TWI822437B - Electronic apparatus and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic apparatus and an operating method are provided. In the method, a pointing signal of a secondary operating apparatus is received. A wireless connection with the secondary operating apparatus is established through the electronic apparatus according to the positioning result of the pointing signal of the secondary operating apparatus. The pointing signal is used for confirming the positioning between the secondary operating apparatus and the electronic apparatus. The wireless connection is used to transmit data. Accordingly, the user experience could be improved.

Description

Electronic device and control method thereof

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a control method thereof, and in particular to a control method in which multiple input devices can simultaneously control an electronic device across devices.

After an existing input device (such as a stylus or mouse) is connected to a single electronic device, it can only control the originally connected electronic device. General electronic devices are usually designed for single-person operation. If you want to use the aforementioned input device to operate other electronic devices, you need to reconnect and may need to disconnect the previous connection.

In addition, when in multi-person meetings or presentations, general electronic devices only allow the input device of the original user to control it, and do not allow the input devices of other users to simultaneously perform cross-device instruction control on the same electronic device with limited permissions.

It can be seen from this that there is a need to provide improvements that are suitable for multi-player operations and a flexible cross-device control experience.

In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic device and a control method thereof, which can establish multiple input devices for cross-device authorized connection to the same electronic device in a simple, intuitive and secure authorization manner.

The method of controlling an electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes (but is not limited to) the following steps: receiving a pointing signal from the secondary control device; and establishing a wireless connection with the secondary control device through the electronic device based on the positioning result of the pointing signal of the secondary control device. The pointing signal is used to confirm the positioning between the secondary control device and the electronic device. Wireless connections are used to transfer data.

Electronic devices according to embodiments of the present invention include (but are not limited to) one or more positioning receivers, wireless transceivers, and processors. The processor is coupled to the positioning receiver and the wireless transceiver. The processor is configured to receive the pointing signal of the secondary control device through the positioning receiver, and establish a wireless connection with the secondary control device through the wireless transceiver according to the positioning result of the pointing signal of the secondary control device. The pointing signal is used to confirm the positioning between the secondary control device and the electronic device. Wireless connections are used to transfer data.

Based on the above, according to the electronic device and its control method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the positioning result of the direction of the secondary control device is determined, and a connection is established accordingly. This provides multi-player operation and a flexible cross-device control experience.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the electronic device 10 includes (but is not limited to) one or more positioning receivers 11 , a wireless transceiver 12 , a touch sensor 13 , a display 14 and a processor 17 . The electronic device 10 may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer or a notebook computer.

The positioning receiver 11 may be a receiver or sensor of infrared rays, radar signals, lasers, acoustic waves, or ultra-wideband (Ultra-Wideband, UWB) signals. In one embodiment, the positioning receiver 11 can determine whether the received signal is directed to a specific area or location based on the detection result (eg, amplitude and/or phase) of the received signal (eg, light, radio or sound signal). For example, if the amplitude of the received signal is higher than the corresponding threshold, it is determined that the received signal is directed to the designated area; if the amplitude of the received signal is lower than the corresponding threshold, it is determined that the received signal is not directed to the designated area. Since the signals received by the positioning receiver 11 can be used to determine directivity, the signals received by the positioning receiver 11 are collectively referred to as "direction signals" below.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a positioning receiver 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 , the location of the positioning receiver 11 is approximately located at the four corners of the quadrilateral screen 141 of the display 14 . The range (eg, dotted box) enclosed by these positioning receivers 11 can be defined as the control area ED (ie, the aforementioned designated/specific area). In this embodiment, the pointing signal received by the positioning receiver 11 can be used to determine whether it is pointing to the control area ED or outside the control area ED. In some embodiments, the positioning receiver 11 can be externally connected to the body of the electronic device 10 .

The wireless transceiver 12 may support fourth generation (4G) or other generations of mobile communications, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared, radio frequency identification (Radio Frequency Identification, RFID), and near-field communication (Near-Field Communication, NFC). or other wireless communication technology transceiver circuits. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver 12 is used to receive signals from or transmit signals to external devices. In some embodiments, the wireless transceiver 12 can be externally connected to the body of the electronic device 10 .

