Remote control for sensing movement, image display apparatus for controlling pointer by the remote control, and controlling method thereof

• US 8,462,011 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US12/048,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.24, 340/825.71, 340/825.72, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.32, 340/10.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.2, 340/572.4, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 340/10.51, 340/10.52, 340/10.41, 340/539.13, 340/870.11, 340/825.73, 340/7.21, 340/572, 340/505, 340/825.54, 340/825.34, 340/825.31, 340/825.49, 340/572.7, 340/12.22, 340/4.11, 340/825.63, 340/3.1, 455/4, 455/5, 455/6, 455/151, 455/352, 455/414.4, 358/194.1, 358/188, 345156-184, 345/419, 715/856, 715/863
• US Class Current: 340/815.6
• 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 controller comprising:

a first movement sensor operable to sense a first movement parameter of the remote controller, the first movement sensor outputting a first signal if the first movement sensor senses the first movement parameter of the remote controller,

a second movement sensor operable to sense a second movement parameter of the remote controller,

a control unit operable to control the second movement sensor to be deactivated so that the second movement sensor is in a power consumption saving mode, and to output a second signal to re-activate the second movement sensor if the control unit receives the first signal output from the first movement sensor while the second movement sensor is deactivated, and

a transmission unit which transmits data regarding at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to the image display apparatus to control a movement of a pointer displayed on an image display apparatus that is discrete from the remote controller.

2. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the control unit re-activates the second movement sensor if the first signal output from the first movement sensor is higher than a reference signal.

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

an analog to digital converter (ADC) which converts analog signals output from at least one of the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor into digital signals; and

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

4. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the first movement sensor comprises at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the second movement sensor comprises a remaining one of the gyro sensor and the acceleration sensor.

11. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the second movement sensor to be deactivated if the control unit does not receive the signal regarding the sensed first movement parameter of the remote controller from the first movement sensor and the signal regarding the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller from the second movement sensor.

12. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit converts the data regarding the at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to data for wireless transmission, and transmits the data for wireless transmission to the image display apparatus wirelessly.

13. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the second movement sensor is re-activated by the second signal in the deactivated state and remains in the re-activated state until the second movement sensor is in the power consumption saving mode.

5. A method for controlling a remote controller comprising a first movement sensor operable to sense a first movement parameter of the remote controller, and a second movement sensor operable to sense a second movement parameter of the remote controller, the first movement sensor outputting a first signal if the first movement sensor senses the first movement parameter of the remote controller the method comprising:

controlling the second movement sensor to be deactivated so that the second movement sensor is in a power consumption saving mode;

outputting a second signal to reactivate the second movement sensor if the first movement sensor outputs the first signal while the second movement sensor is deactivated; and

transmitting data regarding at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to the image display apparatus to control a movement of a pointer displayed on the image display apparatus that is discrete from the remote controller.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the outputting outputs the second signal if the first signal output from the first movement sensor is higher than a reference signal.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

converting analog signals output from the at least one of the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor into digital signals; and

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

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first movement sensor comprises at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the second movement sensor comprises a remaining one of the gyro sensor and the acceleration sensor.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the controlling the second movement sensor controls the second movement sensor to be deactivated if the first movement sensor does not output a signal regarding the sensed first movement parameter of the remote controller and the second movement sensor does not output a signal regarding the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting converts the data regarding the at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to data for wireless transmission, and transmits the data for wireless transmission to the image display apparatus wirelessly.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the second movement sensor is re-activated by the second signal in the deactivated state and remains in the re-activated state until the second movement sensor is in the power consumption saving mode.

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

wherein the remote control comprises:

a first movement sensor operable to sense a first movement parameter of the remote controller, the first movement sensor outputting a first signal if the first movement sensor senses the first movement parameter of the remote controller;

a second movement sensor operable to sense a second movement parameter of the remote controller;

a control unit operable to control the second movement sensor to be deactivated so that the second movement sensor is in a power consumption saving mode, and to output a second signal to re-activate the second movement sensor if the control unit receives the first signal output from the first movement sensor while the second movement sensor is deactivated; and

a transmission unit which transmits data regarding at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to the image display apparatus to control a movement of a pointer displayed on the image display apparatus that is discrete from the remote controller, and

wherein the image display apparatus comprises;

a display;

a reception unit which receives the data from the remote controller; and

a control unit which calculates display position of the pointer to be displayed on the display using the received data.

17. The image display system of claim 9, wherein the control unit of the remote control controls the second movement sensor to be deactivated if the control unit does not receive the signal regarding the sensed first movement parameter of the remote controller from the first movement sensor and the signal regarding the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller from the second movement sensor.

18. The image display system claim 9, wherein the transmission unit of the remote control converts the data regarding the at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to data for wireless transmission, and transmits the data for wireless transmission to the image display apparatus wirelessly.

19. The image display system of claim 9, wherein the second movement sensor is re-activated by the second signal in the deactivated state and remains in the re-activated state until the second movement sensor is in the power consumption saving mode.

10. A method of controlling an image display system including an image display apparatus and a remote controller, which includes a first movement sensor operable to sense a first movement parameter of the remote controller and a second movement sensor operable to sense a second movement parameter of the remote controller, the first movement sensor outputting a first signal if the first movement sensor senses the first movement parameter of the remote controller the method comprising:

controlling the second movement sensor to be deactivated so that the second movement sensor is in a power consumption saving mode;

outputting a second signal to re-activate the second movement sensor if the first movement sensor outputs the first signal while the second movement sensor is deactivated;

transmitting data regarding at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to the image display apparatus to control a movement of a pointer displayed on the image display apparatus that is discrete from the remote controller; and

calculating a display position of the pointer to be displayed on the image display apparatus using the received data.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling the second movement sensor controls the second movement sensor to be deactivated if the first movement sensor does not output a signal regarding the sensed first movement parameter of the remote controller and the second movement sensor does not output a signal regarding the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting converts the data regarding the at least one of the sensed first movement parameter and the sensed second movement parameter of the remote controller to data for wireless transmission, and transmits the data for wireless transmission to the image display apparatus wirelessly.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the second movement sensor is re-activated by the second signal in the deactivated state and remains in the re-activated state until the second movement sensor is in the power consumption saving mode.