PORTABLE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, OPERATION CONTROL METHOD, OPERATION CONTROL PROGRAM, SIGNAL GENERATION APPARATUS AND SIGNAL GENERATION METHOD

• US 20080027671A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Sano, Akane, Inoue, Makoto, Tamori, Hirofumi, Ito, Hiroshi, Shirai, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/141
• 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

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus includes an acceleration detection unit, an evaluation-signal generation unit, and a control unit. The acceleration detection unit is configured to detect an acceleration generated in the portable electronic apparatus. The evaluation-signal generation unit is configured to carry out a predetermined process based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of the acceleration. The control unit is configured to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of the evaluation signal and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of the result of determination.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

an acceleration detection unit configured to detect an acceleration generated in said portable electronic apparatus;

an evaluation-signal generation unit configured to carryout a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

a control unit configured to produce a result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of said evaluation signal and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination.

2. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit produces a result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of conditions concerning the amplitude, time and positive or negative polarity of said evaluation signal.

3. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit carries out:

a 0-cross interval measurement process to measure a 0-cross interval between two consecutive 0 crosses of said evaluation signal;

a peak-value detection process to detect a peak value appearing between said 0 crosses; and

a determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not one of back-and-forth motions of said predetermined movement has been made on the basis of whether the 0-cross interval and the peak value detected by said 0-cross interval measurement process and said peak-value detection process are values within ranges determined in advance.

4. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit carries out:

a 0-cross interval measurement process to measure a 0-cross interval between two consecutive 0 crosses of said evaluation signal;

a peak-value detection process to detect a peak value appearing between said 0 crosses;

a peak-value timing detection process to detect the timing of detection of said peak value;

a 0-cross interval determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a first 0-cross interval measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process has a value within a 0-cross interval range determined in advance;

said 0-cross interval determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a second 0-cross interval measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process after said first 0-cross interval has a value within said 0-cross interval range;

a peak-value determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a first peak value detected in said peak-value detection process during said first 0-cross interval is within a peak-value range determined in advance;

said peak-value determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a second peak value detected in said peak-value detection process during said second 0-cross interval is within said peak-value range;

a first movement determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the first one of back-and-forth motions of said predetermined movement has been made on the basis of said determination result produced in said 0-cross interval determination process carried out for said first 0-cross interval and said determination result produced in said peak-value determination process for said first peak value;

a second movement determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the second one of back-and-forth motions of said predetermined movement has been made on the basis of said determination result produced in said 0-cross interval determination process carried out for said second 0-cross interval and said determination result produced in said peak-value determination process for said second peak value;

a timing determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a difference in timing between said first and second peak values is within a timing range determined in advance and a result of determination as to whether or not the polarity of said first peak value is opposite to the polarity of said second peak value if said determination results produced in said second movement determination process indicate that said first and second ones of said back-and-forth motions have been made; and

a back-and-forth motion determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not said back-and-forth motions have been made as said predetermined movement on the basis of said determination results produced in said timing determination process.

5. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit carries out:

a 0-cross interval measurement process to measure a 0-cross interval between two consecutive 0 crosses of said evaluation signal;

a peak-value detection process to detect a peak value appearing between said 0 crosses;

a peak-value timing detection process to detect the timing of detection of said peak value;

a first determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not 0-cross intervals measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process have values within a 0-cross interval range determined in advance;

a second determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not peak values detected in said peak-value detection process during said 0-cross interval are within peak-value ranges determined in advance;

a third determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a shake count has a value at least equal to 1;

a fourth determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the polarity of the first peak value is opposite to the polarity of the preceding peak value;

a fifth determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a difference in timing between the peak value and the preceding peak value has a value within a timing range determined in advance;

a shake-count value setting process to set said value of said shake count at 1 if said determination results produced in said first and second determination processes are both an affirmation result whereas said determination result produced in said third determination process is a negation result;

a shake-count value incrementing process to increment said value of said shake count by 1 if said determination results produced in all said first to fifth determination processes are each an affirmation result; and

a determination process to determine that a shake operation has been carried out if said shake count reaches a value determined in advance.

6. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation-signal generation unit generates said evaluation signal by:

computing the absolute value of a present acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit at the present point of time;

finding an average of absolute values each computed as the absolute value of an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit at one of points of time in a predetermined period of time in the past; and

subtracting said average from said absolute value of said present acceleration in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

7. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation-signal generation unit generates said evaluation signal by:

computing a sum of the absolute values of accelerations each detected by said acceleration detection unit at the present point of time as an acceleration in the direction of one of a plurality of axes;

finding an average of such sums each computed at one of points of time in a predetermined period of time in the past; and

subtracting said average from said sum computed at said present point of time in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

8. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit proceeds:

a first result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been put in a still state continuously for a predetermined period of time before being driven to make said predetermined movement on the basis of an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit; and

a second result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make said predetermined movement on the basis of said first result of determination.

9. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit determines as to whether or not:

said portable electronic apparatus has been put in a posture satisfying a predetermined condition before being driven to make said predetermined movement on the basis of an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit; and

said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make said predetermined movement on the basis of said result of determination.

10. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit carries out:

a 0-cross interval measurement process to measure a 0-cross interval between two consecutive 0 crosses of said evaluation signal;

a peak-value detection process to detect a peak value appearing between said 0 crosses;

a peak-value timing detection process to detect the timing of detection of said peak value;

a first determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not 0-cross intervals measured in said 0-cross interval measurement process have values within a 0-cross interval range determined in advance;

a second determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not peak values detected in said peak-value detection process during said 0-cross interval are within peak-value ranges determined in advance;

a third determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a shake count has a value at least equal to 1;

a fourth determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the polarity of the peak value is opposite to the polarity of the preceding peak value;

a fifth determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not a difference in timing between the peak value and the preceding peak values has a value within a timing range determined in advance;

a shake-count value setting process to set said value of said shake count at 1 if said determination results produced in said first and second determination processes are both an affirmation result whereas said determination result produced in said third determination process is a negation result;

a first shake-count value incrementing process to increment said value of said shake count by 1 if said determination results produced in all said first to fifth determination processes are each an affirmation result;

a sixth determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not said value of said shake count has become equal to a prescribed value determined in advance;

a seventh determination process to produce a result of determination as to whether or not an operation detection standby state has been continuing for a predetermined period of time if said determination result produced in said sixth determination process is an affirmation result;

a second shake-count value incrementing process to increment said value of said shake count by 1 after an affirmation determination result is produced by said sixth determination result if said determination results produced in said second and fifth determination processes are each an affirmation result; and

a determination process to determine that a shake operation has been carried out at a point of time an affirmation result is produced by said seventh determination process if said shake count reaches a value in a range between said prescribed value used as a lower limit and a predetermined upper limit.

11. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit turns on said acceleration detection unit under the condition determined in advance is satisfied.

12. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit executes control to carry out said predetermined operation if a result of determination indicates that said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement and executes control to prevent said predetermined operation from being carried out again during a predetermined period following execution of said predetermined operation.

13. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, said portable electronic apparatus further including a reproduction unit capable of reproducing a content from a storage medium, wherein:

said control unit is capable of executing control to switch a reproduction mode of a process carried out by said reproduction unit to reproduce a content from a storage medium from a normal reproduction mode to a shuffle reproduction mode or vice versa; and

when a result of determination indicates that said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement, said control unit executes said control to switch said reproduction mode from said normal reproduction mode to said shuffle reproduction mode or vice versa.

14. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein, when said reproduction mode is switched from said normal reproduction mode to said shuffle reproduction mode, said control unit controls said reproduction unit to start reproduction of a content other than a content being reproduced so far in said normal reproduction mode, and

when said reproduction mode is switched from said shuffle reproduction mode to said normal reproduction mode, on the other hand, said control unit controls said reproduction unit to continue reproduction of a content being reproduced so far in said shuffle reproduction mode.

15. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein said control unit keeps said acceleration detection unit in an on state while said reproduction unit is reproducing a content.

16. A control method adopted by a portable electronic apparatus having an acceleration detection unit for detecting an acceleration generated in said portable electronic apparatus, said control method comprising the steps of:

carrying out a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

producing a result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of said evaluation signal generated in said evaluation-signal generation procedure and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination.

17. A recording medium for recording a program that can be read by a computer employed in a portable electronic apparatus as a computer for executing said program to implement the steps of:

carrying out a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by an acceleration detection unit of said portable electronic apparatus in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

producing a result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of said evaluation signal generated in said evaluation-signal generation procedure and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination.

18. A signal generation apparatus for generating an evaluation signal by:

computing the absolute value of a present acceleration detected at the present point of time by an acceleration detection unit for detecting an acceleration;

finding an average of absolute values each computed as the absolute value of an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit at one of points of time in a predetermined period of time in the past; and

subtracting said average from said absolute value of said present acceleration in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

19. A signal generation method for generating an evaluation signal comprising the steps of:

computing the absolute value of a present acceleration detected at the present point of time by an acceleration detection unit for detecting an acceleration;

finding an average of absolute values each computed as the absolute value of an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit at one of points of time in a predetermined period of time in the past; and

subtracting said average from said absolute value of said present acceleration in order to give a value of said evaluation signal at said present point of time.

20. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

acceleration detection means for detecting an acceleration generated in said portable electronic apparatus;

evaluation-signal generation means for carrying out a predetermined process based on said acceleration detected by said acceleration detection means in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of said acceleration; and

control means for producing a result of determination as to whether or not said portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of said evaluation signal generated by said evaluation-signal generation means and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of said result of determination.