Remote controller, remote control system and program

• US 9,544,524 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohki, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US12/855,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.22, 341/23, 345/172, 345/173, 715761-764, 715/765, 715/769, 715/773, 715/810
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

A user interface apparatus, a method for controlling a user interface apparatus, and a computer-readable medium are provided. The user interface apparatus includes a display unit comprising an object display area, the display unit displaying an object in the object display area; a detection area control unit that (1) defines a detection area for the object, the detection area including the object display area and having a size and a location, and (2) changes at least one of the size and the location of the detection area to create a modified detection area; and an activation detection unit that detects a position of a user activation. Furthermore, the detection area control unit changes the detection area after the activation detection unit detects the activation position as being within the detection area.

Claims

1. A user interface apparatus, comprising:

a mobile display unit comprising an object display area, wherein;

the mobile display unit displays a remote controller virtual object in the remote controller virtual object display area,

the remote controller virtual object comprises a plurality of control keys associated with different user interface functions for controlling a separate stationary display unit by the user pressing the plurality of control keys on the mobile display unit;

a detection area control unit that;

defines a detection area for each control key of the remote controller virtual object, wherein the detection area includes a size and a location within the remote controller virtual object display area; and

changes both the size and the location of the detection area of a respective control key of the plurality of control keys to create a modified detection area, wherein the modified detection area enlarges and redistributes the detection area of the respective control key of the plurality of control keys of the remote controller virtual object such that a user can control the stationary display unit by manipulating the plurality of control keys on the mobile display unit with minimized user input error while the user is concurrently viewing both the remote controller virtual object on the mobile display unit and associated content output on the stationary display unit; and

an activation detection unit that detects a position of a user activation and a drag operation from the position of the user activation;

wherein the detection area control unit changes the detection area of the respective control key after the activation detection unit detects the activation position as being within the detection area of the respective control key and detects that the drag operation ends outside of the detection area of the respective control key; and

wherein both the size and location of the detection area of the respective control key are changed based on a location of the activation position within the detection area of the respective control key and a location at which the drag operation ends outside of the detection area of the respective control key.

2. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile display unit changes at least one of the size and the location of the remote controller virtual object in the remote controller virtual object display area, based on the activation position, to create a modified remote controller virtual object.

3. The user interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mobile display unit modifies the remote controller virtual object to make an edge of the remote controller virtual object predetermined distance from the activation position.

4. The user interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mobile display unit modifies the remote controller virtual object such that a center of the remote controller virtual object is positioned at the activation position.

5. The user interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the mobile display unit further comprises a second object display area, the display unit displaying a second object in the second object display area;

the detection area control unit defines a second detection area for the second object, the second detection area including the second object display area and having a second size and a second location;

the display unit changes at least one of a size and a location of the second object in the second object display area, based on the modified remote controller virtual object, to create a second modified object; and

the detection area control unit changes at least one of the second size and the second location of the second detection area, based on the modified detection area, to create a modified second detection area.

6. The user interface apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the detection area has an area having a first value;

the second detection area has an area having a second value;

the modified detection area has an area having a third value;

the modified second detection area has an area having a fourth value; and

a sum of the first value and the second value equals a sum of the third value and the fourth value.

7. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit that transmits a processing instruction, the processing instruction being based on the activation position.

8. The user interface apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing instruction includes an instruction to display information associated with the remote controller virtual object.

9. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection area control unit:

determines whether the change in the at least one of the size and the location of the detection area exceeds a warning threshold value; and

generates a warning signal indicating that the change exceeds warning threshold value.

10. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection area control unit:

determines whether an initialization time has elapsed since the detection area control unit created the modified detection area; and

changes at least one of the size and the location of the modified detection area to create a reset detection area.

11. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection area includes only one remote controller virtual object.

12. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the size and the location of the detection area are changed without changing at least one of the size and the location of the remote controller virtual object in the remote controller virtual object display area.

