U.S. patent application number 12/115102 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-01 for direction and holding-style invariant, symmetric design, touch and button based remote user interaction device.
This patent application is currently assigned to MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to David KRYZE, Philippe MORIN, Luca RIGAZIO.
Application Number | 20090002218 12/115102 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46576887 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090002218 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
RIGAZIO; Luca ; et
al. |
January 1, 2009 |
DIRECTION AND HOLDING-STYLE INVARIANT, SYMMETRIC DESIGN, TOUCH AND
BUTTON BASED REMOTE USER INTERACTION DEVICE
Abstract
A remote control unit selectively transmits a control signal for
remotely controlling an electronic device. The unit defines an
imaginary cut plane that substantially bisects the unit. The unit
includes a plurality of input features collectively disposed
symmetrically with respect to the imaginary cut plane. The input
features include a first and second input feature. The first and
second input features are disposed on opposite sides of the cut
plane. Furthermore, the unit includes a sensor that detects a first
and second holding position of the unit. The first holding position
and the second holding position are substantially opposite to each
other. Moreover, the unit includes a controller that associates the
control signal with the first input feature when the sensor detects
the first holding position, and the controller associates the
control signal with the second input feature when the sensor
detects the second holding position.
Inventors: |
RIGAZIO; Luca; (Santa
Barbara, CA) ; MORIN; Philippe; (Goleta, CA) ;
KRYZE; David; (Santa Barbara, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREGORY A. STOBBS
5445 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 400
TROY
MI
48098
US
|
Assignee: |
MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO.,
LTD.
Osaka
JP
|
Family ID: |
46576887 |
Appl. No.: |
12/115102 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11977348 |
Oct 24, 2007 |
|
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|
12115102 |
|
|
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|
60972261 |
Sep 14, 2007 |
|
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60946804 |
Jun 28, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
341/176 ;
345/173 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08C 2201/32 20130101;
G08C 17/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
341/176 ;
345/173 |
International
Class: |
H04L 17/02 20060101
H04L017/02 |
Claims
1. A wireless remote control unit that selectively transmits a
control signal for remotely controlling an electronic device, the
wireless remote control unit defining an imaginary cut plane that
substantially bisects the wireless remote control unit, the
wireless remote control unit comprising: a plurality of input
features collectively disposed in a substantially symmetric manner
with respect to the imaginary cut plane, the plurality of input
features including at least a first input feature and a second
input feature, the first and second input features disposed on
opposite sides of the imaginary cut plane; a sensor that detects at
least a first holding position and a second holding position of the
wireless remote control unit, the first holding position and the
second holding position being substantially opposite to each other;
and a controller that associates the control signal with the first
input feature when the sensor detects the first holding position
and that associates the control signal with the second input
feature when the sensor detects the second holding position.
2. The wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the first
input feature is a first touch sensitive area and the second input
feature is a second touch sensitive area.
3. The wireless remote control unit of claim 2, wherein the first
touch sensitive area is a first touchpad and the second touch
sensitive area is a second touchpad, wherein the first and second
touchpads are distinct from each other and separated at a
distance.
4. The wireless remote control unit of claim 2, further comprising
a touchpad, wherein a first portion of the touchpad comprises the
first touch sensitive area, and wherein a second portion of the
touchpad comprises the second touch sensitive area.
5. The wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the
plurality of input features comprises a first touchpad, a second
touchpad, a first movable button disposed between the first and
second touchpads, and a second movable button disposed between the
first and second touchpads.
6. The wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor
includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a contact sensor,
a capacitive sensor, and a pressure sensor.
7. The wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the first
holding position is inverted with respect to the second holding
position.
8. The wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein a user
holds the wireless remote control unit in a right hand in the first
holding position, and wherein a user holds the wireless remote
control unit in a left hand in the second holding position.
9. The wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the
wireless remote control unit defines at least two imaginary cut
planes, and wherein the plurality of input features are
collectively disposed in a substantially symmetric manner with
respect to the at least two imaginary cut planes.
10. A remote control system comprising: an electronic device; a
wireless remote control unit that selectively transmits a control
signal to remotely control the electronic device, the wireless
remote control unit defining an imaginary cut plane that
substantially bisects the wireless remote control unit, the
wireless remote control unit also comprising: a plurality of input
features collectively disposed in a substantially symmetric manner
with respect to the imaginary cut plane, the plurality of input
features including at least a first input feature and a second
input feature, the first and second input features disposed on
opposite sides of the imaginary cut plane; and a sensor that
detects at least a first holding position and a second holding
position of the wireless remote control unit, the first holding
position and the second holding position being substantially
opposite to each other; a controller that associates the control
signal with the first input feature when the sensor detects the
first holding position and that associates the control signal with
the second input feature when the sensor detects the second holding
position; and a display that indicates which of the first and
second input features is associated with the control signal.
11. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein the first input
feature is a first touch sensitive area and the second input
feature is a second touch sensitive area.
12. The remote control system of claim 11, wherein the first touch
sensitive area is a first touchpad and the second touch sensitive
area is a second touchpad, wherein the first and second touchpads
are distinct from each other and separated at a distance.
13. The remote control system of claim 11, further comprising a
touchpad, wherein a first portion of the touchpad comprises the
first touch sensitive area, and wherein a second portion of the
touchpad comprises the second touch sensitive area.
14. The remote control system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of
input features comprises a first touchpad, a second touchpad, a
first movable button disposed between the first and second
touchpads, and a second movable button disposed between the first
and second touchpads.
15. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein the sensor
includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a contact sensor,
a capacitive sensor, and a pressure sensor.
16. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein the first
holding position is inverted with respect to the second holding
position.
17. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein a user holds the
wireless remote control unit in a right hand in the first holding
position, and wherein a user holds the wireless remote control unit
in a left hand in the second holding position.
18. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein the wireless
remote control unit defines at least two imaginary cut planes, and
wherein the plurality of input features are collectively disposed
in a substantially symmetric manner with respect to the at least
two imaginary cut planes.
19. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein the display
further displays a virtual first input feature and a virtual second
input feature, and wherein the display indicates which of the
virtual first input feature and the virtual second input feature is
associated with the control signal.
