Methods and systems for enhancing television applications using 3D pointing

• US 8,432,358 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hunleth, Frank A., Moshiri, Negar, Napier, William J., Simpkins, Daniel S., Wroblewski, Frank J., Conroy, Kevin, Gritton, Charles W. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US13/448,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 345418-428
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• 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 21/42214 using alphanumerical characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention provide a control framework for organizing, selecting and launching media items including graphical user interfaces coupled with an optional 3D control device for collection of the basic control primitives of point, click, scroll, hover and zoom which permit for easy and rapid selection of media items, e.g., movies, songs etc., from large or small collections. The remote control maps natural hand movements and gestures into relevant commands while the graphical display uses images, zooming for increased/decreased levels of detail and continuity of GUI objects to provide easy organization, selection and navigation among the media items by a user.

Claims

1. A method for using a 3D pointing device with a software application that displays output on a television screen, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first set of information on said television screen associated with said software application, wherein said software application includes at least one of;

an electronic program guide, television screen controls, a photo album, a home video collection and a shopping interface;

receiving data associated with movement of said 3D pointing device;

processing said data associated with movement of said 3D pointing device to compensate for unintended movement of said 3D pointing device;

moving a cursor displayed on said television screen based on said processed data to a new position on said television screen; and

changing said display of said first set of information on said television screen in response to said new position of said cursor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said unintended movement is caused by tremor associated with a user holding said 3D pointing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said unintended movement is caused by a user actuating a movable element on said 3D pointing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying, at least in part based on said new position of said cursor after said step of moving said cursor, a second set of information on said television screen, said second set of information being different than said first set of information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information includes a plurality of images and second set of information is a hoverzoom of an image associated with said first set of information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of displaying said second set of information requires an additional input from a user in addition to said movement of said cursor.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of displaying said second set of information further comprises the step of:

displaying said second set of information in direct response to said cursor position without requiring any additional input from a user.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a program guide and second set of information is displayed by scrolling a linear list of programs.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a program guide and said second set of information is a screen control which is displayed in response to a user request.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a program guide and said second set of information includes cross-links displayed responsive to hovering over an item displayed as part of said first set of information or selecting said item.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a program guide and said second set of information includes on-screen transport controls associated with the control of video playback.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a photo collection and wherein second set of information is a playlist to which said photo collection is added.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a photo collection and wherein said second set of information is a zoomed version of said photo album which provides contextual information associate therewith that permits hierarchical sorting.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a photo collection and wherein said second set of information includes on-screen transport controls which enable a user to control a slide show presentation of photos.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a video collection and wherein said second set of information is a playlist to which said video collection is added.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a video collection and wherein said second set of information is a zoomed version of said video collection which provides contextual information associate therewith that permits hierarchical sorting.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a video collection and wherein said second set of information includes on-screen transport controls which enable a user to control presentation of said video collection.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a calendar and wherein said second set of information is information associated with a particular day on said calendar, displayed on said television screen in response to movement of said cursor over a respective portion of said calendar.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a calendar and wherein said second set of information is information associated with a particular day on said calendar, which information can be edited by a user using an on-screen text entry system.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein said first set of information is a calendar and wherein said second set of information is a sorted version of said calendar.

21. A system for using a 3D pointing device with a software application stored on a computer-readable medium that displays output on a television screen, the system comprising:

means for displaying a first set of information on said television screen associated with said software application, wherein said software application includes at least one of;

an electronic program guide, television screen controls, a photo album, a home video collection and a shopping interface;

means for receiving data associated with movement of said 3D pointing device;

means for processing said data associated with movement of said 3D pointing device to compensate for unintended movement of said 3D pointing device;

means for moving a cursor displayed on said television screen based on said processed data to a new position on said television screen; and

means for changing said display of said first set of information on said television screen in response to said new position of said cursor.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said unintended movement is caused by tremor associated with a user holding said 3D pointing device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said unintended movement is caused by a user actuating a movable element on said 3D pointing device.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for displaying, at least in part based on said new position of said cursor after said step of moving said cursor, a second set of information on said television screen, said second set of information being different than said first set of information.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said first set of information includes a plurality of images and second set of information is a hoverzoom of an image associated with said first set of information.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for displaying said second set of information requires an additional input from a user in addition to said movement of said cursor.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for displaying said second set of information further comprises:

means for displaying said second set of information in direct response to said cursor position without requiring any additional input from a user.