Electronic apparatus, control method thereof, remote control apparatus, and control method thereof

• US 8,941,530 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Eun-seok, Yoo, Ho-june, Choi, Sang-on, Soh, Byung-seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US13/769,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 345/156, 345/158
• US Class Current: 341/176
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An electronic apparatus, control method thereof, remote control apparatus that controls the electronic apparatus, and control method thereof. The remote control apparatus includes a communication unit which communicates with the electronic apparatus; a user input unit which receives a user button selection indicating an input button; a sensing unit which senses movement of the remote control apparatus; and a control unit which controls the communication unit to transmit information about the user button selection to perform a function corresponding to the input button if the remote control apparatus is in a button input mode, and to transmit information about the movement of the remote control apparatus to the electronic apparatus to control the electronic apparatus by the movement if the remote control apparatus is in a motion recognition mode. Accordingly, controlling a game or a multimedia content is easier, and the user is provided with a new and interesting experience.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus which is configured to transmit remote control information to an external device, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to establish communication with the external device;

a user input interface comprising a plurality of buttons;

a sensing unit configured to sense a movement of the electronic apparatus; and

a control unit configured to control the electronic apparatus to operate in a movement sensing mode in which information corresponding to the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus is transmitted to the external device, and configured to control the electronic apparatus to operate in a button mode in which information corresponding to a selected button among the plurality of buttons is transmitted to the external device,

wherein, the control unit is configured to determine whether the electronic apparatus operates in the movement sensing mode or the button mode and, when the electronic apparatus operates in the button mode, to control the sensing unit to consume less power than when the electronic apparatus operates in the movement sensing mode,

wherein the sensing unit comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor, and

wherein the sensing unit senses a spatial movement of the electronic apparatus while the electronic apparatus is operating in the button mode and is consuming less power than when the electronic apparatus is in the movement sensing mode.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the electronic apparatus sensed by the sensing unit comprises a three dimensional movement.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the electronic apparatus sensed by the sensing unit comprises at least one of a pointing motion indicating a pointing location within a display area of the external device and a predetermined type of movement.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the external device information about an operation mode of the electronic apparatus together with at least one of information about the selected button and information regarding the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, while the electronic apparatus is operating in the movement sensing mode, the control unit controls the sensing unit to consume less power than when the electronic apparatus is operating in the movement sensing mode if no movement of the electronic apparatus is sensed during a predetermined time period.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is operable in a first power state and a second power state, and

wherein, when the sensing unit senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time duration while the sensing unit is in the first power state, the control unit is configured to control the sensing unit to transition from the first power state to the second power state.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein less power is consumed in the second power state of the sensing unit than in the first power state of the sensing unit.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the information coffesponding to the selected button is provided in a form other than the information corresponding to the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the electronic apparatus operates in the button mode, the control unit is further configured to control the sensing unit to operate in a power saving state.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the sensing unit operates in the power saving state, the control unit is further configured to block an electric power which is supplied to the sensing unit.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the electronic apparatus operates in the button mode, the control unit is further configured to control the sensing unit to operate in a sleep state.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the sensing unit operates in the sleep state, the sensing unit consumes a minimum electric power.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the sensing unit to shift to an active state if the sensing unit senses a spatial movement of the electronic apparatus while the electronic apparatus is operating in the button mode and is consuming less power, and to determine whether to maintain the sensing unit in the active state based on information received from the external device.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the information received from the external device comprises information on at least one of a function and an application executed in the external device.

15. An electronic apparatus which is configured to transmit remote control information to an external device, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to establish communication with the external device;

a user input unit comprising a plurality of buttons;

a sensing unit configured to sense a movement of the electronic apparatus in an active state; and

wherein, when the sensing unit is in the active state and senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a first predetermined time period, the sensing unit converts from the active state to a first power state in which the sensor unit consumes less power than when the sensing unit is in the active state, and

wherein, when the sensing unit is in the first power state and senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a second predetermined period of time, the sensing unit converts from the first power state to a second power state in which the sensing unit consumes less power than when the sensing unit is in the first power state.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, when the sensing unit is in the first power state and senses a movement of the electronic apparatus, the sensing unit converts from the first power state to the active state.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit to the external device information about an operation mode of the electronic apparatus together with at least one of information about a selected button among the plurality of buttons and information regarding the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sensing unit comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when the sensing unit is in the first power state, the sensing unit consumes a minimum electric power.

20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 19, wherein when the sensing unit is in the second power state, an electric power which is supplied to the sensing unit is blocked.

21. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein less power is consumed in the second power state of the sensing unit than in the first power state of the sensing unit.

22. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a power supplier which supplies an electric power to the sensing unit, wherein when the electronic apparatus is operating in a button mode, the control unit controls the power supplier to block an electric power supplied to the sensing unit to switch the sensing unit to the first power saving state.

23. An electronic system comprising:

a first electronic apparatus comprising;

a communication unit configured to establish communication with the external device;

a user input unit which comprises a plurality of buttons;

a sensing unit which senses a movement of the first electronic apparatus; and

a controller which controls the communication unit to transmit at least one of information about a selected button among the plurality of buttons and information corresponding to the sensed movement of the first electronic apparatus;

a second electronic apparatus comprising;

a display configured to display a plurality of menu items;

a signal receiver configured to receive the control signal from the first electronic apparatus; and

a control unit which is configured to determine an operation mode of the second electronic apparatus,

wherein the operation mode is one of a pointing mode and a non-pointing mode wherein the selection between the pointing mode and the non-pointing mode is determined based on the control signal from the first electronic apparatus,

wherein, in the non-pointing mode, the control unit selects one of the plurality of menu items according to the information about the user input received from the first electronic apparatus, and

wherein in the pointing mode, the control unit controls the display unit to display a pointer which is moved according to the information regarding the sensed movement received from the first electronic apparatus,

wherein the sensing unit comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor,

wherein the controller of the first electronic apparatus is further configured to control the sensing unit to operate in a power saving mode in response to detecting a selection of a predetermined button among the plurality of buttons, and

wherein the sensing unit senses a spatial movement of the first electronic apparatus while the sensing unit of the first electronic apparatus is operating in the power saving mode in which the first electronic apparatus consumes less power than when the sensing unit of the first electronic apparatus is operating in an active mode.

24. The electronic system according to claim 23, wherein when the sensing unit operates in the power saving mode, the controller is further configured to block an electric power which is supplied to the sensing unit.

25. The electronic system according to claim 23, wherein when the sensing unit operates in the power saving mode, the sensing unit consumes a minimum electric power.

26. The electronic apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the controller is further configured to control the sensing unit to shift to the active mode if the sensing unit senses a spatial movement of the first electronic apparatus while the sensing unit of the first electronic apparatus is operating in power saving mode, and to determine whether to maintain the sensing unit in the active mode based on information received from the external device.

27. The electronic apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the information received from the external device comprises information on at least one of a function and an application executed in the external device.

28. An electronic apparatus which is configured to transmit remote control information to an external device, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to establish communication with the external device;

a user input interface comprising a plurality of buttons;

a sensing unit configured to sense a movement of the electronic apparatus; and

a control unit configured to

control the communication unit to transmit information corresponding to the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus to the external device,

control the sensing unit to operate in a power saving mode in response to detecting selection of a predetermined button among the plurality of buttons,

control the communication unit to transmit information corresponding to a selected button while the sensing unit operates in the power saving mode, and

control the sensing unit to shift from the power saving mode to an active mode in response to sensing a spatial movement of the electronic apparatus by the sensing unit in the power saving mode,

wherein the sensing unit consumes less power in the power saving mode than in the active mode,

wherein the sensing unit comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor.

29. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the external device information about an operation mode of the electronic apparatus together with at least one of information about the selected button and information regarding the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus.

30. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, while the sensing unit is operating in the active mode, the control unit controls the sensing unit to operate in the power saving mode if no movement of the electronic apparatus is sensed during a predetermined time period.

31. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the sensing unit in the power saving mode is operable in a first power state and a second power state, and wherein, if the sensing unit senses no movement of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time duration while the sensing unit is in the first power state, the control unit is configured to control the sensing unit to shift from the first power state to the second power state.

32. The electronic apparatus according to claim 31, wherein less power is consumed in the second power state of the sensing unit than in the first power state of the sensing unit.

33. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, the information coffesponding to the selected button is provided in a form other than the information corresponding to the sensed movement of the electronic apparatus.

34. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein when the sensing unit operates in the power saving mode, the control unit is further configured to block an electric power which is supplied to the sensing unit.

35. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein when the sensing unit operates in the power saving mode, the sensing unit consumes a minimum electric power.

36. The electronic apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine whether to maintain the sensing unit in the active mode based on information received from the external device.

37. The electronic apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the information received from the external device comprises information on at least one of a function and an application executed in the external device.