Portable electronic apparatus, operation control method, operation control program, signal generation apparatus and signal generation method

• US 7,698,092 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Sano, Akane, Inoue, Makoto, Tamori, Hirofumi, Ito, Hiroshi, Shirai, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano; Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suglo; Janet L
• Application Number:
  US11/768,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 463/37, 702/141, 702/150
• US Class Current: 702/141
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus includes an acceleration detection unit, an evaluation-signal generation unit, and a control unit. The acceleration detection unit is configured to detect an acceleration generated in the portable electronic apparatus. The evaluation-signal generation unit is configured to carry out a predetermined process based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of the acceleration. The control unit is configured to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of the evaluation signal and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of the result of determination.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a content storage unit configured to store content data;

a display unit configured to display a screen showing at least a title of a content data stored in the content storage unit;

an acceleration detection unit configured to detect an acceleration from a movement of the whole said portable electronic apparatus, the acceleration unit configured to detect the acceleration on the basis of detecting a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the screen and a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction parallel to the screen;

an evaluation-signal generation unit configured to perform a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing an amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

a control unit configured to produce a result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of a vacillating acceleration force indicated by said evaluation signal, and perform a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination,

wherein said evaluation-signal generation unit generates said evaluation signal by;

computing at least one present absolute value of an acceleration value detected by said acceleration detection unit at a present point of time,

computing previous absolute values of acceleration values detected by said acceleration detection unit at respective points of time during a predetermined period of time preceding the present point of time, and finding an average of said previous absolute values, and

subtracting said average from said at least one present absolute value of the present acceleration in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

2. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a content storage unit configured to store content data;

a display unit configured to display a screen showing at least a title of a content data stored in the content storage unit;

an acceleration detection unit configured to detect an acceleration from a movement of the whole said portable electronic apparatus, the acceleration unit configured to detect the acceleration on the basis of detecting a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the screen and a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction parallel to the screen;

an evaluation-signal generation unit configured to perform a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing an amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

a control unit configured to produce a result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of a vacillating acceleration force indicated by said evaluation signal, and perform a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination,

wherein said evaluation-signal generation unit generates said evaluation signal by;

computing a sum of absolute values of accelerations, each absolute value in the sum detected by said acceleration detection unit at the present point of time as an acceleration in a direction of one of a plurality of axes;

computing previous sums of absolute values of acceleration values detected by said acceleration detection unit at respective points of time during a predetermined period of time preceding the present point of time, and finding an average of said previous sums; and

subtracting said average of the previous sums from said sum computed at said present point of time in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

3. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a content storage unit configured to store content data;

a display unit configured to display a screen showing at least a title of a content data stored in the content storage unit;

an acceleration detection unit configured to detect an acceleration from a movement of the whole said portable electronic apparatus, the acceleration unit configured to detect the acceleration on the basis of detecting a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the screen and a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction parallel to the screen;

an evaluation-signal generation unit configured to perform a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing an amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

a control unit configured to produce a result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of a vacillating acceleration force indicated by said evaluation signal, and perform a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination,

wherein said control unit is configured to perform;

a 0-cross interval measurement process to measure a 0-cross interval between two consecutive 0 crosses of said evaluation signal;

a peak-value detection process to detect a peak value appearing between said 0 crosses;

a peak-value timing detection process to detect the timing of detection of said peak value;

a first determination process that produces an affirmation result if 0-cross intervals measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process have values within a 0-cross interval range determined in advance;

a second determination process that produces an affirmation result if peak values detected in said peak-value detection process during said 0-cross interval are within peak-value ranges determined in advance;

a third determination process that produces an affirmation result if a shake count has a value at least equal to 1;

a fourth determination process that produces an affirmation result if the polarity of the peak value is opposite to the polarity of the preceding peak value;

a fifth determination process that produces an affirmation result if a difference in timing between the peak value and the preceding peak values has a value within a timing range determined in advance;

a shake-count value setting process to set said value of said shake count at 1 if said determination results produced in said first and second determination processes are both an affirmation result whereas said determination result produced in said third determination process is not an affirmation result;

a first shake-count value incrementing process to increment said value of said shake count by 1 if said determination results produced in all of said first to fifth determination processes are each an affirmation result;

a sixth determination process that produces an affirmation result if said value of said shake count has become equal to a prescribed value determined in advance;

a seventh determination process that produces an affirmation result if an operation detection standby state has been continuing for a predetermined period of time if said determination result produced in said sixth determination process is an affirmation result;

a second shake-count value incrementing process to increment said value of said shake count by 1 after an affirmation result is produced by said sixth determination process if said determination results produced in said second and fifth determination processes are each an affirmation result; and

a determination process to determine that a shake operation has been carried out at a point of time an affirmation result is produced by said seventh determination process if said shake count reaches a value in a range between said prescribed value used as a lower limit and a predetermined upper limit.

4. A signal generation apparatus configured to generate an evaluation signal, said signal generation apparatus comprising:

a content storage unit configured to store content data;

a display unit configured to display a screen showing at least a title of a content data stored in the content storage unit;

an acceleration detection unit configured to detect an acceleration from a movement of the whole said portable electronic apparatus, the acceleration unit configured to detect the acceleration on the basis of detecting a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the screen and a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction parallel to the screen;

an evaluation-signal generation unit configured to

compute at least one present absolute value of an acceleration value at a present point of time which is detected by an acceleration detection unit configured to detect an acceleration,

compute previous absolute values of acceleration values detected by said acceleration detection unit at respective points of time during a predetermined period of time preceding the present point of time, and finding an average of said previous absolute values, and

subtract said average from said at least one present absolute value of the present acceleration in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

5. A signal generation method for generating an evaluation signal on a portable electronic apparatus comprising the steps of:

storing content data on a content storage unit of the portable electronic apparatus;

displaying a screen on a display unit of the portable electronic apparatus showing at least a title of a content data stored in the content storage unit;

detecting an acceleration of said portable electronic apparatus from a movement of the whole said portable electronic apparatus on the basis of detecting a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the screen and a movement of the portable electronic apparatus in a direction parallel to the screen;

computing, on an evaluation signal generation unit, at least one present absolute value of an acceleration value at a present point of time which is detected by an acceleration detection unit configured to detect the acceleration,

computing, on the evaluation signal generation unit, previous absolute values of acceleration values detected by said acceleration detection unit at respective points of time during a predetermined period of time preceding the present point of time, and finding an average of said previous absolute values, and

subtracting, on the evaluation signal generation unit, said average from said at least one present absolute value of the present acceleration in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.