20. The remote control system of claim 10, wherein the display
further displays an icon for indicating which of the first and
second input features is associated with the control signal.
21. A method of operating a remote control system that includes a
wireless remote control unit that defines an imaginary cut plane
that substantially bisects the wireless remote control unit, the
wireless remote control unit also including a plurality of input
features collectively disposed in a substantially symmetric manner
with respect to the imaginary cut plane, the plurality of input
features including at least a first input feature and a second
input feature, the first and second input features disposed on
opposite sides of the imaginary cut plane, the method comprising:
detecting one of at least a first holding position and a second
holding position of the wireless remote control unit, the first
holding position and the second holding position being
substantially opposite to each other; associating the control
signal with the first input feature when the sensor detects the
first holding position; and associating the control signal with the
second input feature when the sensor detects the second holding
position.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying a virtual
first input feature and a virtual second input feature, and
indicating which of the virtual first input feature and the virtual
second input feature is associated with the control signal.
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying an icon
for indicating which of the first and second input features is
associated with the control signal.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising displaying a first
cursor when the sensor detects the first holding position and
displaying a second cursor when the sensor detects the second
holding position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/972,261, filed Sep. 14, 2007. This application
is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/977,348 filed on Oct. 24, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/946,804, filed Jun. 28, 2007. The
disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a remote user interaction
device and, more specifically, related to a direction and
holding-style invariant, symmetric design, touch and button based
remote user interaction device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may not
constitute prior art.
[0004] Practically all consumer electronic products in use today
come with a remote control. In most cases, the remote control has
many buttons, each dedicated to the control of one or more specific
features of the consumer electronics product. As these products
increase in complexity, so does the number of buttons required. At
some point, the increased number of buttons renders the remote
control mostly useless for a large number of users.
SUMMARY
[0005] A remote control unit is disclosed that selectively
transmits a control signal for remotely controlling an electronic
device. The remote control unit defines an imaginary cut plane that
substantially bisects the remote control unit. The remote control
unit includes a plurality of input features collectively disposed
in a substantially symmetric manner with respect to the imaginary
cut plane. The input features include at least a first input
feature and a second input feature. The first and second input
features are disposed on opposite sides of the imaginary cut plane.
Furthermore, the unit includes a sensor that detects at least a
first holding position and a second holding position of the remote
control unit. The first holding position and the second holding
position are substantially opposite to each other. Moreover, the
unit includes a controller that associates the control signal with
the first input feature when the sensor detects the first holding
position, and the controller associates the control signal with the
second input feature when the sensor detects the second holding
position.
[0006] A remote control system is also disclosed that includes an
electronic device and a remote control unit that selectively
transmits a control signal to remotely control the electronic
device. The remote control unit defines an imaginary cut plane that
substantially bisects the remote control unit. The remote control
unit also includes a plurality of input features collectively
disposed in a substantially symmetric manner with respect to the
imaginary cut plane. The input features include at least a first
input feature and a second input feature. The first and second
input features are disposed on opposite sides of the imaginary cut
plane. The remote control unit also includes a sensor that detects
at least a first holding position and a second holding position of
the remote control unit. The first holding position and the second
holding position are substantially opposite to each other. The
system also includes a controller that associates the control
signal with the first input feature when the sensor detects the
first holding position, and the controller associates the control
signal with the second input feature when the sensor detects the
second holding position. The system additionally includes a display
that indicates which of the first and second input features is
associated with the control signal.
[0007] Moreover, a method of operating a remote control system is
disclosed. This system includes a remote control unit that defines
an imaginary cut plane that substantially bisects the remote
control unit. The remote control unit also includes a plurality of
input features collectively disposed in a substantially symmetric
manner with respect to the imaginary cut plane. The input features
include at least a first input feature and a second input feature.
The first and second input features are disposed on opposite sides
of the imaginary cut plane. The method includes detecting one of at
least a first holding position and a second holding position of the
remote control unit. The first holding position and the second
holding position are substantially opposite to each other. Also,
the method includes associating the control signal with the first
input feature when the sensor detects the first holding position.
Additionally, the method includes associating the control signal
with the second input feature when the sensor detects the second
holding position.
[0008] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. It should be understood that the
description and specific examples are intended for purposes of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0009] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure in any way.
[0010] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the remote control
unit;
[0011] FIG. 1B is a plan view of the remote control unit;
[0012] FIG. 1C is a view of the remote control unit in a portrait
orientation;
[0013] FIG. 1D is a view of the remote control unit in a landscape
orientation;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a system block diagram illustrating the remote
control system in operation by a user to control a piece of
consumer electronic equipment;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary
embodiment of the remote control system, including components
associated with the control circuit coupled to the consumer
electronic equipment and associated with the remote control
unit;
[0016] FIG. 4A is a top view of a remote control unit according to
the teachings of the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the remote control unit of
FIG. 4A;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a remote control system that
includes the remote control unit of FIG. 4A held by the user in a
holding position;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the remote control system of
FIG. 4A with the remote control unit in another holding
position;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the remote control system of
FIG. 4A with the remote control unit in another holding
position;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the remote control system of
FIG. 4A with the remote control unit in still another holding
position;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the remote control system of
FIG. 4A with the remote control unit in another holding position;
and
[0023] FIG. 10 is schematic view of the remote control system of
FIG. 4A with the remote control unit in still another holding
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and
is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or
uses.
[0025] Referring first to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the remote control unit
20 of the remote control system has been illustrated. This remote
control unit interacts with a control circuit that is coupled to
the consumer electronic equipment. The control circuit and consumer
electronic equipment have not been showed in FIGS. 1A-1D but are
shown in subsequent FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0026] The remote control unit 20 has a touchpad 22 that may
include predefined clickable regions, such as the
up-down-left-right-okay region 24, the channel up-down region 26,
the volume up-down region 28 and the mute region 30. It will be
understood that these predefined clickable regions are merely
exemplary of the basic concept that the touch pad can have regions
that respond to pressure as a way of signifying that the user has
"selected" a particular function. While the basic design of the
remote control unit strives to eliminate physical push buttons to a
large extent, the remote control unit may still have physical push
buttons if desired. Thus, for illustration purposed, four push
buttons are shown at 32, 33, 34 and 35. It is also contemplated
that the touchpad may be split into two distinct zones with or
without a physical divider interposed between the two zones.
