3D remote control system employing absolute and relative position detection

• US 8,291,346 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan Robert, Bronstein, Chad, Low, Wing Kong, King, Nicholas Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US11/594,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 715/704, 715/705, 715/714, 715716-730, 715/740, 715/754, 715/757, 715/767, 715/782, 715/794, 715799-800, 715/802, 715/831, 715/839, 715/848, 715/850, 715/851, 715856-863, 715/866, 345156-162
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern

Abstract

The present invention can include three-dimensional remote control systems that can detect an absolute location to which a remote control is pointing in first and second orthogonal axes and an absolute position of the remote control in a third orthogonal axis. Remote control systems of the present invention can employ absolute position detection with relative position detection. Absolute position detection can indicate an initial absolute position of the remote control and relative position detection can indicate changes in the position of the remote control. By combining absolute and relative position detection, remote control systems of the present invention can track remote controls more precisely than systems that only employ absolute position detection. The present invention also can include methods and apparatus for zooming in and out of an image shown on a display based on the absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

Claims

1. A system coupled to a display, the display operative to show an image substantially defined by first and second orthogonal axes, the system comprising:

a remote control having a relative motion sensor, wherein the relative motion sensor outputs data indicative of a change in a position of the remote control;

at least one predetermined light source;

a photodetector that detects light from the at least one predetermined light source and outputs data indicative of the detected light; and

at least one controller configured to;

determine an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis based on the data output by the photodetector, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes, and wherein at least a portion of the initial absolute position is calculated based on an average of positions of the remote control detected over a predetermined amount of time; and

determine an updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis based on the data output by the relative motion sensor and the initial absolute position of the remote control.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the relative motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one controller is configured to generate signals for rendering the display; and

the signals are a function of the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a console, wherein:

the at least one controller comprises first and second controllers;

the first controller is disposed in the remote control;

the second controller is disposed in the console; and

the console comprises one or more connectors configured to be coupled to one or more accessories.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one controller is configured to generate signals for zooming in on or zooming out of at least a portion of the image shown on the display; and

the signals are a function of the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to:

determine a change in a position of the remote control in the third axis; and

combine the initial absolute position of the remote control with the change in the position of the remote control.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined light source comprises a plurality of predetermined light sources.

7. A method for use with a system having a remote control and a display showing an image substantially defined by first and second orthogonal axes, the method comprising:

determining an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis with respect to a reference location using an absolute position detection sub-system, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes, and wherein the initial absolute position is determined based at least in part on distance between at least two predetermined light sources external to the display;

determining a change in a position of the remote control using a relative position detection sub-system; and

determining an updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis with respect to the reference location by combining the initial absolute position of the remote control with the change in the position of the remote control.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining an initial absolute position of the remote control comprises determining an average position of the remote control over a predetermined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein

determining a change in the position of the remote control comprises determining a change in a position of the remote control in the third axis.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating signals for rendering the display based on the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating signals for rendering the display comprises generating signals to zoom in on or zoom out of at least a portion of the image shown on the display.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising accepting light data from a photodetector, wherein the light data is representative of light detected by the photodetector, and wherein determining an initial absolute position of the remote control comprises determining an initial absolute position of the remote control based on the light data.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising accepting relative motion data from a relative motion sensor, wherein the relative motion data is representative of a change in a position of the remote control, and wherein determining a change in a position of the remote control comprises determining a change in a position of the remote control based on the relative motion data.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising weighting at least the initial absolute position of the remote control or the change in the position of the remote control before the combining step.

15. A method for use with a system coupled to a display, wherein the display shows an image substantially defined by first and second orthogonal axes, the system having a remote control, the method comprising:

detecting a first absolute position of the remote control in a third axis with respect to a reference location based on data output by a photodetector, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes;

generating first signals for rendering the image shown on the display based on the first absolute position of the remote control in the third axis with respect to the reference location;

detecting a second absolute position of the remote control in the third axis based on data output by a relative motion sensor and the first absolute position of the remote control; and

generating second signals for zooming in on or zooming out of at least a portion of the image based on the second absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating signals for zooming in on at least a portion of the image comprises generating signals for enlarging a cursor in the image.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating signals for zooming out of at least a portion of the image comprises generating signals for shrinking a cursor in the image.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a location in the first and second axes to which the remote control is pointing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating second signals for zooming in on or zooming out of at least a portion of the image comprises generating second signals based on the location to which the remote control is pointing.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein generating second signals for zooming in on or zooming out of at least a portion of the image comprises generating second signals for zooming in on or zooming out of a focal point coincident with the location to which the remote control is pointing.

30. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing a predetermined action on the display when a user input component of the remote control is actuated.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined action comprises moving an object to the second absolute position.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined action comprises the zooming in on or zooming out of the at least the portion of the image based on the second absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

21. A remote control operative for use with a display, the display operative to show an image substantially defined by first and second orthogonal axes, the remote control comprising:

an absolute position detection component of an absolute position detection sub-system, the absolute position detection sub-system comprising one or more electro-optical components, wherein the absolute position detection sub-system detects an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes;

a relative position detection component of a relative position detection sub-system, wherein the relative position detection sub-system detects a change in a position of the remote control, the relative position detection component comprising a relative motion sensor; and

a controller disposed in communication with the absolute and relative position detection components, wherein the controller is operative to;

detect an absolute position of the remote control in the third axis by combining data from the relative position detection sub-system comprising the change in the position of the remote control with data from the absolute position detection sub-system comprising the initial absolute position of the remote control; and

continuously update the absolute position based on additional data from the relative position detection sub-system and the absolute position detection sub-system.

22. The remote control of claim 21, wherein the relative motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

23. The remote control of claim 21, wherein the remote control is configured to communicate with at least one other electronic device using one or more wireless communication protocols.

24. The remote control of claim 21, further comprising a user input component that provides an interface through which a user can interact with the remote control, wherein the controller is disposed in communication with the user input component.

25. The remote control of claim 21, wherein the one or more electro-optical components comprises a photodetector.

26. The remote control of claim 21, wherein the one or more electro-optical components comprises a photodetector and one or more light sources.

28. The remote control of claim 21, wherein the one or more electro-optical components comprises one or more light sources.

29. The remote control of claim 21, wherein the one or more electro-optical components comprises a plurality of light sources.