content displayed on the handheld computing device by scrolling, zooming, or changing content displayed on the handheld computing device.

25. A device, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense an initial motion of the device in an initial direction and configured to sense a complementary motion in an alternate direction to the initial motion, where the initial motion meets or exceeds an initial motion threshold and where the complementary motion meets or exceeds a complementary motion threshold; and

a control circuit configured to generate at least one control signal after sensing the initial and complementary motions;

where the at least one control signal is configured to modify an operating state of the device or alter content displayed by the device; and

where the initial or complementary motions includes one or more of at least six fields of motion including a lateral x, y, or z motion or a rotational motion about an x, y, or z axis.

26. The device of claim 25 where the control circuit is configured to generate the at least one control signal responsive to an enable signal.

27. The device of claim 25 where the control circuit is configured to determine an operating state of the device.

28. The device of claim 27 where the control circuit is configured to operate responsive to the operating state of the device.

29. The device of claim 25 where the at least one control signal is configured to cause a highlighted active region displayed on the device to move from one icon to another icon.

30. The device of claim 29 where the at least one control signal is configured to invoke an application associated with an icon displayed on the device and denoted by a highlighted active region.

31. The device of claim 25 where the control circuit is configured to modify the content displayed by the device by scrolling, zooming, or moving to a different displayed page.

32. A device, comprising:

means for sensing an initial motion of said device in an initial direction responsive to the initial motion meeting or exceeding an initial motion threshold;

means for sensing a complementary motion of said device in an alternate direction to the initial direction responsive to the complementary motion meeting or exceeding a complementary motion threshold; and

means for generating least one control signal configured to modify an operating state of the device or content being displayed by the device;

wherein the means for sensing the initial motion and the means for sensing the complementary motion operate before the means for generating generates the at least one control signal; and

wherein the initial or complementary motions comprise motion in one or more of at least six fields of motion including lateral x, y, or z motion or rotational x, y, or z motion.