[0027] The pre-defined clickable regions may be visually designated
on the touchpad surface by either silk screening the region
graphics onto the surface of the touchpad, or by using a
see-through graphic with backlighting. As will be more fully
discussed below, the backlighting can be triggered by the
appropriate combination of sensory inputs as recognized by the
pattern recognizer also discussed below. It is contemplated that
the touchpad surface may not include any pre-defined clickable
regions.
[0028] The case of the remote control unit is preferably provided
with a series of capacitive sensors, such as sensors 36 around the
horizontal side walls of the case perimeter. Capacitive sensors can
also be at other locations, such as on the underside of the case.
These sensors detect how the user is holding the remote control. In
this regard, different users may grip the remote control in
different ways and the capacitive sensors are arranged to be able
to discriminate these different ways of holding the remote control.
Although there may be subtle differences in how one user holds the
remote control as compared with another, the pattern recognition
system, discussed below, can use this information to recognize
these subtle differences. Moreover, the sensors in cooperation with
the pattern recognition system enable a user to operate the remote
independently of how the remote is being held.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 2, an overview of the pattern
recognition system will be presented. FIG. 2 illustrates the remote
control unit 20 being manipulated by a user 40 to operate a
consumer electronic equipment component 48 having a display screen
50. The consumer electronic equipment 48 conventionally has its own
electronics that are used to provide the equipment with its normal
functionality. In the case of the illustrated component 48 such
functionality includes displaying audio visual material on the
display screen. This material may include, for example, television
programs, pre-recorded content, internet content and the like. For
illustration purposes, the associated electronics of the consumer
electronic equipment 48 have been illustrated separately at 52.
Embedded within the electronics package 52 is a control circuit
shown diagrammatically at 60 that defines part of the remote
control system. Control circuit 60 is coupled to the consumer
electronic equipment and responds to commands sent from the remote
control unit 20 to control the operation of the consumer electronic
equipment.
[0030] The remote control system is made up of the remote control
20 and the control circuit 60. Together, these two components
implement a sophisticated sensory input detecting and pattern
recognizing system that allows the user 40 to control operations of
the consumer electronic equipment 50 using a rich variety of
finger, hand, wrist, arm and body movements. The system may be
viewed as effecting a dialogue between the remote control unit 20
and the control circuit 60, where that dialogue is expressed using
a vocabulary and grammar associated with a diverse variety of
different sensory inputs, (e.g., from the touchpad, accelerometer,
case perimeter, sensor, pressure sensors, RF signal sensors and the
like). The control system also includes a feedback loop through the
user 40. The user 40 has his or her own set of user sensory inputs
(sight, sound, touch) and the user manipulates the remote control
unit 20 based, in part, on audible and visual information obtained
from the consumer electronic equipment, and on visual, audible and
tactile information from the remote control unit. Thus, the remote
control system supports a dialogue between remote control unit 20
and control circuit 60, with a concurrent dialogue between user 40,
the control system and the consumer electronic equipment.
[0031] FIG. 2 thus illustrates that user 40 may receive visual,
audible or tactile feedback from remote control 20 and this may be
performed concurrently while viewing the display screen 50. For
illustration purposes, the information acquired by user 40 are
depicted diagrammatically as user sensory inputs 62. Likewise, the
sensory inputs acquired by the control system (from a diverse array
of different types of sensors) has been diagrammatically
illustrated at 64.
[0032] The relationship between the control system sensory inputs
64 and the user sensory inputs 62 is a non-trivial one. The user
will manipulate the remote control unit 20, in part, based on what
the user is trying to accomplish and also, in part, based on what
the user sees on the display 50 and what the user also senses
audibly, visually or tactilely from the remote control unit and/or
consumer electronic equipment. To illustrate this point, imagine
that the consumer electronic equipment is a television set that has
been programmed to block certain channels from being viewed by
young children. In order to bypass the parental blocking feature,
user 40 must manipulate the remote control unit in a predefined
way. To prevent the child from simply watching the parent and
learning the manipulating technique, the parental blocking
unlocking feature can be changed each time it is used. The adult
user must watch what is shown on the display screen in order to
learn how to manipulate the control unit to unlock the parental
blocking feature. The instructions on the display are presented in
a form, such as textual instructions, that a young child is not
able to read. Thus, the control of the parental blocking feature
relies on a particular manipulation (e.g., flick the wrist three
times) that is context-based. A later unlocking operation would be
treated as a different context and would potentially have a
different gestural command to effect unlocking. Although this is
but one example the example illustrates that the behavior of the
remote control system is context-dependent and that the user's
sensory perception (e.g., reading the screen, feeling tactile
vibrations, hearing particular sounds) will affect how the user's
manipulations of the remote control unit are interpreted.
[0033] The control system is able to make sense of a rich and
diverse collection of sensory inputs using a pattern recognizer 70
and associated control logic 72. As the user manipulates the remote
control unit, sensory inputs are collected as a temporal sequence
from the various sensors within the remote control unit. As
previously noted, the sensors may include at least one touchpad
responsive to manipulation by a user's fingers and at least one
additional sensor such as, for example, an acceleration sensor
responsive to movement of the remote control unit, case perimeter
sensors such as capacitive sensors that discriminate which parts of
the case are in contact with the user's body, pressure sensors
responsive to pressing forces upon a predetermined region of the
touchpad and RF signal sensors responsive to radio frequency
signals transmitted from the control circuit 60.
[0034] The temporal sequence of sensory inputs is fed to the
pattern recognizer 70. The pattern recognizer is configured to
classify the received sensory input message according to a
predetermined recognition scheme to generate message meaning data
that are then sent to the control logic 72. The control logic 72
decodes the message meaning data and generates a device control
signal. The device control signal may be supplied to the remote
control unit itself, to effect control over the behavior of the
remote control unit (e.g., putting the unit to sleep or waking the
unit up) or the device control signal may be sent to and/or used by
the control circuit 60, where it is passed on to the consumer
electronic equipment as a command to control the operation of the
consumer electronic equipment. The pattern recognizer 70 and the
control logic 72 may be implemented separately or together and may
be deployed in the control circuit 60, in the remote control 20, or
distributed across both.
