DTV capable of receiving signal from 3D pointing device, and method of executing function and adjusting audio property of DTV employing 3D pointing device

• US 8,217,894 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Go Woon
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US12/206,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a digital TV, the system including the DTV; and a 3D pointing device. The DTV includes a receiver to receive control signals from the 3D pointing device; and a control unit to select one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a selection signal received from the 3D pointing device, each function having a corresponding execution profile, and execute the selected function in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and a motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device including a direction of movement and one of a distance and velocity corresponding to the direction of movement. The 3D pointing device includes a transmitter to transmit the control signals and motion parameter; and a sensor to sense within the 3D pointing device the motion of the 3D pointing device and generate the corresponding motion parameter.

Claims

1. A method of executing functions of digital television (DTV) with a three-dimensional (3D) pointing device, the method comprising:

selecting by the DTV one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a selection signal received from the 3D pointing device, each function having a corresponding execution profile;

receiving by the DTV a motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device, the motion parameter including a direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement; and

executing the selected function by the DTV in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and the received motion parameter,

wherein the corresponding execution profile includes a correspondence between a rate of change of an execution speed of the selected function and a change of the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing the selected function comprises:

gradually increasing or decreasing the rate of the change of the execution speed of the selected function in proportion to the distance of continuous movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing the selected function comprises:

adjusting a current value associated with the selected function to a corresponding new value with the execution speed corresponding to the execution profile and the received motion parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of adjusting a current value associated with the selected function to a corresponding new value comprises at least one of:

controlling the execution speed according to the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device, and

adjusting the current value with one of a predetermined increment and decrement according to the direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing the selected function by the DTV comprises one of:

controlling an audio quality parameter of the DTV as the selected function; and

controlling a picture quality parameter of the DTV as the selected function.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the execution speed in response to a command input by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution profile is a first execution profile, the method further comprising:

selecting by the DTV a second of the plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a second selection signal received from the 3D pointing device, the second function having a corresponding second execution profile;

receiving a second signal from the 3D pointing device, the second signal corresponding to a second motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device and including a second direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a second distance corresponding to the second direction; and

executing by the DTV the selected second function in accordance with the corresponding second execution profile and the received second motion parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of executing the selected second function comprises:

gradually increasing or decreasing the rate of the change of a second execution speed of the selected second function in proportion to the second distance.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second execution profiles are different.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second execution profiles are the same.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second execution profiles are linear.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second execution profiles are non-linear.

13. A method of executing functions of digital television (DTV) with a three-dimensional (3D) pointing device, the method comprising:

transmitting a selection signal from the 3D pointing device to the DTV to select one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV, each function having a corresponding execution profile;

sensing within the 3D pointing device a motion of the 3D pointing device and generating a corresponding motion parameter, the motion parameter including a direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement; and

transmitting the motion parameter to the DTV to execute the selected function in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and the sensed motion parameter,

wherein the corresponding execution profile includes a correspondence between a rate of change of an execution speed of the selected function and a change of the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a second selection signal from the 3D pointing device to the DTV to select a second of the plurality of functions provided by the DTV;

sensing within the 3D pointing device a second motion of the 3D pointing device and generating a corresponding second motion parameter, the second motion parameter including a second direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and one of a second distance and a second velocity corresponding to the second direction of continuous movement; and

transmitting the second motion parameter to the DTV to execute the selected second function in accordance with the corresponding second execution profile and the sensed second motion parameter.

15. A method of executing functions of digital television (DTV) with a three-dimensional (3D) pointing device, the method comprising:

transmitting a selection signal from the 3D pointing device to the DTV to select one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV, each function having a corresponding execution profile;

receiving the selection signal in the DTV and selecting by the DTV the one of a plurality of functions in response to the selection signal;

sensing within the 3D pointing device a motion of the 3D pointing device and generating a corresponding motion parameter, the motion parameter including a direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement;

transmitting the motion parameter from the 3D pointing device to the DTV;

receiving the motion parameter in the DTV; and

executing the selected function by the DTV in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and the received motion parameter,

wherein the corresponding execution profile includes a correspondence between a rate of change of an execution speed of the selected function and a change of the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other.

