Information processing system, remote maneuvering unit and method thereof, control unit and method thereof, program, and recording medium

• US 7,760,188 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Hirokazu, Higashiyama, Satoru, Yoshio, Taichi, Takahashi, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder; Adam J
• Application Number:
  US11/002,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 345/158, 345/169, 345/7, 345/167, 348/734, 455/556.2, 744/733.1, 744/733.2, 744/731.8, 200/61.54
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A remote controller has a touch panel. Multiple items are shown on a display. A user draws a line on the touch panel in the direction where the item is desired to select by moving the finger, for example. The remote controller determines the direction of the drawn line, and transmits the signal indicating the direction to a control unit. The control unit determines the item disposed in the direction indicated by the signal, and executes a process associated with that determined item. The process is executed in this manner, and thus an instruction is made to given devices. The invention can be applied to a car navigation system.

Claims

1. An information processing system in a vehicle at least comprising:

an information processing unit;

a remote maneuvering unit for instructing the information processing unit; and

a control unit for transmitting an instruction from the remote maneuvering unit to the information processing unit,

wherein the remote maneuvering unit includes;

a sensing module for sensing a location touched by a user;

a determining module for determining a figure formed by sequentially connecting the locations sensed by the sensing module, wherein when the determining module determines that the figure is a line, the determining module further determines a direction of the line and the direction results in a determined result;

a detecting module mounted on a rotating member for detecting an angle at which the member rotates;

a correcting module for correcting a direction determined by the determining module in accordance with the angle detected by the detecting module; and

a transmitting module for transmitting the determined result by the determining module to the control unit,

the control unit includes;

a receiving module for receiving the determined result transmitted by the transmitting module; and

an outputting module for determining a process for shifting gears of a transmission of the vehicle, the process being associated with the determined result received by the receiving module and outputting data indicating the process to the information processing unit, and

the information processing unit includes;

an executing module for inputting the data outputted by the outputting module and executing the process indicated by the data.

2. An information processing system in a vehicle at least comprising:

an information processing unit; and

a remote maneuvering unit for instructing the information processing unit,

wherein the remote maneuvering unit includes;

a sensing module for sensing a location touched by a user;

a first determining module for determining a figure formed by sequentially connecting the locations sensed by the sensing module, wherein when the first determining module determines that the figure is a line, the first determining module further determines a direction of the line and the direction results in a determined result;

a detecting module mounted on a rotating member for detecting an angle at which the member rotates;

a correcting module for correcting a direction determined by the determining module in accordance with the angle detected by the detecting module; and

a transmitting module for transmitting the determined result by the first determining module to the information processing unit, and

the information processing unit includes;

a receiving module for receiving the determined result transmitted by the transmitting module;

a second determining module for determining a process for shifting gears of a transmission of the vehicle, the process being associated with the determined result received by the receiving module; and

an executing module for executing the process determined by the second determining module.

3. An information processing system in a vehicle at least comprising:

an information processing unit; and

a remote maneuvering unit for instructing the information processing unit,

wherein the remote maneuvering unit includes;

a sensing module for sensing a location touched by a user;

a determining module for determining a figure formed by sequentially connecting the locations sensed by the sensing module, wherein when the determining module determines that the figure is a line, the determining module further determines a direction of the line and the direction results in a determined result;

a detecting module mounted on a rotating member for detecting an angle at which the member rotates;

a correcting module for correcting a direction determined by the determining module in accordance with the angle detected by the detecting module; and

a transmitting module for further determining a corresponding process for shifting gears of a transmission of the vehicle from the determined result by the determining module, and creating and transmitting a signal indicating the process, and

the information processing unit includes;

a receiving module for receiving the signal transmitted by the transmitting module; and

an executing module for executing the process indicated by the signal received by the receiving module.

4. A control unit in a vehicle for controlling sending and receiving data between an information processing unit in the vehicle and a remote maneuvering unit for instructing the information processing unit, the control unit comprising:

a receiving module for receiving information about a figure drawn by a user from the remote maneuvering unit;

a determining module for determining a figure represented by the information received by the receiving module, wherein when the determining module determines that the figure is a line, the determining module further determines a direction of the line and the direction results in a determined result;

a detecting module mounted on a rotating member for detecting an angle at which the member rotates;

a correcting module for correcting a direction determined by the determining module in accordance with the angle detected by the detecting module; and

an outputting module for determining data indicating a process for shifting gears of a transmission of the vehicle, the process being associated with the figure determined by the determining module and outputting the data to the information processing unit.

5. The control unit according to claim 4 further comprising an acquiring module for acquiring data associated with data indicating the figure and the process from the information processing unit.

6. A control method of a control unit in a vehicle for controlling sending and receiving data between an information processing unit in the vehicle and a remote maneuvering unit mounted on a rotating member of the vehicle for instructing the information processing unit, the control method comprising:

an input controlling step of controlling input of information from the remote maneuvering unit, the information received by a receiving module for receiving information about a figure drawn by a user;

a determining step of determining a figure represented by the information, input of the information controlled at the process of the input controlling step and, when it is determined that the figure is a line, determining a direction of the line;

a detecting step of detecting an angle at which the rotating member rotates;

a correcting step of correcting a direction determined in the determining step in accordance with the angle detected in the detecting step; and

an output controlling step of determining data indicating a process for shifting gears of a transmission of the vehicle, the process being associated with the figure determined at the process of the determining step and controlling output of the data to the information processing unit.

7. A program encoded on a computer readable medium that, when executed by a computer, caused the computer to perform a process,

wherein the computer controls a control unit in a vehicle for controlling sending and receiving data between an information processing unit in the vehicle and a remote maneuvering unit mounted on a rotating member of the vehicle for instructing the information processing unit,

the process including:

an input controlling step of controlling input of information from the remote maneuvering unit, the information received by a receiving module for receiving information about a figure drawn by a user;

a determining step of determining a figure represented by the information, input of the information controlled at the process of the input controlling step and, when it is determined that the figure is a line, determining a direction of the line;

a detecting step of detecting an angle at which the rotating member rotates;

a correcting step of correcting a direction determined in the determining step in accordance with the angle detected in the detecting step; and

an output controlling step of determining data indicating a process for shifting gears of the transmission of the vehicle, the process being associated with the figure determined at the process of the determining step and controlling output of the data to the information processing unit.

8. A recording medium recorded with a program readable by a computer for controlling a control unit in a vehicle for controlling sending and receiving data between an information processing unit in the vehicle and a remote maneuvering unit mounted on a rotating member of the vehicle for instructing the information processing unit, the recording medium comprising:

an input controlling step of controlling input of information from the remote maneuvering unit, the information received by a receiving module for receiving information about a figure drawn by a user;

a determining step of determining a figure represented by the information, input of the information controlled at the process of the input controlling step and, when it is determined that the figure is a line, determining a direction of the line;

a detecting step of detecting an angle at which the rotating member rotates;

a correcting step of correcting a direction determined in the determining step in accordance with the angle detected in the detecting step; and

an output controlling step of determining data indicating a process for shifting gears of the transmission of the vehicle, the process being associated with the figure determined at the process of the determining step and controlling output of the data to the information processing unit.