Touch sensitive remote control system that detects hand size characteristics of user and adapts mapping to screen display

• US 8,031,175 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Rigazio, Luca, Kryze, David, Morin, Philippe, Yamauchi, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafari; Sepideh
• Application Number:
  US12/235,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/169, 345/173, 348/14.05, 348/114, 348/161
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

Sensors around the periphery of the remote control unit detect contact with the user'"'"'s hand. A trained model-based pattern classification system analyzes the periphery sensor data and makes a probabilistic prediction of the user'"'"'s hand size. The hand size is then used to control a mapping system that defines how gestures by the user'"'"'s thumb upon a touchpad of the remote control unit are mapped to the control region upon a separate display screen.

Claims

1. A remote control system for an electronic product having a display screen where at least a portion of that screen defines a control region within which a user-controlled selection indicator may be visually displayed,

a handheld remote control unit separate from said display screen and having at least one touchpad disposed for actuation by a user'"'"'s thumb to effect movement of said selection indicator;

a sensor system carried by said control unit and responsive to the user'"'"'s hand to produce observation signals reflecting characteristics of the user'"'"'s hand geometry;

trained model-based pattern classification system that ascertains at least one user-specific attribute in response to said observation signals;

mapping system having at least one parameter controlled by said at least one user-specific attribute;

said mapping system defining a first reference frame associated with said at least one touchpad and defining a second reference frame associated with and corresponding to the geometry of the display screen;

said mapping system using said at least one parameter to perform a transformation of touch points by the user'"'"'s thumb upon the at least one touchpad expressed in the first reference frame into points on the display screen expressed in the second reference frame, thereby assisting the user in moving the selection indicator across the display screen control region regardless of its size or geometric configuration of the control region or of the physical limitations of the user'"'"'s hand and thumb movement geometry.

2. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said sensor system includes an array of sensors disposed about the periphery of the control unit and being responsive to sense and produce gripping pattern observation signals indicative of gripping patterns by the user'"'"'s hand when holding the control unit.

3. The remote control of claim 2 wherein the array of sensors comprises capacitive sensors responsive to points of contact by the user'"'"'s hand.

4. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said sensor system includes at least one acceleration sensor providing inertial observation signals in response to motion of the control unit by the user'"'"'s hand.

5. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein said sensor system includes thumb motion trajectory sensor providing trajectory observation signals.

6. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the classification system employs maximum likelihood estimation to ascertain an indication of the user'"'"'s hand size based on said observation signals.

7. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the classification system employs regression analysis to ascertain an indication of the user'"'"'s hand size based on said observation signals.

8. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the classification system employs maximum likelihood estimation to ascertain a discrete indication of the user'"'"'s hand size based on said observation signals and employs regression analysis to ascertain a continuous indication of the user'"'"'s hand size based on said observation signals.

9. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the classification system generates an estimation of the user'"'"'s hand size.

10. The remote control system of claim 9 further comprising a range of movement transformation module that uses trajectory vector information from said touchpad and the estimation of the user'"'"'s hand size to ascertain a predicted range of movement of the user'"'"'s thumb.

11. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein said mapping system transforms points within the first reference frame into points within the second reference frame by applying a linear transformation.

12. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein said mapping system transforms points within the first reference frame into points within the second reference frame by applying a Cartesian to polar transformation.

13. The remote control system of claim 1 further comprising trajectory history database that stores information about a user'"'"'s thumb trajectory patterns observed during use of the remote control unit.

14. The remote control system of claim 13 wherein said trajectory history database communicates with the classification system to supply information about the user from which the user'"'"'s identity is ascertained.

15. The remote control system of claim 13 wherein said trajectory history database stores parametric data generated from the trajectory patterns observed.

16. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein said trained model-based pattern classification system and mapping system are implemented using a CPU disposed within the handheld remote control unit.

17. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein said trained model-based pattern classification system and mapping system are at least partially implemented using a CPU disposed within the handheld remote control unit.

18. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein said trained model-based pattern classification system and mapping system are at least partially implemented using a electronic components disposed within said electronic product.

19. A method of controlling an electronic product with a handheld remote control unit, comprising:

sensing contact between a user'"'"'s hand and the remote control unit to derive an observation signal;

submitting said observation signal to a trained model-based pattern classification system that ascertains at least one user-specific attribute;

using said user-specific attribute to control a mapping system that performs transformations between a control surface reference frame associated with the remote control unit and another reference frame that differs from the control surface reference frame;

using said mapping system to transform gestural contact with a surface of the remote control unit by the user'"'"'s hand into control instructions that are sent to the electronic product to effect control thereof.