Controlling multiple devices with a wearable input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124579-A1
Application number	US-201414526625-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments include an electronic input system, which has a wearable input device having an accelerometer and circuitry configured for an operation detection mechanism and an input communication mechanism. The operation detection mechanism acquires acceleration data from the accelerometer to detect an input event. The electronic input system also has a first electronic device having circuitry for a first communication mechanism, a first event analyzer, a screen display, and a first data communication mechanism. The electronic input system also has a second electronic device having circuitry configured for a second communication mechanism, a second event analyzer, a second data communication mechanism, a screen combining mechanism, and a screen display. Embodiments also include a method of communicating an event between an input device and one or more electronic portable devices, such as the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

First claim

1 . A wearable electronic input device, comprising:
circuitry configured to
detect an input event from acceleration data received in the wearable electronic input device;
send operation content from the wearable electronic input device to a first portable electronic device according to the detected input event;
designate a first screen of the first portable electronic device as a screen-to-be-controlled; and
combine the first screen of the first portable electronic device onto a second screen of a second portable electronic device.

2 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic input device comprises a ring configured to be worn on a finger of a user.

3 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic input device comprises a portable hand-held device.

4 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation control key configured to detect movement data and initiate an operation based upon the detected movement data.

5 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an accelerometer configured to receive 3 -dimensional linear movement.

6 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gyroscope configured to receive 3 -dimensional rotational movement.

7 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured for Bluetooth communication to measure a distance between the wearable electronic input device and a plurality of portable electronic devices, and to designate a screen-to-be-controlled of one of the plurality of portable electronic devices based upon the distance.

8 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to initiate user interfaces for the first screen and the second screen based upon the measured distance.

9 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic input device has circuitry configured to receive an input mode of a rolling gesture, via a gyroscope within the wearable electronic input device.

10 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the wearable electronic input device is controlled via a cloud structure.

11 . The wearable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable input device includes circuitry configured to detect a flicking gesture or a drag gesture input event.

12 . An electronic input system, comprising:
a wearable input device having an accelerometer and circuitry configured for an operation detection mechanism and an input communication mechanism, wherein the operation detection mechanism acquires acceleration data from the accelerometer to detect an input event; a first electronic device having circuitry for a first communication mechanism, a first event analyzer, a screen display, and a first data communication mechanism; and a second electronic device having circuitry configured for a second communication mechanism, a second event analyzer, a second data communication mechanism, a screen combining mechanism, and a screen display, wherein:
the input communication mechanism, the first communication mechanism, and the second communication mechanism have circuitry configured to send notification of the input event of the wearable input device;
the first event analyzer and the second event analyzer have circuitry configured to analyze the input event detected by the wearable input device;
the first data communication mechanism and the second data communication mechanism have circuitry configured to send and receive screen data to and from one another;
circuitry of the wearable input device is configured to wirelessly send operation content from the wearable input device to a screen-to-be-controlled of the first electronic device or the second electronic device as a switching event, via a depth direction movement of the wearable input device; and
circuitry of the screen combining mechanism is configured to combine a screen of the second electronic device with a screen obtained from screen data received from the first electronic device.

13 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the input communication mechanism, the first communication mechanism, and the second communication mechanism communicate via Bluetooth communication.

14 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the first data communication mechanism and the second data communication mechanism communicate via wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication.

15 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein circuitry of the screen-to-be-controlled of the first electronic device or the second electronic device is configured to notify a current screen-to-be-controlled of a switch to a new screen-to-be-controlled.

16 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the wearable input device has circuitry configured to measure a distance between the wearable input device and either of the first electronic device or the second electronic device located within a vicinity of a received Bluetooth signal.

17 . The electronic input system of claim 16 , wherein user interfaces for screens of the first electronic device and the second electronic device are configured based upon the measured distance.

18 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the wearable input device has circuitry configured to receive an input mode of a rolling gesture, via a gyroscope within the wearable input device.

19 . The electronic input system of claim 18 , wherein the input event is detected via an operation key of the wearable input device.

20 . The electronic input system of claim 19 , wherein the wearable input device is configured to obtain acceleration data and rotational data while the operation key is depressed during the input event.

21 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the circuitry of the wearable input device, the first electronic device, and the second electronic device is controlled via a cloud structure.

22 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device each include one of a portable electronic device, a TV electronic device, or a head-mounted electronic device.

23 . The electronic input system of claim 12 , wherein the wearable input device includes circuitry configured to detect a flicking gesture or a drag gesture input event.

24 . A method of communicating an event between electronic portable devices, the method comprising:
acquiring acceleration data of the event from an accelerometer of a wearable input device; communicating the event to a first electronic portable device having a first communication mechanism; analyzing the event via a first event analyzer of the first electronic portable device; sending screen data from a first data communication mechanism of the first electronic portable device to a second data communication mechanism of a second electronic portable device; and combining a screen of the first electronic portable device with a screen of the second electronic portable device onto a display of the second electronic portable device.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Tokutake Kenji

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title