The touch sensor 13 (optional) may be a sensor using capacitive, electromagnetic, resistive, optical, or ultrasonic touch technology. Taking the electromagnetic type as an example, when the magnetic induction coil approaches the touch sensor 13 to a certain distance, the touch sensor 13 will sense the electromagnetic signal of the magnetic induction coil, causing the magnetic flux of the induction line of the touch sensor 13 to change. , and can determine the approaching position of the magnetic induction coil based on changes in magnetic flux.

In one embodiment, one or more touch sensors 13 form a touch panel. The shape of the touch panel is substantially the same as the shape of the screen 141 shown in FIG. 2 (for example, a quadrilateral defined by the control area ED), and the position of the touch panel corresponds to the screen 141 .

The display 14 may be a Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, or a Quantum Dot display. dot display) or other type of display. In one embodiment, the display 14 is used to display images.

The processor 17 is coupled to the positioning receiver 11 , the wireless transceiver 12 , the touch sensor 13 and the display 14 . The processor 17 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or other programmable general-purpose or special-purpose microprocessor (Microprocessor), digital signal processing Digital Signal Processor (DSP), programmable controller, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), neural network accelerator or other similar elements or combinations of the above elements. In one embodiment, the processor 17 is used to execute all or part of the operations of the electronic device 10, and can load and execute each program code, software module, file and data stored in the memory (not shown). In some embodiments, the functions of the processor 17 may be implemented through software or a chip.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the secondary control device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3 , the secondary control device 40 includes (but is not limited to) a positioning transmitter 41 , a wireless transceiver 42 , a magnetic induction coil 43 , a motion sensor 44 , a battery 45 , an input device 46 and a processor 47 . The secondary control device 40 may be a stylus or a handheld controller.

The positioning transmitter 41 may be an emitter or generator of infrared rays, radar signals, lasers, sound waves, or ultra-wideband (UWB) signals. In one embodiment, the positioning transmitter 41 may send a pointing signal.

The wireless transceiver 42 may be a transceiver circuit that supports fourth generation (4G) or other generations of mobile communications, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared, RFID, NFC or other wireless communication technologies. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver 42 is used to receive signals from or transmit signals to external devices.

In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver 42 includes a Bluetooth chip 421 and a UWB chip 422 .

The magnetic induction coil 43 (optional) can produce changes in magnetic flux due to proximity to the electromagnetic touch sensor 13 .

The motion sensor 44 (optional) may be an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, an electronic compass, an inertial sensing unit, or a 3-axis or more axial sensor. In one embodiment, the motion sensor 44 is used to obtain motion-related information such as speed, acceleration, angular velocity, inclination, displacement, etc., and use it as sensing data. In one embodiment, the sensing data of the motion sensor 44 can be used to detect the dynamic behavior of the whole or part of the body of the secondary control device 40 .

The battery 45 may be a lithium battery, a carbon zinc battery, or an alkaline battery. In one embodiment, the battery 45 is used to provide power.

The input device 46 may be a button, a touch panel, or a switch. In one embodiment, the input device 46 is used to receive user operations (eg, press, slide, or open) to generate user instructions.

The processor 47 is coupled to the positioning transmitter 41 , the wireless transceiver 42 , the magnetic induction coil 43 , the motion sensor 44 , the battery 45 and the input device 46 . The processor 47 may be a CPU, a GPU, or other programmable general-purpose or special-purpose microprocessor, DSP, programmable controller, FPGA, ASIC, neural network accelerator or other similar components or components of the above components. combination. In one embodiment, the processor 47 is used to execute all or part of the operations of the secondary control device 40, and can load and execute each program code, software module, file and data stored in the memory (not shown). . In some embodiments, the functions of the processor 47 may be implemented through software or a chip.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a usage scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4 , it is assumed below that the main control device 20 has established a main connection with the electronic device 10 and can control the electronic device 10 through input devices such as touch, pointing or operation. It should be noted that the main control device 20 is another stylus or handheld controller, and its components can refer to the positioning transmitter 41, wireless transceiver 42, magnetic induction coil 43, motion sensor 44, The description of the battery 45, the input device 46 and the processor 47 will not be repeated here. On the other hand, it is assumed that the secondary control device 40 has established a primary connection with the electronic device 30 and can control the electronic device 30 through input devices such as touch, pointing or operation. The electronic device 30 is another mobile phone, tablet computer or laptop, and its components may refer to the description of the positioning receiver 11 , wireless transceiver 12 , touch sensor 13 , display 14 and processor 17 of the electronic device 10 , which will not be described again here. However, in some application scenarios, the secondary control device 40 may not be connected to any electronic device.

