Multi media controller

• US 8,427,284 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bang & Olufsen A/S
• Original Assignee: Bang & Olufsen A/S
• Inventors: Nielsen, Kaj
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US12/451,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.31, 340 561- 563, 348731-734, 455352-355
• US Class Current: 340/12.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859

Abstract

A multifunction unit for control of multimedia equipment; the unit might act as a stand-alone device or being integrated into the multimedia equipment. Different individual combinations of individual objects enable for different functional capabilities. The multifunction unit for control of multimedia equipment has access to external sources via standard network interfaces and protocols.

Claims

1. A multifunction unit for control of multimedia equipment, the multifunction unit comprising:

a first object being a touch pad or a rotatable element rotatable in relation to the multifunction unit that is adapted to detect a rotational movement in a plane, the rotatable element or the touch pad being engageable by a user at an upper surface at least substantially in plane or at a circumferential surface portion at least substantially in plane,

a second object having a part adapted to detect a rotational movement along a circumferential surface portion at least substantially in plane,

a third object having one, two or more user activatable elements positioned in or at an outer circumference at least substantially in plane, wherein one of the user activatable elements of the third object is located on a perimeter of the third object and is a rotational lever configured to have a rotational axis parallel to a rotational axis of the first object,

an other object having one, two or more user activatable elements at or in a surface at least substantially along the plane, and

a display configured to display a number of items, wherein the display is operated to graphically indicate an item at a position pointed to by a mechanical position of the rotational lever.

2. The multifunction unit according to claim 1, wherein the first object is configured with a device to detect rotations stimulated by user activations via the first object.

3. The multifunction unit according to claim 1, wherein the first or the other object is configured with a device to detect user given activations via the two or more buttons of the first object.

4. The multifunction unit according to claim 1, wherein the second object is configured with a device to detect rotations stimulated by user activations of a perimeter of the second object.

5. The multifunction unit according to claim 1, wherein the third object is configured with a device to detect user activations on one or more buttons located on a perimeter of the third object, the one or more buttons is at least one of a push-type button, a pull-type button, a lever arm, a slider, and a rotational wheel.

6. The multifunction unit according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth object being configured with a device to mount a display screen onto the fourth object.

7. A method of operating the multifunction unit according to claim 1, the method comprising a user rotating the rotational lever and the display illustrating a number of items and graphically indicating a position pointed to by the mechanical position of the rotational lever.

8. The multifunction unit according to claim 1, wherein the first object, the second object, the third object and the other object are co-axially aligned.

9. A multifunction unit for control of multimedia equipment, the multifunction unit comprising:

a first object being a rotational device configured to have a rotational axis perpendicular to a horizontal surface plane of the multifunction unit,

two or more buttons disposed inside a perimeter of a touch pad or rotatable element rotatable in relation to the multifunction unit where the two or more buttons are aligned along one or more of radial lines having a center point at a center of the rotating device, a second object being a rotational device configured to have a rotational axis parallel to the rotational axis of the first object,

a third object being a device configured to have one or more buttons on a surface of a perimeter of the third object, and

a fourth object being a device that constitutes a fixture for an assembly including the first object, the second object and the third object.

10. A multimedia device having integrated the multifunction unit of claim 9, wherein the multimedia device comprising:

a device to present information accessed from/to external sources and information related to processing of data and information on the unit itself, the information being at least one of text, graphics, audio, video, Tele and interactive media data, and

a device to execute control commands and responses as given from the multifunction unit.

11. The multimedia device according to claim 10, wherein the multimedia device having the multifunction unit is integrated fully or partly along one of border lines of the multifunction unit.

12. The multimedia device according to claim 10, wherein the multimedia device includes the multifunction objects in different configurations by combining two or more objects.

13. The multifunction unit according to claim 9, wherein the first object is configured with a device to detect rotations stimulated by user activations via the first object.

14. The multifunction unit according to claim 9, wherein the first or the other object is configured with a device to detect user given activations via the two or more buttons of the first object.

15. The multifunction unit according to claim 9, wherein the second object is configured with a device to detect rotations stimulated by user activations of the perimeter of the second object.

16. The multifunction unit according to claim 9, wherein the third object is configured with a device to detect user activations on the one or more buttons located on the perimeter of third object, the one or more buttons is at least one of a push type button, a pull-type button, a lever arm, a slider and a rotational wheel.

17. The multifunction unit according to claim 9, wherein one of the buttons of the third object is located on a perimeter of the third object and is a rotational device configured to have a rotational axis parallel to the rotational axis of the first object.

18. The multifunction unit according to claim 9, further comprising a display configured to display a number of items, wherein a button of the third object of the rotational device is a rotational lever, and wherein the display is operated to graphically indicate an item at a position pointed to by a mechanical position of the rotational lever.

19. The method of operating the multifunction unit according to claim 18, further comprising a user rotating the rotational lever and the display illustrating a number of items and graphically indicating a position pointed to by the mechanical position of the rotational lever.

20. A multifunction unit for control of multimedia equipment, the multifunction unit comprising:

a first object being a touch pad or a rotatable element rotatable in relation to the multifunction unit that is adapted to detect a rotational movement in a plane, the rotatable element or the touch pad being engageable by a user at an upper surface at least substantially in plane or at a circumferential surface portion at least substantially in plane, and the rotational element configured to have a rotational axis perpendicular to a horizontal surface plane of the multifunction unit,

a second object having a part adapted to detect a rotational movement along a circumferential surface portion at least substantially in plane, and the second object being configured to have a rotational axis parallel to the rotational axis of the first object,

a third object having one, two or more user activatable elements positioned in or at an outer circumference at least substantially in plane, and

an other object having one, two or more user activatable elements at or in a surface at least substantially along the plane.