Electronic device and input method

• US 9,347,968 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Yagi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, HEZRON
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shabman, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US14/140,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/02 of speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device includes a storage unit that stores reference data for executing each of functions, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration of the electronic device in at least two axes perpendicular to each other, a motion detection unit that detects a consecutive motion of the electronic device based on the acceleration of the electronic device and generates data of the detected motion of the electronic device, a correction range determination unit that determines a correction range based on data of a motion in a predetermined section of the data of the motion of the electronic device, a correction unit that corrects the motion of the electronic device to a rectilinear motion when the motion of the electronic device is in the correction range, and an execution control unit that judges each of the functions to be executed based on the motion of the electronic device and the reference data.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an acceleration sensor configured to detect acceleration of the electronic device;

a motion detection unit configured to detect a motion of the electronic device on the basis of an acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor and generate data of the detected motion of the electronic device;

a correction range determination unit configured to determine a reference direction and a reference position on the basis of data of a motion in a predetermined section, among the data of the motion of the electronic device generated by the motion detection unit, and determine a correction range which has, as boundaries, a plurality of straight lines intersecting a straight line with a predetermined angle in the reference direction at the reference position; and

a correction unit configured to correct the data of the motion of the electronic device when the motion of the electronic device detected by the motion detection unit is in the correction range determined by the correction range determination unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the correction range determination unit determines the reference direction and the reference position in a three-dimensional space, and sets, as the correction range, an inside of a cone which has the reference position as a vertex, the straight line in the reference direction as a generatrix, and the predetermined threshold angle as an angle of a lateral surface for the generatrix.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising a coordinate system determination unit configured to judge a gravity direction on the basis of acceleration of the electronic device detected by the acceleration sensor, and determine a reference coordinate system having the judged gravity direction as one axis,

wherein the motion detection unit detects the motion of the electronic device in the reference coordinate system.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit,

wherein the coordinate system determination unit determines the reference coordinate system on the basis of a direction to which a display surface of the display unit faces and the gravity direction.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a contact detection unit that detects whether or not there is a contact by a user,

wherein the motion detection unit detects a motion of the electronic device only when the contact detection unit detects a contact.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the correction unit corrects the data of the motion of the electronic device to a rectilinear motion in the reference direction when the motion of the electronic device detected by the motion detection unit is in the correction range determined by the correction range determination unit.

7. An input method comprising:

detecting a motion of an electronic device on the basis of acceleration of the electronic device detected by an acceleration sensor which detects acceleration of the electronic device, and generating data of the detected motion of the electronic device;

determining a reference direction and a reference position on the basis of data of a motion in a predetermined section, among the generated data of the motion of the electronic device, and determining a correction range which has, as boundaries, a plurality of straight lines intersecting a straight line with a predetermined angle in the reference direction at the reference position; and

correcting the data of the motion of the electronic device when the detected motion of the electronic device is in the determined correction range.