User interface with position awareness

• US 9,474,134 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Knibbe, Engel Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US12/097,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,597 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/17, 700/83, 700/302, 700/FOR.103, 307/117, 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 362/233, 362/276, 362/802
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• 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: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices

Abstract

A remote control device (100) for controlling lighting systems includes a sensor (155) configured to determine a location of the remote control device (100) in relation to the lighting systems (115). A controller (145) is configured to determine a nearest light source (120) of the lighting systems (115) relative to the location of the remote control device (100) and to control this nearest light source (120). The controller (145) is configured to change a configuration of the remote control device (100) in response to changing its location. A transceiver (105) transmit a signal to multiple light sources (120) which measure the strength and/or time of flight of this signal for use in determining the location of the remote control device (100). The light sources (120) provide the remote control device (100) with identifying information unique to each one of them including their locations.

Claims

1. A remote control device for controlling lighting systems, said remote control device comprising:

a sensor operable with a controller to determine a relative location of said remote control device in relation to said lighting systems from signals emitted by individual lighting sources of said lighting systems;

said controller in said remote control device further to identify, based on the signals emitted by the individual lighting sources, a light source nearest to said location of said remote control device, and to identify, based on the nearest light source, a group of light sources that includes the nearest light source;

a memory configured to store different presets associated with different groups of light sources, the presets including parameters related to desired illumination for individual light sources of the different groups of light sources;

wherein said controller is configured to change a configuration of said remote control device in accordance with presets associated with the identified group of light sources in the memory to become operable to control the identified group of light sources in accordance with the associated presets;

wherein said at least one light attribute includes at least one of positive light intensity, hue, and color.

2. A remote control device for controlling lighting systems, said remote control device comprising:

a sensor operable with a controller to determine a relative location of said remote control device in relation to said lighting systems from signals emitted by individual lighting sources of said lighting systems;

said controller in said remote control device further to identify, based on the signals emitted by the individual lighting sources, a light source nearest to said location of said remote control device, and to identify, based on the nearest light source, a group of light sources that includes the nearest light source;

wherein said controller is configured to change a configuration of said remote control device in accordance with presets associated with the identified group of light sources to become operable to control at least one light attribute of the identified group of light sources in accordance with the associated presets;

wherein said at least one light attribute includes at least one of positive light intensity, hue, and color.

3. A position aware remote control comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive lamp signals emitted by a plurality of light fixtures;

a sensor configured to determine, based on the received lamp signals, a location of the remote control relative to the plurality of light fixtures and locations of individual light fixtures of the plurality of light fixtures; and

a controller configured to;

identify, based on the location of the remote control and the locations of the individual light fixtures, a light fixture that is nearest to the remote control;

identify, based on the nearest light fixture, a set of light fixtures of which the nearest light fixture is a member;

identify presets associated with the set of light fixtures, the presets including parameters related to desired illumination for individual light sources of the set of light sources;

render, on a touch sensitive display, a user interface that is operable to control at least one lighting attribute across the set of light sources in accordance with the identified presets.