16. A digital television (DTV) configured to be controlled by a remote three-dimensional (3D) pointing device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive control signals from the 3D pointing device; and

a control unit configured to

select one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a selection signal received from the 3D pointing device, each function having a corresponding execution profile, and

execute the selected function in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and a motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device and received by the receiver, the motion parameter including a direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the corresponding execution profile includes a correspondence between a rate of change of an execution speed of the selected function and a change of the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other.

17. The DTV of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to gradually increase or decrease the rate of the execution speed of the selected function in proportion to the distance.

18. The DTV of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a current value associated with the selected function to a corresponding new value with the execution speed corresponding to the execution profile and the received motion parameter.

19. The DTV of claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to control the execution speed according to the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device.

20. The DTV of claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the current value with one of a predetermined increment and decrement according to the direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device.

21. The DTV of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to control an audio quality parameter of the DTV as the selected function.

22. The DTV of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to control a picture quality parameter of the DTV as the selected function.

23. The DTV of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to set the execution speed in response to an input by a user.

24. The DTV of claim 16, wherein

the execution profile is a first execution profile,

the control unit is configured to select a second of the plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a second selection signal received from the 3D pointing device, the second function having a corresponding second execution profile,

the receiver is configured to receive a second signal from the 3D pointing device, the second signal corresponding to a second motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device and including a second direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a second distance corresponding to the second direction of continuous movement, and

the control unit is configured to execute the selected second function in accordance with the corresponding second execution profile and the received second motion parameter.

25. The DTV of claim 24, wherein the control unit is configured to gradually accelerate or decelerate a second execution speed of the selected second function in proportion to the second distance.

26. The DTV of claim 25, wherein the first and second execution profiles are different.

27. The DTV of claim 25, wherein the first and second execution profiles are the same.

28. The DTV of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second execution profiles are linear.

29. The DTV of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second execution profiles are non-linear.

30. A three-dimensional (3D) pointing device configured to control a remote digital television (DTV), comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit control signals to the remote DTV, including a selection signal configured to select one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV, each function having a corresponding execution profile; and

a sensor configured to sense within the 3D pointing device a motion of the 3D pointing device and generate a corresponding motion parameter, the motion parameter including a direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the motion parameter to the DTV so as to execute the selected function in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and the sensed motion parameter, and

wherein the corresponding execution profile includes a correspondence between a rate of change of an execution speed of the selected function and a change of the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other.

31. A system, comprising:

a digital television (DTV); and

a three-dimensional (3D) pointing device, wherein

the DTV includes

a receiver configured to receive control signals from the 3D pointing device; and

a control unit configured to

select one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a selection signal received from the 3D pointing device, each function having a corresponding execution profile, and

execute the selected function in accordance with the corresponding execution profile and a motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device and received by the receiver, the motion parameter including a direction of continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the corresponding execution profile includes a correspondence between a rate of change of an execution speed of the selected function and a change of the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other, and the 3D pointing device includes

a transmitter configured to transmit the control signals to the remote DTV, including the selection signal; and

a sensor configured to sense within the 3D pointing device the motion of the 3D pointing device and generate the corresponding motion parameter, and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the motion parameter to the DTV.

32. A method of executing functions of digital television (DTV) with a three-dimensional (3D) pointing device, the method comprising:

selecting, by the DTV, one of a plurality of functions provided by the DTV in response to a selection signal received from the 3D pointing device;

receiving, by the DTV, a motion parameter sensed by the 3D pointing device, the motion parameter including an information about continuous movement of the 3D pointing device,

wherein the information includes a direction of the continuous movement of the 3D pointing device and a distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement; and

executing, by the DTV, the selected function in accordance with the received motion parameter while changing a value related to the selected function,

wherein a speed of change of the value is gradually accelerated or decelerated in proportion to the direction of continuous movement,

wherein the distance of continuous movement comprises a plurality of sections having a common length,

wherein the rate of change of the execution speed includes plural rates of change corresponding to the plurality of sections, and

wherein each of the plural rates of change are different from each other.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein as the distance corresponding to the direction of continuous movement increases, the speed of change of the value is gradually accelerated or decelerated.