System and method for remote controlled device selection based on device position data and orientation data of a user

• US 8,963,694 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nystrom, Martin, Ahlgren, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US12/975,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/12.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114

Abstract

A system and method are provided for selecting a remote controlled device to be controlled from among a plurality of remote controllable devices. The system includes an electronic device having a registration interface configured to register device data corresponding to the plurality of remote controllable devices, a position locator configured to determine position data corresponding to a position of the electronic device, and an orientation interface configured to receive orientation data corresponding to an orientation of a user. A controller is configured to select the remote controlled device based on the device data, the position data, and the orientation data. The plurality of remote controllable devices each may include a respective data source configured to provide the device data, and a headset may be configured to generate the orientation data.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a registration interface configured to register device data corresponding to a plurality of remote controllable devices;

a position locator configured to determine position data corresponding to a position of the electronic device;

an orientation interface configured to receive orientation data corresponding to an orientation of a user indicative of which one of the plurality of remote controllable devices the user is facing; and

a controller configured to select a remote controlled device to be controlled from among the plurality of remote controllable devices, the selection being based on the device data, the position data, and the orientation data,

wherein the orientation interface comprises a wireless interface for receiving the orientation data by a wireless communication.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the registration interface comprises a wireless interface for receiving the device data by a wireless communication.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface comprises at least one of a Bluetooth, RFID, near field communication, or WI-FI interface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a device selection database for storing the device data corresponding to the plurality of remote controllable devices.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an output interface configured to output a device selection signal corresponding to the selected remote controlled device.

6. A system for selecting a remote controlled device to be controlled from among a plurality of remote controllable devices, the system comprising:

a plurality of remote controllable devices, wherein each of the plurality of remote controllable devices comprises a data source configured to provide device data corresponding to a respective remote controllable device;

an orientation detector configured to generate orientation data corresponding to an orientation of a user indicative of which one of the plurality of remote controllable devices the user is facing; and

an electronic device comprising a device selector, wherein the device selector is configured to receive the device data and the orientation data, and configured to select the remote controlled device from among the plurality of remote controllable devices based on the device data and the orientation data,

wherein the electronic device has an orientation interface that receives the orientation data, and the orientation interface comprises a wireless interface for receiving the orientation data by a wireless communication.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the device selector is further configured to determine position data corresponding to the position of the electronic device, and to select the remote controlled device from among the plurality of remote controllable devices additionally based on the position data.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the data sources is configured to transmit the device data wirelessly to the device selector.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one data source comprises an electronic tag containing the device data, and the electronic device comprises a reading device for reading the device data from the electronic tag.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one data source comprises a wireless signal emitter configured to transmit a signal containing the device data, and the electronic device comprises a receiver for receiving the signal containing the device data.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the orientation detector comprises a headset to be worn by the user, the headset including a sensor, and the orientation data corresponds to an orientation of the headset as detected by the sensor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the headset sensor comprises a motion detector for detecting the motion of the headset, and the headset generates the orientation data based on the detected motion.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one data source comprises a wireless signal emitter configured to transmit a signal, the headset sensor comprises a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted from one of the at least one data source, and the headset generates the orientation data based on the received signal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the headset sensor comprises a digital camera, and the orientation data is image data generated by the digital camera.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the headset and the electronic device comprise a wireless interface for transmitting the orientation data from headset to the electronic device by a wireless communication.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device further comprises an output interface configured to output a device selection signal corresponding to the selected remote controlled device, and the system further comprises a remote control device configured to receive the device selection signal and control the selected remote controlled device.

17. A method of selecting, with a user electronic device, a remote controlled device for remote control from among a plurality of remote controllable devices comprising the steps of:

registering device data corresponding to the plurality of remote controllable devices;

determining position data corresponding to a position of the user electronic device;

receiving orientation data corresponding to an orientation of the user indicative of which one of the plurality of remote controllable devices the user is facing, wherein the user electronic device receives the orientation data over an orientation interface comprising a wireless interface for receiving the orientation data by a wireless communication; and

selecting a remote controlled device to be controlled from among the plurality of remote controllable devices, the selection being based on the device data, the position data, and the orientation data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

upon receiving the orientation data, initiating a timer; and

determining whether a threshold time of the timer is reached;

wherein if the threshold time is reached, selecting the remote controlled device, and if the threshold time is not reached, receiving new orientation data.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether a release signal is received; and

if a release signal is not received, maintaining the selection of the remote controlled device, and if a release signal is received, selecting another remote controlled device for remote control from among the plurality of remote controllable devices.