METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A COMPUTING SYSTEM

• US 20100141579A1
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elite Gaming Tech LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Durham Logistics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Orchard, John T., Uhlik, Christopher R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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

Abstract

A handheld computing device is introduced comprising a motion detection sensor(s) and a motion control agent. The motion detection sensor(s) detect motion of the computing device in one or more of six (6) fields of motion and generate an indication of such motion. The motion control agent, responsive to the indications of motion received from the motion sensors, generate control signals to modify, one or more of the operating state and/or the displayed content of the computing device based, at least in part, on the received indications.

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A method, comprising:

sensing motion of a device by a motion detection device;

generating, in response to said motion, a control signal substantially related to said motion to modify content being displayed by the device;

receiving input related to a position on a display screen by a pointer;

generating, in response to the received input, a second control signal; and

controlling the display screen in response to the first control signal or the second control signal.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the display screen includes a touch screen.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the sensing the motion includes sensing the motion in one or more of six fields of motion.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the sensing the motion includes:

sensing an initial motion that exceeds an initial motion threshold; and

sensing a complementary motion that exceeds a complementary motion threshold;

wherein the complementary motion includes a direction different from the initial motion.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the sensing the complementary motion includes sensing the complementary motion in a reverse direction to a direction of the initial motion.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the generating the first control signal includes generating a control signal to move a highlighted region from one icon to another icon on the display screen in response to an indication of motion in an x-field or a y-field, or complementary rotational motion about an x-axis or a y-axis.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the generating the first control signal includes generating a control signal to invoke an application associated with an icon denoted by a highlight in response to an indication of motion in the z-field, or complementary rotational motion about a z-axis.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein the generating the first control signal includes generating a control signal to display a subsequent page of content in response to indication of motion in the x-field, or complementary rotational motion about a y-axis.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the generating the first control signal includes generating a control signal to scroll displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the y-field, or complementary rotational motion about the x-axis.

43. The method of claim 34, wherein the generating the first control signal includes generating a control signal to zoom displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the z-field.

44. The method of claim 34, wherein the motion detection device and the pointer are simultaneously enabled.

45. The method of claim 34, wherein the motion detection device is within the device.

46. An apparatus, comprising:

means for sensing motion of a device;

means for generating, in response to said motion, at least one first control signal substantially related to said motion to modify content being displayed by the device;

means for receiving input related to a position on a display screen;

means for generating, in response to the received input, at least one second control signal; and

means for controlling the display screen in response to the at least one first control signal or the at least one second control signal.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for receiving includes a touch screen.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for sensing the motion includes means for sensing the motion in one or more of six fields of motion.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for sensing the motion includes:

means for sensing an initial motion that exceeds an initial motion threshold; and

means for sensing a complementary motion that exceeds a complementary motion threshold;

wherein the complementary motion is in a direction different from the initial motion.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the means for sensing the complementary motion includes means for sensing the complementary motion in a reverse direction to a direction of the initial motion.

51. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for generating the at least one first control signal includes means for generating a control signal to move a highlighted region from one icon to another icon on the display screen in response to indication of motion in an x-field or a y-field, or complementary rotational motion about an x-axis or a y-axis.

52. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for generating the at least one first control signal includes means for generating a control signal to invoke an application associated with an icon denoted by a highlight in response to an indication of motion in the z-field, or complementary rotational motion about a z-axis.

53. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for generating the at least one first control signal includes means for generating a control signal to display a subsequent page of content in response to indication of motion in the x-field, or complementary rotational motion about a y-axis.

54. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for generating the at least one first control signal includes means for generating a control signal to scroll displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the y-field, or complementary rotational motion about the x-axis.

55. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for generating the at least one first control signal includes means for generating a control signal to zoom displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the z-field.

56. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for sensing motion and the means for pointing are simultaneously enabled.

57. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for sensing motion are integral to the device.

58. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

sensing motion of a device;

generating, in response to said motion, at least one first control signal substantially related to said motion to modify content being displayed by the device;

receiving input related to a position on a display screen pointed to by a pointer;

generating, in response to the received input, at least one second control signal; and

controlling the display screen in response to the at least one first control signal or the at least one second control signal.

59. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise sensing the motion in one or more of six fields of motion.

60. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise:

sensing an initial motion that exceeds an initial motion threshold; and

sensing a complementary motion that exceeds a complementary motion threshold;

wherein the complementary motion is configured in a direction different from the initial motion.

61. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise sensing the complementary motion in a reverse direction to a direction of the initial motion.

62. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise generating a control signal to move a highlighted region from one icon to another icon on the display screen in response to indication of motion in an x-field or a y-field, or complementary rotational motion about an x-axis or a y-axis.

63. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise generating a control signal to invoke an application associated with an icon denoted by a highlight in response to an indication of motion in the z-field, or complementary rotational motion about a z-axis.

64. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise generating a control signal to display a subsequent page of content in response to indication of motion in the x-field, or complementary rotational motion about a y-axis.

65. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise generating a control signal to scroll displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the y-field, or complementary rotational motion about the x-axis.

66. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the operations further comprise generating a control signal to zoom displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the z-field.

67. The article of manufacture of claim 58, wherein the device and the pointer are simultaneously enabled.

68. An apparatus, comprising:

a motion detector configured to detect motion of a device;

a position detector configured to detect a position on a display selected by a pointer;

a controller configured to;

generate, in response to said motion, at least one first control signal substantially related to said motion to modify content being displayed by the device;

generate, in response to the position signal, at least one second control signal; and

control the display in response to the at least one first control signal or the at least one second control signal.

69. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the position detector includes a touch screen.

70. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the motion detector is further configured to detect motion in one or more of six fields of motion.

71. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the motion detector is further configured to:

sense an initial motion that exceeds an initial motion threshold; and

sense a complementary motion that exceeds a complementary motion threshold;

wherein the complementary motion is configured in a direction different from the initial motion.

72. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein the motion detector is further configured to sense the complementary motion in a reverse direction to a direction of the initial motion.

73. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to move a highlighted region from one icon to another icon on the display in response to indication of motion in an x-field or a y-field, or complementary rotational motion about an x-axis or a y-axis.

74. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to invoke an application associated with an icon denoted by a highlight in response to an indication of motion in the z-field, or complementary rotational motion about a z-axis.

75. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to display a subsequent page of content in response to indication of motion in the x-field, or complementary rotational motion about a y-axis.

76. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to scroll displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the y-field, or complementary rotational motion about the x-axis.

77. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to zoom displayed content of an application in response to indication of motion in the z-field.

78. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the motion detector and the position detector are simultaneously enabled.

79. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the motion detector is included in the device.

80. A method for controlling a computer device, the method comprising:

sensing motion of said computer-device by a motion detection device;

generating, in response to said motion, at least one first control signal substantially related to said motion for modifying content being displayed by the device;

receiving user input related to a position on a display screen by a pointing device;

generating, in response to the received user input, at least one second control signal; and

controlling the display screen in response to the at least one first control signal and the at least one second control signal;

wherein the motion detection device and the pointing device are simultaneously enabled.

81. The method of claim 80 wherein the pointing device is a touch screen.