User action remote control

• US 9,513,718 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computime Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Computime Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Ha, Wai-leung, Lei, Kairy Kai, Qian, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ipakchi, Maryam
• Application Number:
  US12/051,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20090241052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,184 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/740
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/10 Power supply of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• 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

Abstract

The present invention supports the control of a plurality of controlled devices. With three dimensional accelerometer components, detection of a user action on a remote controller and the orientation of the remote controller are viable through small electronic devices. Aspects of the invention are based on the three dimensional accelerometer components to provide a remote controller that can detect the user action. Based on the user action, the remote controller transmits a signal to the controlled device which conveys the corresponding command. A selected controlled device may be matched to the remote controller. The remote controller and controlled device may also support a learning mode, in which the controlled device sends a list of supported commands to the remote controller. The remote controller then matches an associated action with each command in the command list.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer configured to sense motion of the apparatus;

a transmitter;

a receiver cooperatively coupled to the transmitter to operate as a transceiver;

a processor configured to;

select a first selected device from a plurality of controlled devices;

receive a received signal with a first predetermined command list containing a plurality of commands from the first selected device through the receiver of the apparatus over a two-way communications channel, wherein the plurality of commands are supported by the first selected device to control the first selected device;

map a plurality of user actions with the plurality of commands in the first predetermined command list;

receive accelerometer data from the accelerometer;

determine a first orientation of the apparatus from the accelerometer data;

determine a user action applied to the apparatus by a user from the accelerometer data, wherein the user action is one of the plurality of user actions;

convert the user action to a first command for the first selected device, wherein the first command is included in the first predetermined command list;

determine an amount of acceleration from the accelerometer data;

adjust a level of the first command based on the amount of acceleration; and

the transmitter electrically coupled to the processor and configured to transmit a transmitted signal containing command information indicative of the first command to the first selected device, wherein the first selected device is controlled by the apparatus.