Remote control device

• US 9,414,125 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Booth, Cory J., Bell, Genevieve
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/818,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.5, 340/12.22, 340/5.64, 341/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/20 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/635 Overlay text, e.g. embedded captions in a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 : PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42222 : 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 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 : Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 : Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 : Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 : Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 : Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 : involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63 : Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 : Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 : Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor

Abstract

An apparatus may include a housing that has a substantially equiaxed shape. The apparatus may include a motion sensor that detects a rotational state of the apparatus and a processor that produces control signals based upon the rotational state. The control signals may control operation of an external device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing comprising a substantially equiaxed shape, the housing comprising a plurality of cube faces;

a motion sensor arranged to detect a rotational state of the housing; and

a processor arranged to produce control signals based upon the rotational state, the control signals to control operation of an external device and to include an indication to rotate a virtual cube in response to a rotation of the housing, the virtual cube comprising a plurality of virtual cube faces, each one of the plurality of cube faces corresponding to a different one of the plurality of virtual cube faces.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a set of accelerometers to determine an acceleration state of the housing in at least one direction;

and a set of gyroscopes to determine an orientation state of the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising, a transmitter arranged to wirelessly transmit the control signals to the external device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the external device comprising at least one of a display and an audio device, the external device being arranged to change at least one of audio output and an image presented on the display in response to the control signals transmitted from the transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a first and second button disposed on a surface of the housing, wherein the first button has a different tactile quality than the second button.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, the first button comprising a concave shape and the second button comprising a convex shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, each of the plurality of virtual cube faces providing one or more icons that each represent a portion of a matrix of selections, the transmitter arranged to transmit the control signal to direct an operation by selecting an icon when that icon is displayed on an active virtual cube face of the virtual cube.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, the display arranged to show a virtual space, wherein movement of the housing changes perspective in the virtual space.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a virtual dial arranged to control one or more functions on an external device, wherein a maximum of the virtual dial is defined by an absolute rotational position of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising one or more selection devices arranged on a surface of the housing to receive user input, wherein the apparatus is arranged to inactivate the selection devices during motion of the housing.

11. A system, comprising;

a housing of a remote control having a substantially equiaxed shape, the housing comprising a plurality of cube faces;

a sensor arranged to detect a rotational state of the remote control;

a selection device disposed on a surface of the housing; and

a processor arranged to control visual appearance of a virtual cube in response to changes in the rotational state of the remote control, the virtual cube comprising a plurality of virtual cube faces, each one of the plurality of cube faces corresponding to a different one of the plurality of virtual cube faces.

12. The system of claim 11, the remote control comprising

a set of accelerometers to determine an acceleration state of the apparatus in at least one direction;

a set of gyroscopes to determine an orientation state of the apparatus; and

a transmitter arranged to wirelessly transmit control signals to a display upon which the virtual cube is displayed, the control signals based upon one or more of the acceleration state and orientation state.

13. The system of claim 12, each of the plurality of virtual cube faces providing one or more icons that each represent a portion of a matrix of selections, the transmitter arranged to transmit control signals to:

direct an operation by selecting an icon when that icon is displayed on an active virtual cube face of the virtual cube.

14. The system of claim 11, the remote control comprising a virtual dial arranged to control one or more functions on the display, wherein a maximum of the virtual dial is defined by a rotational position of the apparatus.

15. The system of claim 11, comprising a cradle arranged to provide tracking navigational capability to the remote control when the remote control is placed in the cradle.

16. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to:

receive motion information at a first instance of a remote control device, the remote control device comprising a housing having a plurality of cube faces;

send at least one control directive to a wireless transceiver to wirelessly transmit first control signals based upon the detected motion to an external device so as to control one or more functions in the external device when the detected motion is above a first threshold, the first control signals to control motion of a virtual cube displayed on the external device, the virtual cube comprising a plurality of virtual cube faces, each one of the plurality of cube faces corresponding to a different one of the plurality of virtual cube faces; and

send control directives to the wireless transceiver to wirelessly transmit at a second instance second control signals based upon a selection received from a user interface of the remote control device when detected motion of the remote control device is below a second threshold.

17. The article of claim 16, containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to receive motion information including one or more of:

acceleration values received from a set of accelerometers in the remote control device, and rotational values received from a set of gyroscopes in the remote control device.

18. The article of claim 16, the virtual cube arranged to present an active face, the article comprising instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to send control directives to the wireless transmitter to:

transmit the second control signals to choose a selection displayed upon the active face of the virtual cube.

19. The article of claim 16, containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to:

determine a first rotational position of the remote control device;

determine a reference rotational position of the remote control device; and

produce an intensity of a first control signal that is proportional to a difference between the first rotational position and the reference rotational position.

20. The article of claim 16 containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to set a maximum signal intensity of the first control signals that corresponds to a predetermined rotational position of the remote control device.

21. The article of claim 16 containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to:

detect a trigger signal from a user interface of the remote control device during the detecting the motion at the first instance;

map the trigger signal to a specified function to be controlled; and

direct control signals to control the specified function in the external device.

22. A method, comprising:

detecting motion at a first instance of a remote control device within said remote control device, the remote control device comprising a housing having a plurality of cube faces;

wirelessly transmitting first control signals based upon the detected motion to an external device so as to control one or more functions in the external device when the detected motion is above a first threshold, the first control signals to control motion of a virtual cube displayed on the external device, the virtual cube comprising a plurality of virtual cube faces, each one of the plurality of cube faces corresponding to a different one of the plurality of virtual cube faces; and

wirelessly transmitting at a second instance second control signals based upon a selection received from a user interface of the remote control device when detected motion of the remote control device is below a second threshold.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising detecting one or more of:

acceleration values received from a set of accelerometers in the remote control device, and rotational values received from a set of gyroscopes in the remote control device.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising:

determining a first rotational position of the remote control device;

determining a reference rotational position of the remote control device; and

producing an intensity of a first control signals that is proportional to a difference between the first rotational position and the reference rotational position.

25. The method of claim 22, the virtual cube arranged to present an active face, the method comprising transmitting the second control signals to choose a selection displayed upon the active face of the virtual cube.

26. The method of claim 22, comprising:

detecting a trigger signal from a user interface of the remote control device during the detecting the motion at the first instance;

mapping the trigger signal to a specified function to be controlled; and

directing control signals to control the specified function in the external device.