3D remote control system employing absolute and relative position detection

• US 8,689,145 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• 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): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US13/647,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20130027297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 715/856
• 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 system comprising:

at least one predetermined light source;

a photodetector that detects light from the at least one predetermined light source;

a remote control having a relative motion sensor;

and

at least one controller configured to;

detect an initial absolute position of the remote control in a first axis based on the light detected by the photodetector;

generate signals for rendering at least a portion of an initial image defined by second and third orthogonal axes on the display, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second and third axes, and wherein the initial image is scaled to an initial size corresponding to the initial absolute position;

detect an updated absolute position of the remote control in the first axis based on a change in position of the remote control detected by the relative motion sensor and based on the initial absolute position;

scale the initial image to a new size corresponding to the updated absolute position; and

generate signals for rendering at least a portion of the scaled image on the display.

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

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the initial absolute position and the updated absolute position are detected with respect to a reference location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the reference location is one of the display and the photodetector.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one controller is operative to:

detect that the updated absolute position of the remote control is closer to the reference location than the initial absolute position is to the reference location; and

scale the image to a larger size corresponding to the updated absolute position.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least controller is operative to:

detect that the updated absolute position of the remote control is further way from the reference location than the initial absolute position is from the reference location; and

scale the image to a smaller size corresponding to the updated absolute position.

7. A remote control operative for use with a display, at least one predetermined light source, and a photodetector that detects light from the at least one predetermined light source, the remote control comprising:

an absolute position detection component operative to detect an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis based on the light detected by the photodetector;

a relative motion sensor operative to detect a change in a position of the remote control; and

a controller in communication with the absolute position detection component and the relative motion sensor, wherein the controller is operative to;

generate signals for rendering at least a portion of an initial image defined by first and second orthogonal axes on the display, wherein the initial image is scaled to an initial size corresponding to the initial absolute position;

detect an updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis based on the initial absolute position and based on a change in position of the remote control detected by the relative motion sensor, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes; and

transmit signals operative to scale the initial image to a new size on the display corresponding to the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

8. The remote control of claim 7, wherein:

the controller is further operative to detect that the remote control is pointing at a particular location on the display based on at least one of data from the absolute position detection component comprising the initial absolute position of the remote control and data from the relative motion sensor; and

the transmitted signals are operative to move a cursor on the display to the particular location.

9. The remote control of claim 7, wherein:

the controller is further operative to detect that the remote control is pointing at a particular location on the display based on at least one of data from the absolute position detection component comprising the initial absolute position of the remote control and data from the relative motion sensor; and

the particular location is a focal point about which the portion of the image is operative to be changed by the transmitted signals.

10. The remote control of claim 7, wherein:

the controller is further operative to detect that the remote control is pointing at a particular location on the display based on at least one of data from the absolute position detection component comprising the initial absolute position of the remote control and data from the relative motion sensor; and

the initial absolute position of the remote control comprises an initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

11. The remote control of claim 10, wherein the controller is operative to:

detect that the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis is closer to a reference location than the initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis; and

transmit the signals to the display to at least one of zoom in on and enlarge the portion of the image corresponding to the particular location.

12. The remote control of claim 10, wherein the controller is operative to:

detect that the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis is further from a reference location than the initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis is to the reference location; and

transmit the signals operative to at least one of zoom out of and shrink the portion of the image corresponding to the particular location.

13. A method for use with a system comprising at least one predetermined light source, a photodetector that detects light from the at least one predetermined light source, a remote control with a relative motion sensor, and a display, the method comprising:

rendering at least a portion of an initial image defined by first and second orthogonal axes on the display;

determining an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis based on the light detected by the photodetector, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes, and wherein the initial image is scaled to an initial size corresponding to the initial absolute position;

determining an updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis based on the initial absolute position and the data based on a change in position of the remote control detected by the relative motion sensor;

determining a scale factor for changing the rendered image to a new size based on the updated absolute position in the third axis;

changing the rendered image from the initial size to the new size by the scale factor; and

rendering at least a portion of the changed image on the display.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the updated absolute position further comprises updated absolute positions in the first and second axes.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising correlating the updated absolute positions in the first and second axes with coordinates on the rendered image.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a portion of the rendered image to translate based on the coordinates on the rendered image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the portion of the rendered image to translate further comprises determining a first amount of the rendered image to translate in a first direction corresponding to the first axis and a second amount of the rendered image to translate in a second direction corresponding to the second axis.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the portion of the rendered image to translate further comprises generating a translation factor.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the changed image is centered about the coordinates on the rendered image.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the changing the rendered image further comprises translating the portion of the rendered image.