Estimating control feature from remote control with camera

• US 9,332,169 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Gritti, Tommaso, Van Grinsven, Petrus Augustinus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Luong T
• Application Number:
  US13/983,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An apparatus (1) estimates control features of remote controls (10) comprising cameras (11) for detecting light points (51, 52) from beacons (31, 32) located at or near devices (20) that are to be controlled via the remote controls (10) by letting the cameras (11) further detect light points (61, 62) from non-beacons (41, 42). Processors (2) estimate the control features in response to information from the detections of the light points (51, 52, 61, 62). The non-beacons (41, 42) comprise noise sources or any other sources different from the beacons (31, 32). Memories (3) store per time-interval the information per detection. The light coming from the beacons (31, 32) may be modulated light and the light coming from the non-beacons (41, 42) may be other light. The information may comprise coordinates, sizes and intensities of light points (51, 52, 61, 62) per detection and per time-interval. The control feature may comprise a pointing position, a distance, a rotation, a tilt, a location, a speed, an acceleration, a movement and/or a zoom of the remote control (10).

Claims

1. A system for estimating at least one control feature of a remote control, the system comprising:

the remote control comprising;

a camera for;

detecting at least one light point originating from at least one beacon located at or near a device that is to be controlled via the remote control, the at least one light point originating from the at least one beacon comprising;

at least one of a first light point and a second light point originating from respective a first beacon and a second beacon; and

detecting at least one additional light point originating from at least one non-beacon comprising any other light source different from the at least one beacon, the at least one additional light point originating from the at least one non-beacon comprising;

at least one of a third light point and a fourth light point originating from respective first non-beacon and second non-beacon; and

a processor in communication with a memory, the memory storing, per time-interval, first information associated with the first detected light point associated with the first beacon, second information associated with the second detected light point associated with the second beacon, third information associated with the third detected light point of the first non-beacon, and fourth information associated with the fourth detected light point associated with the second non-beacon; and

the processor estimating the at least one control feature in response to information of the at least one light point from the at least one beacon and the at least one additional light point from the at least one non-beacon.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein when only the first beacon is present and only the first non-beacon is present, the processor estimates the first information for a time-interval by processing the third information from the time-interval and the first information and the third information from a previous time-interval.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein when the first beacon and the second beacon are present and only the first non-beacon is present, the processor estimates the first information for a time-interval by processing the second and third information from the time-interval and the first information, the second information and the third information from a previous time-interval.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein when the first beacon and the second beacon are present and the first non-beacon and the second non-beacon are present, the processor estimates the first information for a time-interval by processing the second, the third and the fourth information from the time-interval and the first information, the second information, the third information and the fourth information from a previous time-interval.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein when the first beacon and the second beacon are present and the first non-beacon and the second non-beacon are present, the processor improves an estimation of the at least one control feature in response to at least one of the first information, the second information, the third information and the fourth information from a time-interval and the first information , the second information, the third information and the fourth information from a previous time-interval.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, the light coming from the at least one beacon being modulated light and the light coming from the at least one non-beacon being other light.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, the information comprising at least one of:

a coordinate, a size, an intensity per detection and per time-interval.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, the at least one control feature comprising at least one of:

a pointing position on the device, a distance between the remote control and the device, a rotation of the remote control, a tilt of the remote control and a location of the remote control with respect to the device.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, the at least one control feature comprising at least one of:

a speed of the remote control , an acceleration of the remote control , a movement of the remote control and a zoom of the remote control (10).

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first information, the second information, the third information and the fourth information comprises at least one of:

a coordinate, a size, and an intensity of the corresponding light point.

10. A remote control comprising:

a camera for;

detecting at least one light point originating from at least one beacon located at or near a device that is to be controlled via the remote control, the at least one light point originating from the at least one beacon comprising;

at least one of a first light point and a second light point originating from respective a first beacon and a second beacon; and

detecting at least one additional light point originating from at least one non-beacon comprising any other light source different from the at least one beacon, the at least one additional light point originating from the at least one non-beacon comprising;

at least one of a third light point and a fourth light point originating from respective first non-beacon and second non-beacon; and

a processor estimating at least one control feature of the remote control in response to information from the detections of both the at least one light point from the at least one beacon and the at least one additional light point originating from the at least one non-beacon, wherein the at least one light point and the at least one additional light point are determined on a per-time basis.

11. A method for estimating at least one control feature of a remote control, the method operable in a processor, causing the processor to execute the acts of:

i

receiving at least one light point originating from at least one beacon located at or near a device, the at least one light point originating from the at least one beacon comprising;

at least one of a first light point and a second light point originating from respective a first beacon and a second beacon; and

receiving at least one additional light point originating from at least one non-beacon being any other light source different from the at least one beacon, the at least one additional light point originating from the at least one non-beacon comprising;

at least one of a third light point and a fourth light point originating from respective first non-beacon and second non-beacon,

estimating the at least one control feature of the remote control in response to information from the detections of both the at least one light point from the at least one beacon and the at least one light point originating from the at least one non-beacon.

12. A computer program product, stored on a tangible medium, that is neither a transitory signal nor a wave, comprising code which when accessed by a processor causes the processor to execute the acts of:

receiving at least one light point originating from at least one beacon located at or near a device, the at least one light point originating from the at least one beacon comprising;

at least one of a first light point and a second light point originating from respective a first beacon and a second beacon;

receiving at least one additional light point originating from at least one non-beacon being any other light source different from the at least one beacon, the at least one additional light point originating from the at least one non-beacon comprising;

at least one of a third light point and a fourth light point originating from respective first non-beacon and second non-beacon, and

estimating the at least one control feature of a remote control in response to information from the detections of both the at least one light point from the at least one beacon and the at least one light point originating from the at least one non-beacon.

14. An apparatus for estimating at least one control feature of a remote control, the apparatus comprising:

an input configured for;

receiving information for at least one light point originating from at least one beacon located at or near a device that is to be controlled via the remote control, the at least one light point originating from the at least one beacon comprising;

at least one of the following list;

a first light point from a first beacon, and a second light point from a second beacon; and

receiving information for at least one additional light point originating from at least one non-beacon comprising any other light source different from the at least one beacon, the at least one additional light point originating from the at least one non-beacon comprising;

at least one of a third light point and a fourth light point originating from respective first non-beacon and second non-beacon;

a memory configured for storing, per time-interval, first information associated with the first detected light point associated with the first beacon, second information associated with the second detected light point associated with the second beacon, third information associated with the third detected light point of the first non-beacon, and fourth information associated with the fourth detected light point associated with the second non-beacon;

a processor estimating the at least one control feature of the remote control in response to the information for the at least one light point from the at least one beacon and the at least one additional light point from the at least one non-beacon; and

an output sending the control feature estimate to the remote control.