GUI applications for use with 3D remote controller

• US 9,335,912 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan R., King, Nicholas V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Seokyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Peijie
• Application Number:
  US12/113,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,931 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region

Abstract

A remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system is provided. The wand may be operative to control the movement of a cursor displayed on screen by the position and orientation at which the wand is held. As the user moves the wand, the on-screen cursor may move. The user may use the wand to control a plurality of operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a media system that is in communication with a display and a wand;

receiving with the media system a transmission from the wand, the received transmission comprising an output of at least one motion detection component incorporated in the wand while the wand is pointing along a major axis of the wand to a respective location in a plane that corresponds to the display;

in response to receiving the transmission from the wand;

determining whether the respective location is at

a first portion of the display that is adjacent to the edge of the display, or

beyond the display and adjacent to the edge of the display;

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is at the first portion of the display that is adjacent to the edge of the display, performing a first media application operation while a cursor is displayed on the display with a first appearance; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is beyond the display and adjacent to the edge of the display, performing a second media application operation that is different from the first media application operation while the cursor is displayed on the display with a second appearance that is different from the first appearance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the media system a direction of movement of the wand based on the received output, wherein at least one of the performing the first media application operation and the performing the second media application operation is based on the determined direction of movement.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining with the media system a particular type of movement of the wand based on the received output, wherein at least one of the performing the first media application operation and the performing the second media application operation is based on the determined particular type of movement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the edge comprises a left edge of the display;

the first media application operation comprises a rewind operation; and

the second media application operation comprises a skip to previous operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the edge comprises a right edge of the display;

the first media application operation comprises a fast forward operation; and

the second media application operation comprises a skip to next operation.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the determined particular type of movement comprises a flicking of the wand.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media application operation includes advancing through a current media item and the second media application operation includes advancing from the current media item to a next media item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the respective location is beyond the display includes determining whether the respective location to which the wand is pointing has transitioned from the first portion of the display to beyond the display.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first indication when the first media application operation is being performed; and

displaying a second indication when the second media application operation is being performed, the second indication being different from the first indication.

6. A media system in communication with a display and a wand, the media system operative to:

receive a transmission from the wand, the received transmission comprising an output of at least one motion detection component incorporated in the wand while the wand is pointing along a major axis of the wand to a respective location in a plane that corresponds to the display; and

in response to receiving the transmission from the wand;

determine whether the respective location is at a first portion of the display that is adjacent to the edge of the display, or beyond the display and adjacent to the edge of the display;

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is at the first portion of the display that is adjacent to the edge of the display, perform a first media application operation while a cursor is displayed on the display with a first appearance; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is beyond the display and adjacent to the edge of the display, perform a second media application operation that is different from the first media application operation while the cursor is displayed on the display with a second appearance that is different from the first appearance.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is further operative to:

determine with the media system a direction of movement of the wand based on the received output, wherein at least one of the performing the first media application operation and the performing the second media application operation is based on the determined direction of movement.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is further operative to determine with the media system a particular type of movement of the wand based on the received output, wherein at least one of the performing the first media application operation and the performing the second media application operation is based on the determined particular type of movement.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the edge comprises a left edge of the display;

the first media application operation comprises a rewind operation; and

the second media application operation comprises a skip to previous operation.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the edge comprises a right edge of the display;

the first media application operation comprises a fast forward operation; and

the second media application operation comprises a skip to next operation.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the determined particular type of movement comprises a flicking of the wand.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein the first media application operation includes advancing through a current media item and the second media application operation includes advancing from the current media item to a next media item.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein determining whether the respective location is beyond the display includes determining whether the respective location to which the wand is pointing has transitioned from the first portion of the display to beyond the display.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is further operative to:

display a first indication when the first media application operation is being performed; and

display a second indication when the second media application operation is being performed, the second indication being different from the first indication.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising one or more programs that, when executed by a media system in communication with a wand and a display, cause the media system to:

receive with the media system a transmission from the wand, the received transmission comprising an output of at least one motion detection component incorporated in the wand while the wand is pointing along a major axis of the wand to a respective location in a plane that corresponds to the display;

in response to receiving the transmission from the wand;

determine whether the respective location is at a first portion of the display that is adjacent to the edge of the display, or beyond the display and adjacent to the edge of the display;

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is at the first portion of the display that is adjacent to the edge of the display, perform a first media application operation while a cursor is displayed on the display with a first appearance; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is beyond the display and adjacent to the edge of the display, perform a second media application operation that is different from the first media application operation while the cursor is displayed on the display with a second appearance that is different from the first appearance.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the medium includes one or more programs that, when executed by the media system in communication with the wand and the display, cause the media system to:

determine with the media system a direction of movement of the wand based on the received output, wherein at least one of the performing the first media application operation and the performing the second media application operation is based on the determined direction of movement.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the medium includes one or more programs that, when executed by the media system in communication with the wand and the display, cause the media system to determine with the media system a particular type of movement of the wand based on the received output, wherein at least one of the performing the first media application operation and the performing the second media application operation is based on the determined particular type of movement.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein:

the edge comprises a left edge of the display;

the first media application operation comprises a rewind operation; and

the second media application operation comprises a skip to previous operation.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein:

the edge comprises a right edge of the display;

the first media application operation comprises a fast forward operation; and

the second media application operation comprises a skip to next operation.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the determined particular type of movement comprises a flicking of the wand.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first media application operation includes advancing through a current media item and the second media application operation includes advancing from the current media item to a next media item.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein determining whether the respective location is beyond the display includes determining whether the respective location to which the wand is pointing has transitioned from the first portion of the display to beyond the display.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the medium includes one or more programs that, when executed by the media system in communication with the wand and the display, cause the media system to:

display a first indication when the first media application operation is being performed; and

display a second indication when the second media application operation is being performed, the second indication being different from the first indication.