In the following, the method described in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the electronic devices 10 and 30, the main control device 20, the secondary control device and their components and modules. Each process of this method can be adjusted according to the implementation situation, and is not limited thereto.

In the first embodiment, the electronic device 10 may first run the connection software, and the connection software is used to drive a program for cross-device control. For example, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the release authorization query of the electronic device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5 , if the input device (such as a mouse, not shown) of the electronic device 10 receives a user operation selection or a pointing signal of the main control device 20 , it points to "cross-device control" in the user interface of the electronic device 10 When the option is selected, the user interface UI switches to the "Cross-device control release authorization inquiry" interface. When the input device (such as a mouse, not shown) of the electronic device 10 receives the user's operation selection or the pointing signal of the main control device 20 points to the "release" or "confirm" option, the electronic device 10 can allow the secondary control device 40 Carry out subsequent link matching and/or authorized access procedures. When the input device (such as a mouse, not shown) of the electronic device 10 receives a user operation selection or the pointing signal of the main control device 20 points to the "lock" or "reject" option, the electronic device 10 can prohibit the secondary control device. 40 or other secondary control devices that have not yet been released to perform subsequent link matching and/or authorized access procedures, but the secondary control devices that have been released can still perform subsequent procedures. This process avoids intentional (e.g., prank) or unintentional (e.g., accidental) pointing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a usage scenario according to the first embodiment of the present invention. When the electronic device 10 has not authorized the release of any secondary control device 40, only the primary control device 20 that has established a primary connection can operate the electronic device 10 at this time. For example, the pointing signal of the main control device 20 generates a cursor EP1 (which may also be a virtual light point) on the electronic device 10 . However, the secondary control device 40 cannot operate the electronic device 10 .

After the electronic device 10 completes the release authorization inquiry process, it then enters the process of FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a control method of the electronic device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which is about determining whether the secondary control device 40 wants to establish a wireless connection with the electronic device 10 . In step S710 , the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 receives the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 through the positioning receiver 11 . Specifically, as described above, the positioning transmitter 41 of the secondary control device 40 generates a pointing signal, and the pointing signal can be used to confirm the positioning between the secondary control device 40 and the electronic device 10 . The processor 17 can determine whether the position pointed by the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 falls within the positioning range based on the detection data of the positioning receiver 11 . For example, being within the control area ED shown in FIG. 6 belongs to the positioning range, while outside the control area ED belongs to the non-positioning range.

Next, in step S720, the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 establishes a wireless connection with the secondary control device 40 based on the positioning result of the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40. Specifically, the processor 17 can determine whether the target position of the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 is located in the control area (for example, the control area ED defined in FIG. 2 or FIG. 6 corresponding to the screen 141) to obtain the positioning result. The target position is the position pointed by the pointing signal determined by the processor 17 based on the detection data of the positioning receiver 11 . For example, the position where an imaginary line extending from the head end of the secondary control device 40 to its tail end overlaps with an obstacle (eg, the electronic device 10 or other objects). The positioning results include that the target position is located in the control area and that the target position is not located in the control area.

In one embodiment, the processor 17 can determine the control area according to the location of the positioning receiver 11 . Taking FIG. 2 as an example, the range (eg, dotted box) enclosed by the positioning receivers 11 located at the four corners of the screen 141 can be defined as the control area ED. However, the position, shape and/or size of the control area can be changed according to actual needs.

In some cases, the user does not really intend to allow the secondary control device 40 to establish a wireless connection with the electronic device 10 , for example, the user accidentally points the secondary control device 40 at the electronic device 10 while holding the secondary control device 40 . Therefore, when executing the steps of FIG. 7 , further judging the positioning result through the subsequent process of FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 can eliminate the misdirection of the secondary control device 40 .

Figure 8 is a flow chart of positioning result determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In step S810, the processor 17 may determine the positioning result based on the residence time of the target position of the secondary control device 40 in the control area ED of the electronic device 10. Specifically, when the processor 17 detects that the target position is located in the control area ED, the timing can be started, and the residence time can be accumulated accordingly before the target position leaves the control area ED. In step S820, if the residence time exceeds A wireless connection is intended to be established with the electronic device 10 . In step S830, if the residence time is less than X seconds, the processor 17 determines that the positioning result is that the target position is not located in the control area, and then the processor 17 determines that the secondary control device 40 has no intention to establish a wireless connection with the electronic device 10. to rule out misdirection.