[0035] In one embodiment, the pattern recognizer 70 employs a
trained model that may be adaptively altered or customized to more
closely fit each user's style of using the remote control unit. In
such trained model embodiment, the pattern recognizer 70 is
preferably provided with an initial set of models that classify
certain operations as being mapped onto certain commands or control
functions. For example, with reference to FIG. 1B, an upward
sliding motion of the fingertip on channel up-down region 26 might
launch a forward channel scanning mode, whereas a single click or
finger press upon the upward arrow of the region 26 would simply
increment the channel by one. This behavior might be classified
differently, however, if the remote control unit is positioned in
landscape orientation as illustrated in FIG. 1D. For example, when
in landscape orientation and held by two hands (as determined by
the capacitive sensors), the channel up-down region 26 might
perform a function entirely unrelated to channel selection.
[0036] To adapt the model for a particular user, the preferred
embodiment includes a sensory input mechanism to allow the user to
inject a meta command--to let the system know that the user wishes
to alter the pattern recognition models either for himself or
herself, or for all users. For example, a rapid back and forth
wrist motion (analogous to shaking one's head in a "no" gesture)
might be used to inform the recognition system that the most recent
pattern recognition conclusion was wrong and that a different
behavior is desired. For example, assume that the user has used the
remote control unit on a coffee table and then manipulates the
channel up-down region 26, causing the television to begin a
channel-scanning mode. Perhaps the user would prefer that the
channel scanning mode should not be initiated when the remote
control unit is resting on the coffee table (i.e., not being held).
To change this behavior, the user would pick up the remote control
unit and shake it back and forth in a "no" gesture. This would
cause an on-screen prompt to appear on the television display 50,
instructing the user how the most recent temporal sequence of
sensory inputs can be modified in this context to result in a
different device control signal outcome.
[0037] Because the pattern recognizer 70 can respond to a rich
variety of different types of sensory inputs, the control system is
able to interpret the meaning of user manipulations and gestures
that can be quite complex, thereby allowing the user to interact in
an intuitive or natural way that can be customized from user to
user. In this regard, there may be instances where two or more
gestural commands might be very similar and yet might have
different meanings and thus might require different commands to be
sent to the consumer electronic equipment. To handle this, the
pattern recognizer 70 may be based on a statistical model where the
control system sensory inputs generate probability scores
associated with a plurality of different meanings. The pattern
recognizer would (a) select the meaning with the highest score, if
that score is above a predetermined probability threshold value
and/or above the next-most value by a predetermined threshold, or
(b) engage the user in a dialogue on-screen to resolve which
meaning was intended, if the preceding threshold conditions are not
met. The results of such user interaction may then be used to fine
tune or adapt the model so that the system learns what behavior is
expected for subsequent use.
[0038] With the above overview in mind, refer now to FIG. 3 where a
detailed description of the remote control unit and control circuit
hardware has been illustrated. In FIG. 3, the components associated
with the control circuit are shown generally at 60 and the
components associated with the remote control unit are shown
generally at 20. The consumer electronic equipment is shown at
48.
[0039] Beginning with the control circuit 60, a first processor or
CPU 80 is attached to a bus 82, to which random access memory 84
and programmable nonvolatile random access memory 86 are attached.
The first processor includes an input/output (I/O) module 88 that
provides an I/O bus 90 to which an RF communication module 92 and
consumer electronic product interface 94 are attached. The consumer
electronic product interface 94, in turn, couples to the remaining
circuitry of the consumer electronic equipment 48. The radio
frequency communication module 92 includes an antenna and is
designed to communicate with a corresponding communication module
associated with the remote control unit 20.
[0040] The remote control unit 20 has a second processor 96 with
associated bus 98, random access memory 99 and nonvolatile
programmable random access memory 100. The processor 96 also has an
I/O module 102 that supports an I/O bus 104 to which a variety of
sensors and other devices may be attached. Attached to the I/O bus
104 is the RF communication module 106 that communicates with its
counterpart module 92 of the control circuit 60. The display
illumination device 108 is also coupled to the I/O bus 104 so that
the backlighting can be switched on and off to render any backlit
graphical elements on the touchpad visible or invisible. A tactile
feedback annunciator/speaker 110 is coupled to the I/O bus. The
annunciator/speaker may be activated to produce tactile feedback
(vibrations) as well as audible tones.
[0041] As previously discussed, the remote control unit includes an
assortment of different sensors. These include the touchpad or
touchpads 22, a button pad membrane switch assembly 112,
accelerometer 114 and capacitive sensors 36. The button pad
membrane switch assembly may be physically disposed beneath the
touchpads so that pressure upon the touchpad will effect a switch
state change from off to on. If desired, the button pad membrane
switch assembly 112 may employ pressure-sensitive switches that can
register a range of pressures, as opposed to a simple on/off binary
state.
[0042] Because the remote control unit is designed to sit on the
coffee table when not in use, a battery power supply is preferred.
Thus, the power supply 200 includes a removable battery 202 as well
as a power management circuit 204. The power management circuit
supplies power to the second processor 96 and to all of the modules
within the remote control unit requiring power. Such modules
include all of the sensors, display illumination, and
speaker/annunciator components attached to the I/O bus 104. If
desired, an RFID tag 206 may be included in the remote control unit
circuitry. The RFID tag can be used to help locate the remote
control from the control circuit 60 in the event the remote control
unit is lost.
[0043] Further Implementation Details of Preferred Embodiments
[0044] The Touchpad Sensor
[0045] The touchpad sensor can be segmented to provide several
different intuitive zones of interaction. The touchpad is also
clickable by virtue of the button pad membrane switch assembly
located beneath or embedded within it. The clickable touchpad can
register pressure information and react to pressure (both
mechanically and electrically) by sending a specific signal while
providing sufficient haptic feedback to the user such as through
vibrations and sounds via the annunciator/speaker 110. The touchpad
allows for the use of at least two contact points simultaneously.
