ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH SENSING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR INTERPRETING OFFSET GESTURES
First Claim
1. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
- providing as part of the electronic device a display screen for displaying content and a sensing assembly including at least one photoreceiver and a plurality of phototransmitters, wherein each phototransmitter is positioned to emit infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, wherein each central transmission axis is oriented in a different direction with respect to the others;
controlling emission of infrared light by each of the phototransmitters during each of a plurality of time periods as an external object moves in a first specified pattern of movement which is offset from a generally centered position with respect to the sensing assembly;
for each of the phototransmitters and for each of the plurality of time periods, generating a corresponding measured signal indicative of a respective amount of infrared light which originated from that phototransmitter during that time period and was reflected by the external object prior to being received by a photoreceiver;
evaluating the measured signals to identify the first specified pattern of movement of the object, and to detect a reference offset location corresponding to an end of the first specified pattern of movement of the object;
performing a centering operation in response to the identification of the first specified pattern of movement, wherein the centering operation moves an indicator to a predetermined reference location on the display screen, wherein the predetermined reference location is then associated with the reference offset location; and
subsequently controlling sequential locations of the indicator on the display screen in accordance with further determined locations of the object relative to the reference offset location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for controlling an electronic device includes providing as part of the electronic device a display screen for displaying content and a sensing assembly including at least one photoreceiver and a plurality of phototransmitters, wherein each phototransmitter is positioned to emit infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, wherein each central transmission axis is oriented in a different direction with respect to the others. Emission of infrared light by each of the phototransmitters is controlled during each of a plurality of time periods as an external object moves in a first specified pattern of movement and then moves in a second specified pattern of movement which is offset from a generally centered position with respect to the sensing assembly, and measured signals are generated. The measured signals are evaluated to identify the first specified pattern of movement of the object, to detect a reference offset location corresponding to an end of the first specified pattern of movement of the object, and to determine, for each of a group of time periods when the object is moving in the second specified pattern of movement, a corresponding location of the object during that time period. A centering operation is performed in response to the identification of the first specified pattern of movement, wherein the centering operation moves an indicator to an initial predetermined reference location on the display screen, wherein the predetermined reference location is then associated with the reference offset location; and sequential locations of the indicator on the display screen are controlled in accordance with the corresponding determined locations of the object relative to the reference offset location.
184 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
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providing as part of the electronic device a display screen for displaying content and a sensing assembly including at least one photoreceiver and a plurality of phototransmitters, wherein each phototransmitter is positioned to emit infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, wherein each central transmission axis is oriented in a different direction with respect to the others; controlling emission of infrared light by each of the phototransmitters during each of a plurality of time periods as an external object moves in a first specified pattern of movement which is offset from a generally centered position with respect to the sensing assembly; for each of the phototransmitters and for each of the plurality of time periods, generating a corresponding measured signal indicative of a respective amount of infrared light which originated from that phototransmitter during that time period and was reflected by the external object prior to being received by a photoreceiver; evaluating the measured signals to identify the first specified pattern of movement of the object, and to detect a reference offset location corresponding to an end of the first specified pattern of movement of the object; performing a centering operation in response to the identification of the first specified pattern of movement, wherein the centering operation moves an indicator to a predetermined reference location on the display screen, wherein the predetermined reference location is then associated with the reference offset location; and subsequently controlling sequential locations of the indicator on the display screen in accordance with further determined locations of the object relative to the reference offset location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
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providing as part of the electronic device a display screen for displaying content and a sensing assembly including at least one phototransmitter and a plurality of photoreceivers, wherein the phototransmitter is positioned to emit infrared light away from the electronic device about a central transmission axis, and each photoreceiver is positioned to receive infrared light about a corresponding central receiving axis, wherein each central receiving axis is oriented in a different direction with respect to the others; controlling emission of infrared light by the phototransmitter during each of a plurality of time periods as an external object moves in a first specified pattern of movement wherein an end of the first specified pattern of movement is offset from a generally centered position with respect to the sensing assembly; for each of the plurality of photoreceivers and for each of the plurality of time periods, generating a corresponding measured signal indicative of a respective amount of infrared light which originated from the phototransmitter during the corresponding time period and was reflected by the external object prior to being received by the corresponding photoreceiver; evaluating the measured signals to identify the first specified pattern of movement of the object, and to detect a reference offset location corresponding to the end of the first specified pattern of movement; performing a centering operation in response to the identification of the first specified pattern of movement, wherein the centering operation moves an indicator to a predetermined reference location on the display screen, wherein the predetermined reference location is then associated with the reference offset location; and subsequently controlling sequential locations of the indicator on the display screen in accordance with further determined locations of the object relative to the reference offset location. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification