REMOTE CONTROL FOR SENSING MOVEMENT, IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING POINTER BY THE REMOTE CONTROL, AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090072992A1
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YUN, Hyun-kyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.220
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• 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: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A remote control is provided including a plurality of sensors which sense movement of the remote control, and a control unit which turns on at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors and thereby senses movement of the remote control, and determines whether to turn on or off the remaining sensors according to whether or not the at least one sensor senses movement of the remote control. Consequently, battery consumption is reduced.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a plurality of sensors which sense movement of the remote control; and

a control unit which turns on at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors and thereby senses movement of the remote control, and determines whether to turn on or off the remaining sensors according to whether or not the at least one sensor senses movement of the remote control.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the control unit turns on the remaining sensors if a signal level output from the at least one sensor is higher than a reference signal level.

3. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising:

an analog to digital converter (ADC) which converts analog signals output from the sensors into digital signals; and

a transmission unit which converts the converted digital signals into transmittable signals and transmits the transmittable signals.

4. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the sensors comprise gyro sensors, acceleration sensors, and terrestrial magnetism sensors.

5. An image display apparatus comprising:

a reception unit which receives a signal corresponding to movement of a remote control from the remote control;

a calculation unit which calculates a motion vector of the remote control using the received signal; and

a control unit which applies the calculated motion vector to coordinates of a pointer displayed on a display and thereby moves the location of the pointer.

6. A method for controlling a remote control comprising a plurality of sensors for sensing movement of the remote control in order to control an external device, the method comprising:

turning on at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors and thereby sensing movement of the remote control; and

determining whether to turn on or off the remaining sensors according to whether or not the at least one sensor senses movement of the remote control.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein in the determination, the remaining sensors are turned on if a signal level output from the at least one sensor is higher than a reference signal level.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

converting analog signals output from the plurality of sensors into digital signals if the plurality of sensors are turned on; and

converting the digital signals into transmittable signals and transmitting the transmittable signals to the external device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensors comprise gyro sensors, acceleration sensors, and terrestrial magnetism sensors.

10. A method of controlling a display using a pointer in an image display apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a signal corresponding to movement of a remote control from the remote control;

calculating a motion vector of the remote control using the received signal; and

applying the calculated motion vector to coordinates of a pointer displayed on a display and thereby moving the location of the pointer.

11. An image display system comprising an image display apparatus and a remote control,

wherein the remote control comprises:

a plurality of sensors which sense movement of the remote control;

a control unit which turns on at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors and thereby senses movement of the remote control, and determines whether to turn on or off the remaining sensors according to whether or not the at least one sensor senses movement of the remote control;

an analog to digital converter (ADC) which converts analog signals output from the sensors into digital signals; and

a transmission unit which converts the converted digital signals into transmittable signals and transmits the transmittable signals, and

wherein the image display apparatus comprises;

a display;

a reception unit which receives the signals from the remote control; and

a control unit which converts the received signals into displayable signals and displays the converted signals on the display.

12. A method of controlling an image display system including an image display apparatus and a remote control, which includes a plurality of sensors, the method comprising:

turning on at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors and thereby sensing movement of the remote control;

determining whether to turn on or off the remaining sensors according to whether or not the at least one sensor senses movement of the remote control;

converting analog signals output from the plurality of sensors into digital signals if the plurality of sensors are turned on;

converting the converted digital signals into transmittable signals and transmitting the transmittable signals to the image display apparatus; and

receiving the transmitted signals, converting the received signals into displayable signals and displaying the converted signals.