13. A method for controlling a user interface apparatus comprising:

displaying a remote controller virtual object in a remote controller virtual object display area, wherein the remote controller virtual object comprises a plurality of control keys associated with different user interface functions for controlling a separate stationary display unit by the user pressing the plurality of control keys on the mobile display unit;

defining a detection area for each control key of the remote controller virtual object, the detection area including a size and a location within the remote controller virtual object display area;

detecting a position of a user activation and a drag operation from the position of the user activation; and

after detecting the activation position as being within the detection area of a respective control key of the plurality of control keys;

changing both the size and the location of the detection area of the respective control key to create a modified detection area, wherein the modified detection area enlarges and redistributes the detection area of the respective control key of the plurality of control keys of the remote controller virtual object such that a user can control the stationary display unit by manipulating the plurality of control keys on the mobile display unit with minimized user input error while the user is concurrently viewing both the remote controller virtual object on the mobile display unit and associated content output on the stationary display unit; and

generating a command signal;

wherein the at least one of the size and location of the detection area of the respective control key is changed based on a location of the activation position within the detection area of the respective control key and a location at which the drag operation ends outside of the detection area of the respective control key.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing at least one of the size and the location of the remote controller virtual object in the remote controller virtual object display area, based on the activation position, to create a modified remote controller virtual object comprising the plurality of enlarged and redistributed control keys.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a second object in the second object display area;

defining a second detection area for the second object, the second detection area including the second object display area and having a second size and a second location;

changing at least one of a size and a location of the second object in the second object display area, based on the modified remote controller virtual object, to create a second modified object; and

changing at least one of the second size and the second location of the second detection area, based on the modified detection area, to create a modified second detection area.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a processing instruction, the processing instruction being based on the activation position and including an instruction to display information associated with the remote controller virtual object.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the change in the at least one of the size and the location of the detection area exceeds a warning threshold value; and

generating a warning signal after determining that the change exceeds warning threshold value.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether an initialization time has elapsed since creation of the modified detection area; and

changing at least one of the size and the location of the modified detection area to create a reset detection area, the reset detection area having a predetermined size and a predetermined location.

19. A non transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodied in a storage device encoded with instructions which, when executed on a processor, perform a method for controlling a user interface apparatus, the method comprising:

generating a signal to display a remote controller virtual object in a remote controller virtual object display area of a mobile display unit, wherein the remote controller virtual object comprises a plurality of control keys associated with different user interface functions for controlling a separate stationary display unit by the user pressing the plurality of control keys on the mobile display unit;

generating a signal to define a detection area for each control key of the remote controller virtual object, the detection area including a size and a location within the remote controller virtual object display area;

generating a signal to change both the size and the location of the detection area of a respective control key of the plurality of control keys to create a modified detection area, wherein the modified detection area enlarges and redistributes the detection area of the respective control key of the plurality of control keys of the remote controller virtual object such that a user can control the stationary display unit by manipulating the plurality of control keys on the mobile display unit with minimized user input error while the user is concurrently viewing both the remote controller virtual object on the mobile display unit and associated content output on the stationary display unit;

generating a signal to detect a position of a user activation and a drag operation from the position of the user activation; and

determining from received signals that the activation position is within the detection area of the respective control key;

wherein the at least one of the size and location of the detection area of the respective control key is changed based on a location of the activation position within the detection area of the respective control key and a location at which the drag operation ends outside of the detection area of the respective control key.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises changing at least one of the size and the location of the remote controller virtual object in the remote controller virtual object display area, based on the activation position, to create a modified remote controller virtual object.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a processing instruction, the processing instruction being based on the activation position and including an instruction to display information associated with the remote controller virtual object.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the change in the at least one of the size and the location of the detection area exceeds a warning threshold value;

generating a warning signal determining that the change exceeds warning threshold value;

determining whether an initialization time has elapsed since creation of the modified detection area; and

changing at least one of the size and the location of the modified detection area to create a reset detection area, the reset detection area having a predetermined size and a predetermined location.