(e.g., two finger input) such as one contact point per side of the
pad. The touchpad can be viewed as divided in two along a medial
line (e.g., separating the right and left sides of the touchpad
when held in a landscape orientation). The touchpad can thus be
constructed using two single-position registering touchpads mounted
side by side, or one single multi-touch touchpad with the ability
to register with equal precision (two points of contact at the same
time).
[0046] Physical Buttons
[0047] Although not required in all embodiments, the remote control
unit may have a complement of physical buttons. In this regard,
four buttons 32-35 have been illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. These
physical buttons may be implemented using the same button pad
membrane switch assembly 112 (FIG. 3) embedded beneath the
touchpad. The physical buttons, like the context-dependent virtual
buttons on the touchpad surface, can be backlit to reveal button
function names.
[0048] Redefining Regions of Interaction
[0049] To allow for natural operation, the remote control unit uses
its pattern recognition system to interpret the sensory data.
Included in the sensory data are inputs from the accelerometer or
accelerometers and the capacitive sensors placed around the
periphery and the bottom of the case. The user will naturally turn
the remote control unit in his or her hands to best accommodate
what he or she is trying to accomplish. The pattern recognition
system interprets how the user is holding the remote control unit
and redefines these zones of interaction so that they will appear
to be at the same place, no matter how the remote is oriented. For
instance, the remote control unit can be used with one or two
hands, and in both landscape and portrait orientation. The pattern
recognition system can discriminate the difference and will
automatically redefine the zones of interaction so that the user
can perform the most probably operations in the easiest manner for
that user. The zones of interaction include, for example, different
zones within the touchpad. Different regions of the touchpad may be
dedicated to different functions or different user manipulation
styles. In addition, the remote control unit itself can be
manipulated into different virtual "zones of interaction" by
employing different gestures with the remote in mid-air, such as a
quick flick of the wrist to change channels.
[0050] Power Management
[0051] The presently preferred embodiment is contemplated for very
low power consumption. For example, the remote control unit may run
on a single AA or AAA battery or batteries for approximately one
year. With currently available technology, the wireless circuitry
associated with RF modules consumes more power than the touch
sensors; and the accelerometers and actuators consume less power
than the touch sensors. For this reason, the power management
circuitry 204 places the wireless circuitry in a sleep mode (or
turned off altogether) after a short period of time after the
remote control unit is no longer being used (e.g., 30 seconds). The
touch sensors will then be placed in sleep mode (or turned off)
after a somewhat longer period of time (e.g., 2 minutes). This will
allow turning on the wireless circuitry again (in case the user
touches the surface of the touchpad or picks up the unit within two
minutes). The accelerometers are put into a low power mode where
the circuitry checks the accelerometer status at a much lower rate
than the normal accelerometer refresh rate. In this regard the
normal refresh rate might be on the order of 50 Hz whereas in the
low power mode the refresh rate might be in the order of 1 Hz, or
even 0.1 Hz. The power management circuitry 204 would implement a
turn on sequence that is essentially the reverse of the turn off
sequence, with the accelerometer refresh rate being increased to
full rate first, followed by reactivation of the touch sensors and
finally by activation of the wireless circuitry. In the sleep mode,
the RF modules may periodically be awakened, to check to see if
there are any pending messages from the control circuit 60.
[0052] In the presently preferred embodiment, the remote control
unit does not have a dedicated power-on button, as this might be a
potential source of user confusion as to whether such button powers
on the remote control unit or the television. Thus, the pattern
recognition system is used to handle power-on in an efficient
manner. The remote control unit turns on when the user first picks
it up. For this reason, the system first checks the lower
resolution acceleration data to determine if the remote has been
moved. If so, the capacitive sensors are next energized to
determine if the remote is actually being held (as opposed to
simply being inadvertently pushed or moved when resting on the
coffee table). If the pattern recognition system determines that
the remote control unit is being held, then next the touchpads and
finally the wireless circuitry are activated.
[0053] Alternatively, power-on can be triggered by a specific
gesture, such as shaking the remote control unit. More complex
power-on operation can also be utilized, for example, to enforce
parental control as discussed above in connection with parental
blocking features.
[0054] The pattern recognition system will likewise detect when it
is time to turn the remote control unit off by detecting
inactivity, or if detecting that the television has been turned
off. This latter event would be detectable, for example, by
information communicated via the RF modules.
[0055] Remote Finder
[0056] The control circuit 60, associated with the consumer
electronic equipment, may include a button that will send a remote
location message to the remote control unit. The user would push
this button if the remote control unit has gotten misplaced. The
control circuit would then periodically send a
tell-me-where-you-are signal to the remote via RF. When the remote
control unit's RF module next wakes up and finds the wake up
signal, it will activate the haptic feedback system (e.g.,
speaker/annunciator 110) causing the unit to make sound and/or
vibrate and optionally use the display illumination circuitry 108
to turn the backlighting on. In addition, if desired, the remote
control unit and the control circuitry can use RF ranging
functionality to measure the distance between the remote control
unit and the control circuit. This information has been used to
display the distance on the display 50, or even present a picture
of the room with highlighted areas identifying where the remote
control unit could be. Alternatively, the RFID tag 206 may be used,
allowing the precise location of the remote control to be displayed
on the display screen 50.
[0057] Tight Coupling Between Remote Control System and On-Screen
User Interface
[0058] As illustrated by the previously discussed example regarding
parental control, the remote control system is able to capitalize
on its tight coupling with the on-screen information. The on-screen
information, such as instructions on how to deactivate the parental
blocking feature, may be stored in the programmable random access
memory 86 of the control circuit (FIG. 3) and may then be projected
onto the display 50 as an overlay upon the presently viewed
program. First, by displaying information to the user on the
display screen, the user does not need to look at the remote
control unit in order to operate it. If the user needs to enter
input, such as a spelled word, an overlay image of a keyboard may
be presented and the user can navigate to the desired keys by
simply manipulating the touch pad while watching a cursor or
cursors (one for each finger) on the displayed overlay keyboard. If
desired, the remote control system circuitry can also obtain
program guide information and the display overlay can then allow
the user to select which programs to view or record by simply
manipulating the touch pad.
