Methods, systems, and products for controlling devices

• US 8,736,420 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/699,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,675 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/5.72, 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 345/158, 345/169, 341/176, 341/90, 348/730
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for controlling a device. A signal is received and a power of the signal is determined. The power is associated to a command, and the command is executed.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a device, comprising:

receiving an electromagnetic signal at the device, the electromagnetic signal transmitted during gesture movement of a remote control;

determining an electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal;

storing, in memory of the device, associations between electromagnetic powers and commands that control the device;

querying the memory for the electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal;

retrieving one of the commands that is associated with the electromagnetic power; and

executing the one of the commands to control the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal comprises determining an average electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal comprises determining an instantaneous electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sequence of average electromagnetic powers transported by the electromagnetic signal over time to obtain a power signature of the electromagnetic signal; and

querying a database of power signatures for the power signature of the electromagnetic signal, the database of power signatures associating different power signatures to the commands.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sequence of instantaneous power of the electromagnetic signal over time to obtain a power signature of the electromagnetic signal; and

querying a database of power signatures for the power signature of the electromagnetic signal, the database of power signatures associating different power signatures to the commands.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a coded identifier that uniquely identifies the remote control that transmitted the electromagnetic signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal in a database of power signatures.

8. A system for controlling a device, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an electromagnetic signal transmitted from a remote control during gesture movement;

determining an electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal;

querying a database for the electromagnetic power the database storing associations between different electromagnetic powers and different commands that control the device;

retrieving one of the different commands that is associated with the electromagnetic power; and

executing the one of the different commands to control the device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining an average power of the electromagnetic signal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining an instantaneous power of the electromagnetic signal.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an average power of the electromagnetic signal to obtain a power signature; and

querying the database for the power signature.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an instantaneous power of the electromagnetic signal to obtain a power signature; and

querying the database for the power signature.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a coded identifier that uniquely identifies the remote control that transmitted the electromagnetic signal.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal.

15. A memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an electromagnetic signal at a receiving device sent during gesture movement of a remote control;

measuring an electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal;

storing, in memory of the receiving device, a table having entries that associate measurements of electromagnetic powers to commands that control the receiving device;

querying the memory for a measure of the electromagnetic power transported by the electromagnetic signal;

retrieving a command from the table that is associated with the measure of the electromagnetic power; and

executing the command to control the receiving device,

wherein the gesture movement of the remote control controls the receiving device.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining an average power of the electromagnetic signal.

17. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining an instantaneous power of the electromagnetic signal.

18. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a sequence of average power of the electromagnetic signal over time to obtain a power signature of the electromagnetic signal; and

querying a database of power signatures for the power signature, the database of power signatures associating power signatures to different commands.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a sequence of instantaneous power of the electromagnetic signal over time to obtain a power signature of the electromagnetic signal; and

querying a database of power signatures for the power signature, the database of power signatures associating power signatures to different commands.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a coded identifier that uniquely indicates the remote control that transmitted the electromagnetic signal; and

associating the electromagnetic power and the coded identifier to the command, such that the receiving device may be controlled by multiple remote controls, each of the multiple remote controls having a unique coded identifier.