Remote controller with position actuatated voice transmission

• US 8,886,541 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Friedlander, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N
• Application Number:
  US12/658,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/276
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 17/02 Apparatus or circuits at the transmitting end
• 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

Abstract

A method of operation of a remote controller consistent with certain implementations involves determining a spatial orientation of the remote controller based upon an output signal from a position detector; and setting a voice mode of operation of the remote controller as active or inactive based upon the spatial orientation of the remote controller as determined by the position detector, where the voice mode determines whether or not the remote controller will accept and process voice information from a microphone. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A remote controller, comprising:

a position detector, forming a part of the remote controller, that detects a spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical;

a microphone, forming a part of the remote controller, for receipt of voice information;

a transmitter, forming a part of the remote controller, configured to transmit the voice information or a message derived therefrom as a remote controller command; and

a controlled switch, forming a part of the remote controller, configured to activate and deactivate at least one of the microphone and the transmitter based upon the spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical as detected by the position detector to thereby activate or deactivate a voice mode of operation of the remote controller, wherein the transmitter transmits a command in response to a specified spatial orientation with respect to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller as detected by the position detector.

2. The remote controller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a tactile user interface for manual entry of commands or data.

3. The remote controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the microphone has unidirectional characteristics.

4. The remote controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the command generates an on-screen display.

5. The remote controller in accordance with claim 4, wherein voice signals are converted to search strings that are entered into the on-screen display.

6. The remote controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the voice mode is considered active if the remote controller is oriented top to bottom in a near vertical spatial orientation within a threshold value of θ

_MAX of true vertical.

7. The remote controller in accordance with claim 6, wherein the value of θ

_MAX depends upon whether the voice mode is active or inactive.

8. The remote controller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an analog to digital converter, forming a part of the remote controller, that converts voice signals from the microphone to digital signals.

9. A remote controller, comprising:

a position detector, forming a part of the remote controller, that detects a spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical;

a microphone, forming a part of the remote controller, for receipt of voice information;

a tactile user interface, forming a part of the remote controller, for manual entry of commands or data;

a transmitter, forming a part of the remote controller, that transmits the voice information or information derived therefrom and commands or data from the tactile user interface;

a processor, forming a part of the remote controller, that activates and deactivates at least one of the microphone and the transmitter based upon the spatial orientation relative to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller as detected by the position detector to thereby activate or deactivate a voice mode of operation of the remote controller; and

wherein the transmitter transmits a command in response to a specified spatial orientation of the remote controller as detected by the position detector and wherein the command generates an on-screen display and wherein voice signals are converted to search strings that are entered into the on-screen display.

10. The remote controller in accordance with claim 9, wherein the microphone has unidirectional characteristics.

11. The remote controller in accordance with claim 9, wherein the command generates an on-screen display and wherein voice signals are converted to search strings that are entered into the on-screen display.

12. The remote controller in accordance with claim 9, wherein the voice mode is considered active if the remote controller is oriented top to bottom in a near vertical spatial orientation within a threshold value of θ

_MAX of true vertical.

13. The remote controller in accordance with claim 12, wherein the value of θ

_MAX depends upon whether the voice mode is active or inactive.

14. A method of operation of a remote controller, comprising:

determining a spatial orientation relative to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller based upon an output signal from a position detector forming a part of the remote controller;

setting a voice mode of operation of the remote controller as active or inactive based upon the spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical as determined by the position detector, where the voice mode determines whether or not the remote controller will accept and process voice information from a microphone; and

at a transmitter, transmitting a command in response to a specified spatial orientation with respect to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller as detected by the position detector.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the microphone has unidirectional characteristics.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising transmitting a command when the remote controller is placed in the active voice mode.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the command generates an on-screen display.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein voice signals are converted to search strings that are entered into the on-screen display.

19. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the voice mode is considered active if the remote controller is oriented top to bottom in a near vertical spatial orientation within a threshold value of θ

_MAX of true vertical.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the value of θ

_MAX depends upon whether the voice mode is active or inactive.

21. A tangible non-transitory computer readable electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method comprising:

at position detector forming a part of remote controller, detecting a spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical;

at a microphone forming a part of the remote controller, receiving voice information;

at a transmitter forming a part of the remote controller, transmitting the voice information or a message derived therefrom as a remote controller command;

activating or deactivating at least one of the microphone and the transmitter based upon the spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical as detected by the position detector to thereby activate or deactivate a voice mode of operation of the remote controller; and

the transmitter transmitting a command in response to a specified spatial orientation with respect to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller as detected by the position detector.

22. A method of operation of a remote controller, comprising:

determining a spatial orientation relative to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller based upon an output signal from a position detector forming a part of the remote controller;

setting a voice mode of operation of the remote controller as active or inactive based upon the spatial orientation relative to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller as determined by the position detector, where the voice mode determines whether or not the remote controller will accept and process voice information from a microphone having unidirectional characteristics;

transmitting a command from the remote controller when the remote controller is placed in the active voice mode, wherein the command generates an on-screen display and wherein voice signals are converted to search strings that are entered into the on-screen display; and

where the voice mode is considered active if the remote controller is oriented top to bottom in a near vertical spatial orientation within a threshold value of θ

_MAX of true vertical.

23. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the value of θ

_MAX depends upon whether the voice mode is active or inactive.

24. A tangible non-transitory computer readable electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method comprising:

determining a spatial orientation relative to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller based upon an output signal from a position detector forming a part of the remote controller;

setting a voice mode of operation of the remote controller as active or inactive based upon the spatial orientation relative to horizontal and vertical of the remote controller as determined by the position detector, where the voice mode determines whether or not the remote controller will accept and process voice information from a microphone having unidirectional characteristics;

transmitting a command from the remote controller when the remote controller is placed in the active voice mode, wherein the command generates an on-screen display and wherein voice signals are converted to search strings that are entered into the on-screen display; and

where the voice mode is considered active if the remote controller is oriented top to bottom in a near vertical spatial orientation within a threshold value of θ

_MAX of true vertical.

25. A remote controller, comprising:

a position detector, forming a part of the remote controller, configured to detect a spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical;

a microphone, forming a part of the remote controller, for receipt of voice information;

a remote controller keyboard, forming a part of the remote controller, that provides for entry of keyboard commands to a target device;

a transmitter, forming a part of the remote controller, configured to transmit the voice information or a message derived therefrom, where the voice information or message derived therefrom is limited to commands that can be issued by the keyboard commands; and

a controlled switch, forming a part of the remote controller, that is configured to activate and deactivate at least one of the microphone and the transmitter based upon the spatial orientation of the remote controller relative to horizontal and vertical as detected by the position detector to thereby activate or deactivate a voice mode of operation of the remote controller, where the voice mode is considered active if the remote controller is oriented top to bottom in a near vertical spatial orientation within a threshold value of θ

_MAX of true vertical.