[0059] One can better understand the effectiveness of the remote
control system by considering where the functionality of the system
has been placed. By tight integration with the display screen, the
remote control system can use the display screen, with its high
resolution graphics capability, to provide an unlimited amount of
visual information to the user which would be virtually impossible
to provide through a set of dedicated buttons as conventional
controllers do. The rich collection of diverse sensory inputs
allows the user to adopt many different, and even redundant, ways
of communicating the user's desires to the system. Interpretation
of the diverse collection of sensory inputs by the pattern
recognizer handles much of the complexity of converting the user's
gestural and touch commands into message meaning data that
correlate to functions that the consumer electronic equipment can
perform. The resulting division of labor produces a control system
that provides both a very high, visually engaging information
content to the user regarding his or her control system choices,
with an equally rich collection of gestural and touch commands that
the user can employ to get his or her message across to the control
system. Compare this to the conventional push button remote control
that requires one button, or a sequence of buttons, to be pressed
for each desired function, with the added inconvenience that the
user must look at the remote control in order to find the desired
button to push.
[0060] Referring now to FIGS. 4A through 10, other aspects of the
present disclosure will be further discussed. Specifically, another
embodiment of the remote control unit is illustrated and is
indicated generally at 310. The remote control unit 310 is shown in
detail in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The remote control unit 310 can be
incorporated in a remote control system 312 illustrated in FIGS.
5-10 and discussed in greater detail below.
[0061] Referring initially to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the remote control
unit 310 will be discussed in greater detail. The remote control
unit 310 generally includes a casing 314. The casing 314 in some
embodiments is generally elongate, rectangular, and box-like so as
to be held comfortably in one or two hands. The casing 314 defines
a first end 316, a second end 318 opposite the first end 316, a
first side 320, and a second side 322 opposite the first side 320.
The first and second sides 320, 322 are generally perpendicular to
the first and second ends 316, 318. Furthermore, the casing 314
generally defines a top face 325. It will be appreciated that the
remote control unit 310 can have any suitable shape without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0062] The casing 314 also defines at least one imaginary cut plane
that substantially bisects the remote control unit 310. In the
embodiments represented in FIG. 4, the casing 314 defines a first
imaginary cut plane X1 and a second imaginary cut plane X2. (Each
imaginary cut planes X1, X2 are represented in FIG. 4 by broken
lines.) The first imaginary cut plane X1 intersects the first and
second sides 320, 322 midway between the first and second ends 316,
318 and also intersects the top face 325. The second imaginary cut
plane X2 is substantially perpendicular to the first cut plane X1
and intersects the first and second ends 316, 318 midway between
the first and second sides 320, 322. Also, the second imaginary cut
plane X2 intersects the top face 325 of the remote control unit
310. As shown in the embodiments represented in FIG. 4A, the casing
314 is substantially symmetric about each of the first and second
imaginary cut planes X1, X2. It will be appreciated that the casing
314 could be symmetric about only one of the imaginary cut planes
X1, X2 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the imaginary cut
planes X1, X2 could bisect the remote control unit 310 at any
suitable location.
[0063] The remote control unit 310 further includes a transmitter
schematically illustrated at 326. The transmitter 326 is operable
for transmitting one or more control signals for controlling an
electronic device, such as a television, audio equipment, air
conditioning equipment, ceiling fans, or any other suitable device.
It will be appreciated that the remote control unit 310 can control
any suitable electronic device remotely as will be discussed.
Furthermore, the transmitter 326 can be of any suitable type. In
some embodiments, the transmitter 326 transmits radio frequency
(RF) signals; however, it will be appreciated that the transmitter
326 can be of any suitable multi-directional transmitter. It will
also be appreciated, however, that the transmitter 326 can be of
any suitable directional transmitter, such as an infrared (IR)
transmitter, without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0064] The remote control unit 310 also includes a plurality of
input features, generally indicated at 328. The input features 328
can be of any suitable type, such as movable buttons, touchpads,
dials, joysticks, and the like. As will be described, a user
manipulates one or more of the input features 328 to cause the
transmitter 326 to transmit the control signal for controlling the
associated electronic device. For instance, in the embodiments
represented in FIG. 5, the remote control unit 310 is used to
control a television 330, having a receiver 332. When the input
features 328 are manipulated, the transmitter 326 transmit one or
more control signals currently associated with the input features
328 that the user manipulates. Once the receiver 332 receives the
transmitted control signal(s), the television 330 operates
accordingly. It will be appreciated that the remote control unit
310 can be used for any suitable control of the television 330,
such as channel control, volume control, power on/off, and the
like.
[0065] The remote control system 312 can also include a display
346. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the display 346 is included on
the television 330; however, it will be appreciated that the
display 346 can be separate from the electronic device controlled
by the remote control unit 310. It will be appreciated that the
display 346 can also be included on the remote control unit 310
itself. The display 346 displays a virtual representation of the
remote control unit 310 (i.e., a virtual remote control unit 348
with virtual input features 328). In some embodiments, when the
user picks up or otherwise contacts the remote control unit 310,
the display 346 automatically displays the virtual remote control
unit 348. In the embodiment shown, the virtual remote control unit
348 is substantially similar in appearance to the actual remote
control unit 310. Also, the display 346 displays a plurality of
icons 350. The icons 350 are displayed so as to indicate the
functions associated with each input feature 328. Also, the display
346 displays a cursor 352 corresponding to the location of the
user's finger or stylus on the remote control unit 310. The user
moves the cursor 352 by moving a finger over the remote control
unit 310 as will be discussed. In some embodiments, the cursor 352
is in the shape of a thumb.
[0066] In the embodiment shown, the input features 328 of the
remote control unit 310 include a first touch sensitive area 334a
and a second touch sensitive area 334b. The touch sensitive areas
334a, 334b are distinct from each other and separated at a distance
so as to define a first touchpad 336a and a second touchpad 336b.
