Gesture-based remote control

• US 8,854,557 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Lee G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US14/088,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/539.16, 340/539.19, 340/541, 340/5.1, 340/3.1, 340/12.78, 382/115, 382/118, 382/181, 382/203, 382/288, 348/734, 348/211.99, 345/156, 345/157, 345/121, 345/158, 345/173, 345/159
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• 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: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

A method and system for operating a remote-controlled device using a gesture-enabled remote control (RC) includes activating a communication link between the RC and the remote-controlled device. The remote-controlled device may implement a remote control context accommodating gesture commands generated by the RC. The RC may enable a user to generate gesture commands by performing gesture motions with the RC. Command data corresponding to gesture commands, along with selection commands from selection control inputs on the RC, may be sent to the remote-controlled device.

Claims

1. A remote control method, comprising:

sensing motion of a remote control;

determining, from a set of predetermined spatial patterns, a spatial pattern associated with the motion, wherein the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a single up pattern corresponding to a single up movement of the remote control and a single down pattern corresponding to a single down movement of the remote control;

detecting, from a set of predetermined contexts, a context of a remote controlled device, wherein the set of predetermined contexts includes a volume control context and a channel control context;

identifying, based on the spatial pattern and the context, a gesture command; and

wirelessly transmitting the gesture command;

wherein the single up pattern corresponds to;

a volume up command in the volume control context; and

a channel up command in the channel change context; and

wherein the single down pattern corresponds to;

a volume down command in the volume control context; and

a channel down command in the channel change context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a multiple up pattern and a multiple down pattern; and

the multiple down pattern corresponds to a mute volume command and the multiple up pattern corresponds to a restore volume command in the volume control context.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined set of contexts includes a video playback context;

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a multiple right pattern corresponding to multiple rightward movements of the remote control and a multiple left pattern corresponding to multiple leftward movements of the remote control; and

the multiple right pattern corresponds to a fast forward command in the video playback context and the multiple left pattern corresponds to a rewind command in the video playback context.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined set of contexts includes a menu navigation context;

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a single right pattern corresponding to a single rightward movement of the remote control and a single left pattern corresponding to a single leftward movement of the remote control; and

the single right pattern corresponds to a scroll right command in the menu navigation context and the single left pattern corresponds to a scroll left command in the menu navigation context.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a diagonal pattern corresponding to diagonal movement of the remote control; and

the diagonal pattern corresponds to a menu toggle command to bring up or close a menu.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a clockwise rotation pattern corresponding to clockwise circular movement of the remote control and a counterclockwise rotation pattern corresponding to counterclockwise circular movement of the remote control; and

the clockwise pattern corresponds to a next selection command and the counterclockwise pattern corresponds to a previous selection command in the menu navigation context.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a gesture sensor of the remote control in response to detecting user assertion of a gesture enable input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing motion includes sensing at least one of:

linear acceleration and rotational acceleration.

9. A remote control device, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless transmitter;

a motion sensor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising;

sensing motion of a remote control;

determining, from a set of predetermined spatial patterns, a spatial pattern associated with the motion, wherein the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a single up pattern corresponding to a single up movement of the remote control and a single down pattern corresponding to a single down movement of the remote control;

detecting, from a set of predetermined contexts, a context of a remote controlled device, wherein the set of predetermined contexts includes a volume control context and a channel control context;

identifying, based on the spatial pattern and the context, a gesture command; and

wirelessly transmitting the gesture command;

wherein the single up pattern corresponds to;

a volume up command in the volume control context; and

a channel up command in the channel change context; and

wherein the single down pattern corresponds to;

a volume down command in the volume control context; and

a channel down command in the channel change context.

10. The remote control device of claim 9, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a multiple up pattern and a multiple down pattern; and

the multiple down pattern corresponds to a mute volume command and the multiple up pattern corresponds to a restore volume command in the volume control context.

11. The remote control device of claim 9, wherein:

the predetermined set of contexts includes a video playback context;

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a multiple right pattern corresponding to multiple rightward movements of the remote control and a multiple left pattern corresponding to multiple leftward movements of the remote control; and

the multiple right pattern corresponds to a fast forward command in the video playback context and the multiple left pattern corresponds to a rewind command in the video playback context.

12. The remote control device of claim 9, wherein:

the predetermined set of contexts includes a menu navigation context;

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a single right pattern corresponding to a single rightward movement of the remote control and a single left pattern corresponding to a single leftward movement of the remote control; and

the single right pattern corresponds to a scroll right command in the menu navigation context and the single left pattern corresponds to a scroll left command in the menu navigation context.

13. The remote control device of claim 12, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a diagonal pattern corresponding to diagonal movement of the remote control; and

the diagonal pattern corresponds to a menu toggle command to bring up or close a menu.

14. The remote control device of claim 12, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a clockwise rotation pattern corresponding to clockwise circular movement of the remote control and a counterclockwise rotation pattern corresponding to counterclockwise circular movement of the remote control; and

the clockwise pattern corresponds to a next selection command and the counterclockwise pattern corresponds to a previous selection command in the menu navigation context.

15. A non-transitory computer readable memory including processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sensing motion of a remote control;

determining, from a set of predetermined spatial patterns, a spatial pattern associated with the motion, wherein the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a single up pattern corresponding to a single up movement of the remote control and a single down pattern corresponding to a single down movement of the remote control;

detecting, from a set of predetermined contexts, a context of a remote controlled device, wherein the set of predetermined contexts includes a volume control context and a channel control context;

identifying, based on the spatial pattern and the context, a gesture command; and

wirelessly transmitting the gesture command;

wherein the single up pattern corresponds to;

a volume up command in the volume control context; and

a channel up command in the channel change context; and

wherein the single down pattern corresponds to;

a volume down command in the volume control context; and

a channel down command in the channel change context.

16. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a multiple up pattern and a multiple down pattern; and

the multiple down pattern corresponds to a mute volume command and the multiple up pattern corresponds to a restore volume command in the volume control context.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein:

the predetermined set of contexts includes a video playback context;

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a multiple right pattern corresponding to multiple rightward movements of the remote control and a multiple left pattern corresponding to multiple leftward movements of the remote control; and

the multiple right pattern corresponds to a fast forward command in the video playback context and the multiple left pattern corresponds to a rewind command in the video playback context.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein:

the predetermined set of contexts includes a menu navigation context;

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a single right pattern corresponding to a single rightward movement of the remote control and a single left pattern corresponding to a single leftward movement of the remote control; and

the single right pattern corresponds to a scroll right command in the menu navigation context and the single left pattern corresponds to a scroll left command in the menu navigation context.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a diagonal pattern corresponding to diagonal movement of the remote control; and

the diagonal pattern corresponds to a menu toggle command to bring up or close a menu.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein:

the set of predetermined spatial patterns includes a clockwise rotation pattern corresponding to clockwise circular movement of the remote control and a counterclockwise rotation pattern corresponding to counterclockwise circular movement of the remote control; and

the clockwise pattern corresponds to a next selection command and the counterclockwise pattern corresponds to a previous selection command in the menu navigation context.