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

• US 8,073,649 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• 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: Sano, Akane, Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Ito, Hiroshi, Inoue, Makoto, Shirai, Katsuya, Tamori, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano, Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suglo, Janet
• Application Number:
  US12/604,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 702/141, 702/150, 463/37, 345/158
• 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;

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; and

a reproduction unit configured to reproduce the content data from the content storage unit,

wherein while the portable electronic apparatus is turned on, said control unit keeps said acceleration detection unit in an on state while said reproduction unit is reproducing the content data and turns off said acceleration detection unit when the reproducing of the content data is stopped.

2. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit produces a result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of the amplitude, time, and positive or negative polarity of said evaluation signal.

3. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, 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; and

a determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether back-and-forth motions of said predetermined movement have been made on the basis of whether the 0-cross interval, the peak value detected by said 0-cross interval measurement process, and said peak-value detection process are values within ranges determined in advance.

4. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, 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 0-cross interval determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether a first 0-cross interval measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process has a value within a 0-cross interval range determined in advance;

said 0-cross interval determination process produces a result of determination as to whether a second 0-cross interval measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process after said first 0-cross interval has a value within said 0-cross interval range;

a peak-value determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether a first peak value detected in said peak-value detection process during said first 0-cross interval is within a peak-value range determined in advance;

said peak-value determination process produces a result of determination as to whether a second peak value detected in said peak-value detection process during said second 0-cross interval is within said peak-value range;

a first movement determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether a first one of back-and-forth motions of said predetermined movement has been made on the basis of said determination result produced in said 0-cross interval determination process carried out for said first 0-cross interval and said determination result produced in said peak-value determination process for said first peak value;

a second movement determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether a second one of back-and-forth motions of said predetermined movement has been made on the basis of said determination result produced in said 0-cross interval determination process carried out for said second 0-cross interval and said determination result produced in said peak-value determination process for said second peak value;

a timing determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether a difference in timing between said first and second peak values is within a timing range determined in advance and a result of determination as to whether the polarity of said first peak value is opposite to the polarity of said second peak value if said determination results produced in said second movement determination process indicate that said first and second ones of said back-and-forth motions have been made; and

a back-and-forth motion determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether said back-and-forth motions have been made as said predetermined movement on the basis of said determination results produced in said timing determination process.

5. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, 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 first 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 value 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 shake-count value incrementing process to increment said value of said shake count by 1 if said determination results produced in all said first to fifth determination processes are each an affirmation result; and

a determination process to determine that a shake operation has been carried out if said shake count reaches a value determined in advance.

6. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit produces:

a first result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been put in a still state continuously for a predetermined period of time before being driven to make said predetermined movement on the basis of an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit; and

a second result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make said predetermined movement on the basis of said first result of determination.

7. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit turns on said acceleration detection unit under a condition determined in advance.

8. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit is configured to control performance of said predetermined operation if a result of determination indicates that said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement, and control to prevent said predetermined operation from being carried out again during a predetermined period following execution of said predetermined operation.

9. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said control unit is configured to control switching a reproduction mode of a process carried out by said reproduction unit to reproduce the content data from the content storage unit from a normal reproduction mode to a shuffle reproduction mode or vice versa; and

when a result of determination indicates that said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement, said control unit controls switching said reproduction mode from said normal reproduction mode to said shuffle reproduction mode or vice versa.

10. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein, when said reproduction mode is switched from said normal reproduction mode to said shuffle reproduction mode, said control unit controls said reproduction unit to start reproduction of a content data other than a content data being reproduced so far in said normal reproduction mode, and

when said reproduction mode is switched from said shuffle reproduction mode to said normal reproduction mode, said control unit controls said reproduction unit to continue reproduction of a content being reproduced so far in said shuffle reproduction mode.

11. A control method adopted by a portable electronic apparatus having an acceleration detection unit for detecting an acceleration of said portable electronic apparatus, said control method 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 the 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;

performing 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;

producing 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 generated in said evaluation-signal generation procedure and performing a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination;

reproducing the content data from the content storage unit; and

while the portable electronic apparatus is turned on, keeping said acceleration detection unit in an on state while reproducing the content data and turning off said acceleration detection unit when the reproducing of the content data is stopped.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions which cause a portable electronic apparatus to perform a method 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;

performing a predetermined process based on the acceleration detected by an acceleration detection unit of said portable electronic apparatus in order to generate an evaluation signal representing an amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration;

producing a result of determination as to whether said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of said evaluation signal generated in said evaluation-signal generation procedure and performing a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination;

reproducing the content data from the content storage unit; and

while the portable electronic apparatus is turned on, keeping said acceleration detection unit in an on state while reproducing the content data and turning off said acceleration detection unit when the reproducing of the content data is stopped.

13. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

content storing means for storing content data;

displaying means for displaying a screen showing at least a title of a content data stored in the content storage means;

acceleration detection means for detecting an acceleration from a movement of the whole said portable electronic apparatus, and for detecting 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;

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

control means for producing 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 generated by said evaluation-signal generation means and performing a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination; and

reproducing means for reproducing the content data from the content storage means,

wherein while the portable electronic apparatus is turned on, said control means keeps said acceleration detection means in an on state while said reproducing means is reproducing the content data and turns off said acceleration detection means when the reproducing of the content data is stopped.

14. 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;

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 said evaluation signal, and perform a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination, wherein the predetermined movement is determined to have occurred when a user performs a plurality of successive movements of the portable electronic apparatus, each of the successive movements being determined when the evaluation signal exhibits a threshold value of a first polarity during a first time period and a threshold value of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity during a second time period after the first time period; and

a reproduction unit configured to reproduce the content data from the content storage unit,

wherein while the portable electronic apparatus is turned on, said control unit keeps said acceleration detection unit in an on state while said reproduction unit is reproducing the content data and turns off said acceleration detection unit when the reproducing of the content data is stopped.