The first and second touchpads 336a, 336b can be of any suitable
type and can recognize when and where the user touches the touchpad
336a, 336b. The touchpads 336a, 336b can also trace movement of the
users finger(s) thereon for movement of the cursor 352.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, each of the touchpads 336a, 336b
can detect when the user touches with two fingers simultaneously.
Moreover, in some embodiments, each touchpad 336a, 336b can
recognize contact with the users skin and/or when the user contacts
the touchpad 336a, 336b with a stylist or other indicating device.
Also, the touchpads 336a, 336b can be configured to be movable
(i.e., clickable) for providing further user input.
[0067] Moreover, in the embodiment shown, the remote control unit
310 includes a plurality of moveable buttons disposed generally
between the first and second touchpads 336a, 336b. More
specifically, in the embodiment shown, the remote control unit 310
includes a central button 338a, and first end button 338b, a second
end button 338c, a first rocker button 338d, a second rocker button
338e, a third rocker button 338f, and a fourth rocker button 338g.
The central button 338a is located generally in a central location
on the top face 325. The first and second end buttons 338b, 338c
are located on opposite sides of the central button 338a. The first
and second rocker buttons 338d, 338e are located on a side of the
central button 338a opposite that from the third and fourth rocker
buttons 338f, 338g. It will be appreciated that the remote control
unit 310 can include any number and any style of buttons without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it
will be appreciated that the remote control unit 310 can include
any style of input features 328, including those other than touch
sensitive areas and buttons.
[0068] Manipulation of the input features 328 (e.g., pressing the
buttons 338a-338g and touching the touchpads 336a, 336b)
selectively causes the transmitter 326 to transmit an associated
control signal. This will be described in greater detail below.
[0069] As shown in FIG. 4, the input features 328 (i.e., the
touchpads 336a, 336b and the buttons 338a-338g) are collectively
disposed in a substantially symmetric manner with respect to the
first and second imaginary cut planes X1, X2. In other words, the
position and shape of the input features 328 are substantially
symmetric with respect to the first and second cut planes X1, X2.
Specifically, in the embodiment shown, the first and second
touchpads 336a, 336b are located on opposite sides and are disposed
at substantially equal distances from the first cut plane X1.
Moreover, the first and second touchpads 336a, 336b are shaped
substantially the same. Moreover, each of the first and second
touchpads 336a, 336b are substantially bisected by the second cut
plane X2. Furthermore, the array of buttons 338a-338g is
substantially bisected by each of the first and second cut planes
X1, X2. It will be appreciated, however, that the input features
328 could be symmetric about only one of the cut planes X1, X2
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It will
also be appreciated that the input features 328 could be symmetric
about more than two cut planes.
[0070] As will be described in greater detail, the symmetrical
layout of the input features 328 allows for various advantages. For
instance, the array of input features 328 appears the same in
multiple orientations and holding positions. As such, the remote
control unit 310 can be operated in a very intuitive manner as will
be described.
[0071] The remote control unit 310 can also include at least one
sensor 340 for detecting the way the user is holding the remote
control unit 310. In other words, the sensor 340 detects one of a
plurality of holding positions of the remote control unit 310. The
sensor 340 can be of any suitable type, such as an acceleration
sensor, a contact sensor, a capacitive sensor, a pressure sensor,
and the like. For instance, in some embodiments, the sensor 340
detects areas of contact between the user's hand and the remote
control unit 310 to detect the holding position of the remote
control unit 310. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the sensor 340
is an accelerometer that detects movement of the remote control
unit 310, for instance, detecting that the remote control unit 310
has been inverted or otherwise rotated. Pattern recognition methods
and features described above can be used to detect the holding
position of the remote control unit 310. In some embodiments, the
sensor 340 detects and distinguishes between a first holding
position and a second holding position. The first holding position
and the second holding position are substantially opposite each
other. For instance, in some embodiments, the first holding
position is inverted with respect to the second holding position as
will be described in greater detail. Furthermore, in some
embodiments, the user holds the remote control unit 310 in a right
hand in the first holding position, and the user holds the remote
control unit 310 in a left hand in the second holding position as
will be described.
[0072] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4A, the remote control unit 310
includes a controller 342. The controller 342 can include any
suitable hardware and/or software. Also, the controller 342 can be
housed within the casing 314 and/or can be disposed outside the
casing 314 of the remote control unit 310. The controller 342
includes a functional map, which associates a plurality of
functions 344 with corresponding ones of the input features 328 of
the remote control unit 310.
[0073] For instance, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the remote
control unit 310 controls the television 330. The television 330
includes various functions 344 such as power on/off, volume
control, channel control, switching the input source, mute, and
entry of alphanumeric symbols. Each of these functions of the
television 330 can be controlled by manipulating one or more of the
input features 328 of the remote control unit 310. The map of the
controller 342 associates each of the functions 344 with one or
more of the input features 328. For instance, the power on/off
function can be associated with the central button 338a in the map
of the controller 342. As such, when the user presses the central
button 338a, the television 330 turns on or off. In some
embodiments, the most commonly used functions of the television 330
are associated in the map with the buttons 338a-338g for simple
control of the television 330. Also, in some embodiments, other
less common functions of the television 330 are associated with the
touchpads 336a, 336b of the remote control unit 310.
[0074] As will be described, the controller 342 changes the
association of the functions 344 and the input features 328
depending on the holding position detected by the sensor 340 of the
remote control unit 310. As such, the remote control unit 310 can
operate substantially the same in multiple holding positions. Also,
as will be described, the mapping of the functions 344 to the input
features 328 can be changed depending on the detected holding
position such that the functions 344 are associated with input
features 328 in more convenient locations on the remote control
unit 310. As such, the remote control unit 310 can be operated in a
more ergonomic and intuitive manner.
[0075] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a comparison will be made of
the operation of the remote control unit 310 in multiple holding
positions. More specifically, in FIG. 5, the remote control unit
310 is held such that the first end 316 is oriented outward
relative to the user, the second end 318 is oriented inward
relative to the user, and so on. In contrast, in FIG. 6, the remote
control unit 310 is held with the second end 318 oriented outward
relative to the user, the first end 316 oriented inward relative to
the user, and so on. In other words, the remote control unit 310 is
inverted in FIG. 6 as compared to the holding position shown in
FIG. 5. Because of the symmetrical layout of the input features
328, the remote control unit 310 appears substantially the same to
the user in both holding positions. Also, when the sensor 340
detects the holding position of FIG. 5, the controller 342 maps
(i.e., associates) the functions 344 with corresponding input
features 328; however, when the sensor 340 detects the holding
position of FIG. 6, the controller 342 remaps the functions 344 to
those input features 328 on the opposite side of the first cut
plane X1.
