Systems and methods for dual use remote-control devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9542007-B2
Application number	US-83540310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2010
Priority date	Jul 13, 2010
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a dual use remote-control device. In one embodiment, a dual use remote-control device may include a first set of input controls such as buttons positioned on a top side of the housing, a second set of input controls positioned on a bottom side of the housing including a QWERTY keyboard and an optical sensor to remotely control movement of a cursor on a display by the optical sensor detecting movement of a user's finger across the optical sensor or movement of the optical sensor across an object such as a table, arm of a chair or user's lap. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A remote-control device comprising:
a remote-control device housing;
a system control module within the housing;
a first set of input controls positioned on a top side of the housing communicatively coupled to the system control module, wherein the first set of input controls are buttons and comprise television channel selection buttons, a power button and a select button;
a second set of input controls positioned on a bottom side of the housing and communicatively coupled to the system control module, wherein the second set of input controls comprises a QWERTY keyboard and at least an optical sensor configured to wirelessly control movement of a cursor on a remote display, wherein the system control module is configured to disable the first set of input controls including the television channel selection buttons, the power button and the select button, when the bottom side is detected to be facing up; and
a switch coupled to the system control module configured to switch the remote-control device from a first mode to a second mode wherein the optical sensor is configured to wirelessly control movement of the cursor on the display in the first mode by detecting movement of the optical sensor across an object and in the first mode the system control module is configured to select an item displayed on the display at a current position of the cursor when a particular input control of the first set of input controls is activated, and wherein the optical sensor is configured to wirelessly control movement of the cursor on the display in the second mode by detecting movement of a finger across the optical sensor and in the second mode the system control module is configured to select an item displayed on the display at a current position of the cursor when an input control of the second set of input controls is activated, wherein the system control module is further configured to:
receive an indication that a user interface on which the cursor is being displayed accepts text input; and
in response to receiving the indication that the user interface on which the cursor is being displayed accepts text input;
enable the QWERTY keyboard included in the second set of input controls positioned on the bottom side of the housing;
disable the first set of input controls including the television channel selection buttons, the power button and the select button positioned on the top side of the housing;
configure the optical sensor to wirelessly control movement of the cursor on the display by detection of movement of a finger across the optical sensor; and
select an item displayed on the display at a current position of the cursor when an input control of the second set of input controls positioned on the bottom side of the housing is activated.

2. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the input control of the second set of input controls that is pressed to select an item displayed on the display at a current position of the cursor is the optical sensor.

3. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the switch is configured to be automatically triggered on a particular movement of the remote-control device.

4. The remote-control device of claim 3 wherein the switch is configured to put the remote-control device in the second mode when the bottom side is detected to be facing up as indicated by the particular movement of the remote-control device.

5. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is configured to automatically disable the second set of input controls, except for the optical sensor, when the bottom side is detected to be facing down.

6. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is configured to transpose at least a portion of a coordinate system when the remote-control device changes between the first and second modes, said coordinate system used to translate movement detected by the optical sensor to movement of the cursor.

7. A remote-control device comprising:
a remote-control device housing;
a system control module within the housing;
a first set of input controls positioned on a top side of the housing communicatively coupled to the system control module, wherein the first set of input controls are buttons and comprise television channel selection buttons, a power button and a select button;
a second set of input controls positioned on a bottom side of the housing and communicatively coupled to the system control module, wherein the second set of input controls comprises a QWERTY keyboard and at least an optical sensor configured to wirelessly control movement of a cursor on a remote display wherein the system control module is configured to disable the first set of input controls including the television channel selection buttons, the power button and the select button, when the bottom side is detected to lie facing up; and
a switch coupled to the system control module configured to switch the remote-control device from a first mode to a second mode wherein the optical sensor is configured to wirelessly control movement of the cursor on the display in the first mode by detecting movement of the optical sensor across an object and in the first mode the system control module is configured to select an item displayed on the display at a current position of the cursor when a particular input control of the first set of input controls is activated, and wherein the optical sensor is configured to wirelessly control movement of the cursor on the display in the second mode by detecting movement of a finger across the optical sensor and in the second mode the system control module is configured to select an item displayed on the display at a current position of the cursor when an input control of the second set of input controls is activated, wherein the system control module is configured to transpose at least a portion of a coordinate system when the remote-control device changes between the first and second modes, said coordinate system used to translate movement detected by the optical sensor to movement of the cursor and transpose the coordinate system used to translate movement detected by the optical sensor to movement of the cursor when the remote-control device changes between the first and second modes by being configured to transpose, in response to the remote-control device changing between the first and second modes, what were previously up and down motions as detected by the optical sensor to be left and right, respectively.

8. The remote-control device of claim 7 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
in response to the remote-control device being oriented with the bottom side having the optical sensor facing upward, adjust a scale used in translating a distance of movement detected by the optical sensor to movement of the cursor such that a movement detected by the optical sensor of a certain distance results in larger movement of the cursor than a movement detected of the same distance when the remote-control device is oriented with the bottom side having the optical sensor facing downward.

Assignees

• Vanduyn Luke
• Marten Neil
• Hale Nathan
• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Vanduyn Luke
• Marten Neil
• Hale Nathan

Classifications

• H04N21/4782

  Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV} · CPC title

• H04N21/42214

  using alphanumerical characters · CPC title

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F3/0317

  in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface · CPC title