Reduction of power consumption in remote control electronics

• US 9,520,743 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, JEROLD B
• Application Number:
  US12/056,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,183 Days
• Field of Search: 341/33, 341/176, 348/14.05, 348/34, 200/600, 324658-724, 400/479.1, 400/499.1, 361/277
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A remote controlling device (100) is disclosed that includes one or more motion sensors (120, 130, 140) configured to sense a motion of the device. The remote control further includes a capacitive sensor (150) and a power source (405). The capacitive sensor selectively couples the power source to the one or more motion sensors.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a control interface within the housing, the control interface being capable of controlling an electronic component;

a power source within the housing;

a semiconductor microcontroller chip within the housing that is coupled to the power source;

a motion sensor within the housing, the motion sensor being coupled to the power source and detecting motion of the housing;

a capacitive sensor within the housing that senses when a user is holding the housing, the capacitive sensor including an amplifier having a first input coupled to a first capacitance and a second input coupled to a reference voltage, the capacitive sensor electrically coupling a human capacitance in parallel with the first capacitance when the user is holding the housing, the amplifier outputting to the semiconductor microcontroller chip a signal indicating whether a user is holding the housing; and

a switch within the housing, positioned external to the semiconductor microcontroller chip, that electrically couples the power source to the motion sensor when the user is holding the housing and completely electrically decouples power from the power source to the motion sensor when the capacitive sensor senses the user is not holding the housing,

wherein the semiconductor microcontroller chip is configured to adjust a frequency of communication (hertz) between the device and a second device being controlled by the device when the capacitive sensor senses the user is not holding the housing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a screen and the user'"'"'s movement of the device corresponds to moving one or more user selection devices on the screen.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is selected from the group comprising:

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope; and

a touchpad.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more wireless transmitting and receiving devices, wherein the capacitive sensor selectively couples the power source to the one or more wireless transmitting and receiving devices.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the switch electrically couples the power source to the motion sensor within a predetermined period of time after the housing is held by the user.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the capacitive sensor comprises traces on the PCB.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the PCB utilizes at least two different dielectric materials between the traces.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a housing, wherein the capacitive sensor is located along the periphery of the housing.

9. A broadcast receiver system, comprising:

a set-top box receiver;

a remote controlling device, including;

a housing;

a button;

a transmitter;

a battery;

an electronic semiconductor chip within the housing that is coupled to the battery;

a motion sensor coupled to the battery and configured to indicate a movement of the remote controlling device by a user with respect to a screen; and

a capacitive sensor within the housing that senses when a user is holding the housing, the capacitive sensor having;

a positive electrode;

a first negative electrode separated from the positive electrode by a first dielectric material;

a second negative electrode separated from the positive electrode by a second dielectric material; and

an overlay covering a least a portion of the positive electrode, the first negative electrode, and the second negative electrode; and

a switch within the housing, positioned external to the electronic semiconductor chip, that electrically couples the battery to the motion sensor when the user is holding the housing and completely electrically decouples power from the battery to the motion sensor when the capacitive sensor senses the user is not holding the housing,

wherein the electronic semiconductor chip is configured to adjust a frequency of communication (hertz) of the transmitter when the capacitive sensor senses the user is not holding the housing.

10. A method of operating a wireless remote control device, comprising:

generating, in a motion sensor coupled to the wireless remote control device, one or more signals indicative of a motion of the wireless remote control device;

transmitting the one or more signals to one or more remote electronic devices;

detecting a capacitance of a capacitor coupled to the wireless remote control device;

comparing the capacitance to an expected value, the expected value corresponding to a capacitance of the capacitor when a user is holding the remote control device;

entering a low power mode when the capacitance is not equal to the expected value;

and completely electrically decoupling power from a power source to the motion sensor by actuating a switch positioned external to an electronic semiconductor chip, while leaving the electronic semiconductor chip electrically coupled to the power source, when in the low power mode,

wherein entering a low power mode includes adjusting a frequency of communication (hertz) between the wireless remote control device and the one or more remote electronic devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting further comprises controlling the position of one or more user selection devices on a screen based on the motion of the remote control device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a touchpad.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein entering the low power mode further comprises enabling a reduced set of operations of a microprocessor.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying the capacitance based upon the detecting of the capacitance.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein entering the low power mode further comprises reducing data transmission from the remote control device.

16. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a control interface within the housing, the control interface being capable of controlling an electronic component;

a power source within the housing;

an electronic semiconductor chip within the housing that is coupled to the power source;

an accelerometer within the housing coupled to the power source, the accelerometer detecting motion of the housing;

a capacitive sensor within the housing, the capacitive sensor including an amplifier having a first input coupled to a first capacitance and a second input coupled to a reference voltage, the capacitive sensor electrically coupling a human capacitance in parallel with the first capacitance when the user is holding the housing, the amplifier outputting to the electronic semiconductor chip a signal indicating whether a user is holding the housing; and

a switch within the housing, positioned external to the electronic semiconductor chip, that electrically couples the power source to the accelerometer when the user is holding the housing and completely electrically decouples power from the power source to the accelerometer when the capacitive sensor senses the user is not holding the housing,

wherein the electronic semiconductor chip is configured to adjust a frequency of communication (hertz) between the device and a second device being controlled by the device when the capacitive sensor senses the user is not holding the housing.