Systems and methods for controlling a display

• US 8,194,034 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucchieri, Vittorio
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): XAVIER, ANTONIO J
• Application Number:
  US11/613,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 21/42222 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 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for controlling a display. The apparatus is moveable by an individual user and includes a motion sensor for detecting and providing an indication of one or more types of movement of the apparatus. The apparatus also includes a transmitter, which is configured to receive the indication of movement, either directly or indirectly, from the motion sensor. The transmitter is further configured to transmit at least one signal based on movement of the apparatus which is configured to initiate display changes in data displayed in a remote display device. A system and a method for controlling a display are also provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a remote control device including;

a motion sensor for detecting and providing an indication of multiple types of movement of said remote control device;

a transmitter for receiving the indication of the multiple types of movement and transmitting multiple signals corresponding to the multiple types of movement of said remote control device; and

a processing device configured to receive the multiple signals and initiate display changes in data displayed by a display device;

wherein said processing device;

receives the multiple signals transmitted by said remote control device while the data displayed by the display device includes program guide data of a program guide; and

initiates one or more changes to the displayed program guide data in response to the multiple signals transmitted by said remote control device while the data displayed by the display device includes the program guide data of the program guide, the one or more changes including a magnification of a plurality of channels and times included in the program guide data displayed before the magnification, the magnification eliciting display of further details related to programming associated with the magnified plurality of channels and times.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processing device and said display device are spaced apart from said remote control device.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processing device is configured to couple to a display control system associated with the display device and provide input to the display control system so as to affect changes in the data displayed in the display device.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said remote control device defines orthogonal main and transverse axes, the main axis running along a length of said remote control device and the transverse axis oriented perpendicular to the main axis and in a plane roughly defined by an upper surface of said remote control device, said motion sensor is configured to provide an indication of rotation of said remote control device both around the transverse axis and around a normal axis perpendicular to a plane defined by the main and transverse axes, said transmitter is configured to transmit the multiple signals comprising at least first and second signals in response to the indications of remote control device rotation around the transverse and normal axes, respectively, and said processing device is configured to receive the first and second signals and provide first and second inputs to the display control system so as to respectively simulate vertical and horizontal scrolling functions utilized in conjunction with a program guide display by causing the display device to translate the displayed data in first and second lateral directions such that one or more portions of data logically adjacent to the displayed data are subsequently displayed.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor includes one or more gyroscopes.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said remote control device defines orthogonal main and transverse axes, the main axis running along a length of said remote control device and the transverse axis oriented perpendicular to the main axis and in a plane roughly defined by an upper surface of said remote control device, said one or more gyroscopes are configured to provide an indication of rotation of said remote control device both around the transverse axis and around a normal axis perpendicular to a plane defined by the main and transverse axes, said transmitter is configured to transmit the multiple signals comprising first and second signals in response to the indications of remote control device rotation around the transverse and normal axes, respectively, and said processing device is configured to receive the first and second signals and cause the display device to translate the displayed data in respective first and second lateral directions such that one or more portions of data logically adjacent to the displayed data are subsequently displayed.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said one or more gyroscopes are configured to provide an indication of translation of said remote control device along the main axis, said transmitter is configured to transmit the multiple signals further comprising a third signal in response to the indication of remote control device translation along the main axis, and said processing device is configured to receive the third signal and cause the display device to change a magnification of the displayed data.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said processing device is configured to cause the display device to display a map simultaneously with the displayed data that indicates a position of the displayed data within a more expansive set of data that includes the displayed data.

9. A system according to claim 5, wherein said motion sensor further includes a distance sensor in combination with the one or more gyroscopes.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device:

receives a selection signal transmitted by said remote control device while the data displayed by the display device includes the magnified plurality of channels and times, the selection signal indicating a user selection of program content represented by the magnified plurality of channels and times;

initiates a display of the selected program content by the display device in response to the selection signal;

receives one or more movement-based signals transmitted by said remote control device while the program content is displayed by the display device; and

initiates one or more changes to the display of the program content in response to the one or more movement-based signals transmitted by said remote control device while the program content is displayed by the display device, the one or more changes including a magnification of a portion of the displayed program content.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor includes a signal transceiver for interacting with a transponder to detect at least one of a position and a movement of said remote control device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnified plurality of channels and times is a subgroup of a plurality of channels and times included in the program guide data displayed on the display device before the magnification.

13. A method comprising:

providing a remote control device defining orthogonal main and transverse axes and configured to be movable by an individual user, the main axis running along a length of said remote control device and the transverse axis oriented perpendicular to the main axis and in a plane roughly defined by an upper surface of said remote control device;

detecting a rotation of the remote control device around the transverse axis and generating a first signal configured to cause program guide data displayed on a remote display device to scroll in a first direction;

detecting a rotation of the remote control device around a normal axis and generating a second signal configured to cause the displayed program guide data to scroll in a second direction, the normal axis being perpendicular to a plane defined by the main and transverse axes and the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction;

detecting a translation of the remote control device along the main axis and generating a third signal configured to cause a magnification of the displayed program guide data; and

transmitting the first, second, and third signals to cause

the program guide data displayed on the remote display device to scroll in the first direction,

the program guide data displayed on the remote display device to scroll in the second direction, and

the magnification of the displayed program guide data, the magnification magnifying a plurality of channels and times included in the program guide data displayed before the magnification and eliciting display of further details related to programming associated with the magnified plurality of channels and times.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising providing an indicator of the display device and adjusting the remote control device in response to the indicator of the display device such that signals transmitted by the remote control device are compatible with the display device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the magnified plurality of channels and times is a subgroup of a plurality of channels and times included in the program guide data displayed on the remote display device before the magnification.

16. A method of aiding a user in viewing content, the method comprising:

providing, by a processing device, program guide data of a program guide for display by a display device;

receiving, by the processing device while the program guide data is displayed, signals from a motion-based remote control device, the signals transmitted by the motion-based remote control device in response to movement of the motion-based remote control device while the program guide data is displayed;

initiating, by the processing device in response to the receiving of the signals, changes to the display of the program guide data by the display device, the changes including a vertical scrolling of the program guide, a horizontal scrolling of the program guide, and a magnification of a subset region of the displayed program guide data, the magnification magnifying a plurality of channels and times included in the subset region of the displayed program guide data and eliciting display of further details of programming associated with the magnified plurality of channels and times included in the subset region of the displayed program guide data;

receiving, by the processing device, a selection signal from the motion-based remote control device, the selection signal indicating a selection of a program within the programming associated with the magnified plurality of channels and times included in the subset region of the displayed program guide data for viewing;

providing, by the processing device, program content data of the selected program for display by the display device;

receiving, by the processing device while the program content data is displayed, additional signals from the motion-based remote control device, the additional signals transmitted by the motion-based remote control device in response to movement of the motion-based remote control device while the program content data is displayed; and

initiating, by the processing device, changes to the display of the program content data by the display device, the changes including a magnification of a subset region of the program content data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the magnified subset region of the selected program contains magnified lips of a character of the selected program, the magnified lips configured to aid the user in reading the lips to follow the program.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a remote control motion-based scheme for manipulating displayed data is consistent between the display of the program guide data and the display of the program content data.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the magnified plurality of channels and times is a subgroup of a plurality of channels and times included in the program guide data displayed on the display device before the magnification.