[0076] More specifically, in the holding position of FIG. 5, the
numeric input functions 344 (i.e., represented by icons 0 through
9) are mapped to the first touchpad 336a, but in the holding
position of FIG. 6, the numeric input functions 344 are mapped to
the second touchpad 336b. Similarly, the icons 350 representing
numeric input functions 344 are displayed on the first touchpad
336a in the holding position of FIG. 5, but the icons 350 are
displayed on the second touchpad 336b in the holding position of
FIG. 6. The orientation of the icons 350 displayed in FIG. 5 is
inverted across the first cut plane X1 with respect to the
orientation displayed in FIG. 6 such that the icons appear right
side up.
[0077] Likewise, the controller 342 remaps the functions 344
associated with the movable buttons 338a-338g when the holding
position is changed from the holding position of FIG. 5 to the
holding position of FIG. 6. For instance, in one embodiment, in the
holding position of FIG. 5, the mute function 344 is associated
with the second end button 338c, but in the inverted holding
position of FIG. 6, the mute function 344 is associated with the
first end button 338b.
[0078] Accordingly, the remote control unit 310 can be picked up
without looking at the remote control unit 310 in either of the
inverted positions, and the user can immediately begin using it. As
such, the remote control unit 310 can be used in a highly intuitive
and convenient fashion. Furthermore, because the icons 350 are
remapped by the controller 342 and the icons 350 are displayed on
the display 346, the remote control unit 310 can effectuate a wide
variety of functions 344 without having to look at the remote
control unit 310.
[0079] Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, mapping of the functions 344
is further illustrated with respect to additional opposite holding
positions. For instance, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the remote
control unit 310 is held in the right hand of the user, but in the
embodiment of FIG. 8, the remote control unit 310 is held in the
left hand of the user. When the user holds the remote control unit
310 in the right hand (FIG. 7), the functions 344 are associated
with certain corresponding input features 328; however, when the
user holds the remote control unit 310 in the left hand (FIG. 8),
the controller 342 remaps the functions 344 to the input features
328 on the opposite side of the second imaginary cut plane X2.
[0080] For instance, in one embodiment, the channel control
functions 344 are associated with the first and second rocker
buttons 338d, 338e and the volume control functions 344 are
associated with the third and fourth rocker buttons 338f, 338g when
the remote control unit 310 is held in the right hand (FIG. 7).
However, when the remote control unit 310 is held in the left hand,
the channel control functions 344 are associated with the third and
fourth buttons 338f, 338g and the volume control functions 344 are
associated with the first and second rocker buttons 338d, 338e. As
such, the channel control functions 344 can be located closer to
the thumb of the user for easier access to the channel control
functions 344 in both holding positions.
[0081] Also, the icons 350 shown on the display 346 are relocated
to correspond to the mapping performed by the controller 342.
Furthermore, it will be appreciated that any one of the functions
344 and associated icons 350 can be remapped and re-associated as
described above, including the functions 344 and icons 350
associated with the touchpads 336a, 336b.
[0082] Moreover, the cursor 352 can change depending on the holding
position detected by the sensor 340. In the embodiment shown, for
instance, when the remote control unit 310 is held in the right
hand, a right thumb is displayed as the cursor 352, but when the
remote control unit 310 is held in the left hand, a left thumb is
displayed as the cursor 352. As such, operation of the remote
control unit 310 is less likely to confuse the user.
[0083] Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, operation of the remote
control unit 310 is discussed further. In the embodiment shown,
when the remote control unit 310 is turned to a substantially
horizontal position (i.e., a landscape orientation), the sensor 340
detects the change in orientation. As a result, the controller 342
automatically causes the system 312 to enter a text entry mode.
More specifically, the display 346 displays a keyboard arranged in
any suitable fashion. In the embodiment shown, the display 346
displays a QWERTY keyboard. Also, the display 346 displays text
suggestions 360, which suggest complete words that the user can
select based on prior inputted text. Also, in the embodiment shown,
the remote control unit 310 can be operated using two hands, with
one thumb on one of the first and second touchpads 336a, 336b and
the other thumb on the other touchpad 336a, 336b. The display 346
also displays a corresponding right and left thumb as the cursors
352. Furthermore, the display 346 highlights the individual keys
that the cursor 352 overlaps for easier text input.
[0084] In comparing FIGS. 9 and 10, it is shown that the controller
342 remaps the input features 328 such that the input features 328
can be manipulated in the same manner regardless of whether the
first side 320 or the second side 322 is held outward from the
user. More specifically, if the first side 320 is held outward from
the user (FIG. 9), the first touchpad 336a can be operated with the
left thumb and the second touchpad 336b can be operated with the
right thumb. In contrast, if the second side 322 is held outward
from the user (FIG. 10), the second touchpad 336b can be operated
with the left thumb, and the first touchpad 336a can be operated
with the right thumb. As such, the user can use the remote control
unit 310 in the same fashion regardless of the horizontal (i.e.,
landscape) holding position. The controller 342 remaps the text
entry functions 344 as described above such that the user can
operate the remote control unit 310 in the same manner in both
orientations shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.
[0085] In summary, the symmetric design and remapping operation of
the controller 342 allows for substantially intuitive user
interaction with the remote control unit 310. As such, the remote
control unit 310 can be operated more easily and conveniently.
Furthermore, the heads-up operation enabled by the display 346
allows the remote control unit 310 to be operated in the dark,
without having to look at the remote control unit 310. The remote
control unit 310 can simply be picked up, and the user can begin
operating the remote control unit 310 almost immediately.
[0086] Moreover, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes
merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. One skilled
in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from
the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes,
modifications and variations may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the
following claims.
* * * * *