Electronic device and a method for controlling the functions of the electronic device as well as program product for implementing the method

• US 8,970,490 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Blomqvist, Mikko, Laine, Tommi, Onkalo, Miia
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Okebato, Sahlu
• Application Number:
  US11/658,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,486 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/166, 382/107
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device, which includes a display component, in which at least one controllable element is arranged to be visualized in its entirety, the control of which element is arranged to be based on determining a change (M) relating to the attitude or position of the device and camera means arranged to form image frames (IMAGE1, IMAGE2), and in which, in order to control the functions of the device, such as, for example, to control the element, the change is arranged to be determined, using optical data-flow algorithms, from the image frames formed by the camera means, which image frames are arranged to be compared to each other in a set manner, and on the basis of which comparison the said change is arranged to be determined. The image frames are arranged to be segmented in a selected manner, from which at least one movement vector (S_R, S_L, S_Up, S_Down) determining the said change is arranged to be determined from at least some of the segments (SEGMENT1, SEGMENT2).

Claims

1. A portable apparatus comprising:

a display configured to show a visual controllable element;

a camera unit configured to capture a plurality of consecutive images;

memory including program code;

a processor; and

the memory and the program code being configured with the processor to cause the portable apparatus, in one of a plurality of operating situations, wherein one of the plurality of operating situation is defined based on a movement speed of the portable apparatus, to perform;

dividing a first image of the plurality of consecutive images into a plurality of segments;

selecting a fixed point from the first image;

determining a location coordinate of the selected fixed point;

dividing a second image of the plurality of consecutive images into a plurality of segments, the second image being the next image following the first image of the plurality of consecutive images;

determining a location coordinate of the selected fixed point from the second image;

calculating a movement vector of the selected fixed point between the determined location coordinate of the first image and the determined location coordinate of the second image;

determining a three-dimensional change relative to at least the movement vector; and

controlling the visual controllable element on the display based on the three-dimensional change; and

adjusting an image frequency of the camera unit to at least the portable apparatus movement speed.

2. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit includes at least two cameras on opposite sides of the portable apparatus.

3. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code being further configured with the processor to cause the portable apparatus to perform:

defining a mean value for at least the movement vector.

4. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code being configured with the processor to cause the portable apparatus to perform:

adjusting a determination frequency of the three-dimensional change according to at least the portable apparatus movement speed.

12. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further perform:

determining an additional fixed point;

defining an additional movement vector for the determined additional fixed point; and

wherein the determining of the three-dimensional change is further relative to the additional fixed point based on the additional movement vector.

5. A method comprising:

controlling of a visual controllable element in a portable apparatus comprising a camera unit and a display,

the portable apparatus being operable in a plurality of operating situations, wherein one of the plurality of operating situation is defined based on a movement speed of the portable apparatus;

capturing, via the camera unit, a plurality of consecutive images;

dividing a first image of the plurality of consecutive images into a plurality of segments;

selecting a fixed point from the first image;

determining a location coordinate of the selected fixed point;

dividing a second image of the plurality of consecutive images into a plurality of segments, the second image being the next image following the first image of the plurality of consecutive images;

determining a location coordinate of the selected fixed point from the second image;

calculating a movement vector of the selected fixed point between the determined location coordinate of the first image and the determined location coordinate of the second image;

determining a three-dimensional change relative to at least the movement vector; and

controlling the visual controllable element on the display based on the three-dimensional change; and

adjusting an image frequency of the camera unit to at least the portable apparatus movement speed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the camera unit includes at least two cameras on opposite sides of the portable apparatus.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising defining a mean value for at least the movement vector.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising adjusting a determination frequency of the three-dimensional change according to an operating situation of the portable apparatus.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program comprising computer executable program code which, when executed by a processor of a portable apparatus comprising a camera unit and a display, the portable apparatus being operable in a plurality of operating situations, wherein one of the plurality of operating situation is defined based on a movement speed of the portable apparatus and causes the portable apparatus to perform:

capturing, via the camera unit, a plurality of consecutive images;

dividing a first image of the plurality of consecutive images into a plurality of segments;

selecting a fixed point from the first image;

determining a location coordinate of the selected fixed point;

dividing a second image of the plurality of consecutive images into a plurality of segments, the second image being the next image following the first image of the plurality of consecutive images;

determining a location coordinate of the selected fixed point from the second image;

calculating a movement vector of the selected fixed point between the determined location coordinate of the first image and the determined location coordinate of the second image;

determining a three-dimensional change relative to at least the movement vector; and

controlling a visual controllable element on the display based on the three-dimensional change; and

adjusting an image frequency of the camera unit to at least the portable apparatus movement speed.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer executable program code causes the portable apparatus to perform defining a mean value for at least the movement vector.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer executable program code causes the portable apparatus to perform:

adjusting a determination frequency of the three-dimensional change according to at least the portable apparatus movement speed.