Remote controls for electronic display board

• US 8,754,851 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Worship Holdings Limited, Wuhan Splendid Optronics Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Worship Holdings Limited, Wuhan Splendid Optronics Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hu, Darwin, Zhou, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/203,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

Techniques for interacting with an electronic display board are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a remote controller includes a laser generator, several motion sensors, a Micro Central Unit has data process capability and memory inside to store programs and a transceiver or a transmitter. A laser beam from the laser generator facilitates a writing movement on the electronic data board, the motion sensors detect the movement of the remote controller, and the MCU calculate the sensor data to derive the movement, the transmitter transmits the movement from the controller to the electronic data board. In accordance of the detected movement, the movement of the remote controller corresponding to the laser is electronically represented on the electronic display board.

Claims

1. A system for use with a base computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a transparent panel; and

a controller comprising;

an enclosure;

at least a key disposed on one side of the enclosure to be accessed by a user using the controller;

a laser generator, housed inside the enclosure, coupled to and controlled by the key to project a visible laser for a user to use the controller as a remote pen to write a letter, a word or draw a line through the transparent panel onto a presentation being displayed on an electronic display board, wherein the transparent panel being held by the user between the controller and the electronic display board allows the user to write while moving around;

a plurality of motion sensors generating sensor data when the controller is moved by the user against the transparent panel;

a micro control unit coupled to the motion sensors and configured to derive a movement from the sensor data after a calibration is done with the controller, wherein the calibration is performed with the visible laser pointing at two or more designated points respectively displayed on the electronic display board, and wherein as the visible laser moves from one of the points to another one of the points, the sensor data is compared with motion of the visible laser, an offset therebetween is considered when the movement of the controller is derived; and

means for transmitting the movement wirelessly to the base computing device configured to present on the electronic display board a symbol according to the derived movement of the controller, wherein the transmitting means is coupled to the micro control unit, the symbol is not part of the presentation but is superimposed onto the presentation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensors include at least three accelerometers for measuring acceleration and gravity in induced reaction forces, and at least two gyroscopes for measuring orientations.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the micro control unit is configured to keep deriving the movement as the controller is moved around and causes the base computing device to present the symbol to move accordingly on the electronic display board.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a predefined button, when the button is activated, the controller is caused to enter a calibration mode to guide the user to project the visible laser at the two or more designated points being displayed on the electronic display board.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a functional button, an activation thereof indicating that a presentation of the movement of the controller shall be in bold on the electronic display board.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a functional button, an activation thereof indicating drawing, writing a character, or highlighting an object being displayed on the electronic display board according to the movement of the controller.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is used as a mouse allowing the user of the controller to move the visible laser around a presentation being displayed on the electronic display board.

8. The system claim 4, wherein the movement of the controller is expressed in three linear motions along x, y and z axes and two orientations around x and y axes, respectively, the symbol is driven by the base computing device, and a movement of the symbol is independent from the two orientations around the x and y axes by the controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least three accelerometers produce the three linear motions along the x, y and z axes, and the at least two gyroscopes produce the two orientations about two respective axes, the movement of the controller is determined by a module enclosed in the base computing device from the sensor data received from the motion sensors.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein, when an accelerated movement along a direction is detected from the movement, a particular portion being pointed at by the visible laser is zoomed in or zoomed out on the electronic display board.

11. A method for interacting with an electronic display board, the method comprising:

generating a laser beam from a controller towards a portion of a presentation being displayed on the electronic display board;

trespassing the laser beam through a transparent panel being held by a user between the controller and the electronic display board,

producing sensor data from the controller including a set of motion sensors when the user uses the controller to write against the transparent panel regardless where the user moves, after the laser beam is used to calibrate the controller by pointing the laser beam at two or more designated points respectively displayed on the electronic display board, wherein as the laser beam moves from one of the points to another one of the points, the sensor data is compared with motion of the laser beam, an offset therebetween is considered when the movement of the controller is derived; and

transmitting the sensor data wirelessly to a base computing device to determine the movement of the controller, wherein the base computing device is configured to generate a symbol according to the derived movement of the controller and superimpose the symbol onto the presentation.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the motion sensors include at least three accelerometers for measuring acceleration and gravity in induced reaction forces, and at least two gyroscopes for measuring orientations.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said transmitting the sensor data wirelessly to the base computing device is performed by a transmitter or a transceiver in the controller.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the base computing device coupled to the electronic display board converts the movement of the controller into image pixels and causes the image pixels to be presented as the symbol on the electronic display board.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the motion sensors include three accelerometers producing three respective linear motions along three respective axes, and two gyroscopes producing two orientations respectively around two respective axes, the movement is determined by a module enclosed in the base computing device from the sensor data.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the transparent panel allows the user to use the controller to write against thereon, whatever is being written is superimposed on the presentation.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller includes a plurality of keys, an activation of one of the keys causes a behavior change in the base computing device and subsequently leads to a change to the presentation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the keys is activated, a movement of the controller causes a trace on the electronic display board in a color chosen by the user, wherein the trace is in image pixels and superimposed onto the presentation.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the base computing device is configured to convert the movement of the controller into a set of image pixels to be superimposed onto the presentation being displayed on the electronic display board.