Motion-sensing remote control

• US 8,780,278 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gulati, Kunal
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U
• Application Number:
  US11/948,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20090141184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348553-555, 348/552, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/432, 341/20, 341/176, 341/173
• US Class Current: 348/734
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20

Abstract

A motion-sensing remote control is described. In an embodiment, a television remote control can include various sensors that sense a motion of the device. The television remote control also includes an integrated circuit that receives a motion signal corresponding to the motion from the sensors and converts the motion signal into a remote control command. The television remote control further includes a light source that is activated by the integrated circuit to communicate the remote control command to a television client device to initiate a device action. In another embodiment, a television remote control can include various sensors that sense a motion of the device. The television remote control can also include computer-executable instructions that execute on a processor to translate the motion into a remote control command, and initiate communication of the remote control command to a television client device to initiate a device action.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a depressed position of a first remote control button to initiate one or more motion sensors of a television remote control device;

sensing, by the one or more motion sensors, one or more motions of the television remote control device when initiated by a user, the sensing based on the first remote control button remaining in the depressed position;

detecting a user-initiated selection of a second remote control button while sensing the one or more motions of the television remote control device;

converting the one or more motions in combination with the selected second remote control button into a remote control command for a television client device, wherein different motions have different directional aspects and correspond to different remote control commands for the television client device that are stored on the remote control device configured to cause different device actions to be performed by the television client device; and

communicating the remote control command to the television client device to initiate one of the different device actions.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control command is converted into an infra-red signal from the one or more motions and communicated to the television client device as the infra-red signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein converting the one or more motions includes translating the one or more motions into electronic signals and converting the electronic signals into infra-red signals that are communicated to the television client device as the remote control command.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control command is communicated to the television client device to initiate a television control action.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control command is communicated to the television client device to initiate a program guide menu action.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control command is communicated to the television client device to initiate a recorded media content action.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more motions in combination with a different selected remote control button causes a different remote control command.

8. A television remote control device, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to sense a motion of the television remote control device;

an integrated circuit configured to receive a motion signal corresponding to the motion from the one or more sensors, the integrated circuit further configured to convert the motion signal into a remote control command, wherein different motion signals composed of one or more combinations of directional motion correspond to different remote control commands, the different remote control commands stored on the television remote control device corresponding to different device actions performable by a television client device;

a first remote control button that, when in a depressed position, turns on the one or more sensors to sense the motion of the television remote control device;

a second remote control button configured for user selection that initiates the integrated circuit to convert the motion signal into a different remote control command for the television client device when the motion signal is received, the different remote control command based in part on the first remote control button remaining in the depressed position; and

a light source activated by the integrated circuit and configured to communicate the remote control command to the television client device as an infra-red signal to initiate a device action.

9. A television remote control device as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

an additional remote control button configured for user selection that initiates the integrated circuit to convert the motion signal into the remote control command for the television client device when the motion signal is received.

10. The television remote control device as recited in claim 8, wherein the remote control command is generated as a television control action.

11. The television remote control device as recited in claim 8, wherein the remote control command is generated as a recorded media content action.

12. The television remote control device as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to sense an additional motion of the television remote control device, and wherein the integrated circuit is further configured to:

receive an additional motion signal corresponding to the additional motion from the one or more sensors; and

convert the motion signal and the additional motion signal together into another different remote control command.

13. The television remote control device as recited in claim 8, wherein the integrated circuit is further configured to translate the motion signal into a binary remote control command that is converted into the infra-red signal which is communicated to the television client device.

14. The television remote control device as recited in claim 8, wherein the remote control command is generated as a program guide menu action.

15. A television remote control device, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to sense a directional motion of the television remote control device;

computer-executable instructions configured to execute on a processor to translate the directional motion into a remote control command, wherein different directional motions correspond to different remote control commands configured to cause different device actions to be performed by a device, the different directional motions correlate to different actions to be performed by the device based, at least in part, on a type of the device, the computer-executable instructions further configured to initiate communication of the remote control command to a television client device to initiate a device action;

a first remote control button that, when selected, initiates the one or more sensors to sense the motion of the television remote control device;

a second remote control button configured for user selection that initiates the computer-executable instructions to translate the directional motion into a different remote control command based in part on the first remote control button remaining in the depressed position.

16. The television remote control device as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

an additional remote control button configured for user selection that initiates the computer-executable instructions to translate the directional motion into the remote control command.

17. The television remote control device as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote control command is generated as a television control action.

18. The television remote control device as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote control command is generated as a recorded media content action.

19. The television remote control device as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to sense an additional motion of the television remote control device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to:

receive an additional motion from the one or more sensors; and

convert the directional motion and the additional motion together into another different remote control command.

20. The television remote control device as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote control command is generated as a program guide menu action.