Figure 9 is another flowchart of positioning result determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In step S910 , the processor 17 may determine whether a start signal is received while the target position of the secondary control device 40 is located in the control area ED of the electronic device 10 . Specifically, when the processor 17 determines that the target position of the secondary control device 40 is located in the control area ED, and the keys of the secondary control device 40 are operated (for example, the user's press or continuous click operation), the processor can be triggered. 47 generates the corresponding activation signal through the wireless transceiver 42.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the keys being operated according to FIG. 9 . Please refer to FIG. 10 . The input device 46 is a button for controlling the device 40 , and includes two buttons 461 and 462 . The two buttons can correspondingly generate activation signals for requesting menus and confirming options. For example, button 461 is used to request a menu, and button 462 is used to confirm an option. If the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 detects that the target position of the pointing signal is located in the control area, and the button 462 is pressed at the same time so that the processor 47 generates and transmits an activation signal to confirm the option through the wireless transceiver 42, the wireless device of the electronic device 10 The transceiver 12 is activated accordingly and receives the activation signal confirming the option.

That is to say, even if the electronic device 10 detects that the target position of the pointing signal is located in the control area, the user must press the button of the confirmation option to activate the signal to instruct the control device 40 to establish a connection with the electronic device 10 to confirm the user's Operational intention can also avoid unintentional (for example, careless) misdirection situations. In some embodiments, the activation signal further includes a device identification code to distinguish the device.

In the aforementioned step S910, the processor 17 only first confirms that the target position of the secondary control device 40 is located in the control area ED. In step S920 , if the processor 17 receives the activation signal from the secondary control device 40 through the wireless transceiver 12 , the processor 17 determines that the secondary control device 40 intends to establish a wireless connection with the electronic device 10 . In step S930, if the processor 17 does not receive the activation signal from the secondary control device 40 through the wireless transceiver 12, even if the processor 17 receives that the target position of the secondary control device 40 is located in the control area ED, the processor 17 determines that the secondary control device 40 is located in the control area ED. The control device 40 has no intention to establish a wireless connection with the electronic device 10 to avoid mis-fingering.

The aforementioned positioning result is used to confirm the intention of the secondary control device 40 to establish a wireless connection with the electronic device 10, and the authorization operation is used to authorize the secondary control device 40 to enter the interface platform of the electronic device 10 for subsequent control, and will be used in subsequent embodiments. Elaborate.

Figure 11 is a flow chart of authorization operation determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In step S111, in response to the positioning result meeting the trigger condition, the processor 17 may receive an authorized operation from the main control device 20. Please note that the trigger condition refers to the aforementioned step in Figure 8 (the dwell time in step S820 exceeds X seconds) or Figure 9 (receipt of the start signal in step S920). However, the triggering conditions can still be changed based on actual needs. For example, in one embodiment, the trigger condition may be that the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 moves within the control area and its movement trajectory is a specific pattern, but is not limited to this. If the positioning result does not meet the triggering conditions, the processor 17 determines that the secondary control device 40 is pointed by mistake, and prohibits subsequent authorization and connection.

Then in step S112, the processor 17 can establish a wireless connection according to the authorized operation. If the authorized operation meets the authorization conditions, a wireless connection can be established through the wireless transceiver 12 of the processor 17 and the wireless transceiver 42 of the secondary control device 40 . If the authorized operation does not meet the authorization conditions, the processor 17 disables/does not establish a wireless connection with the secondary control device 40 . Specifically, once the electronic device 10 detects the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 and indeed intends to establish a connection, the user interface UI of the electronic device 10 can be automatically called up from the processor 17 or the user can manually switch to "Agree" "Authorization" option interface (see Figure 12 or Figure 14) for the main control device 10 to perform the authorization operation process. There are many changes to authorization operations, which are described below.

In one embodiment, the authorization operation may be a user interface displayed by the contact control electronic device 10 . FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a contact control authorization operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 12. The "Agree Authorization" option interface provides an consent (for example, "yes") option AO and a rejection (for example, "no") option DO. The processor 17 can determine through the touch sensor 13 whether the contact position of the authorized operation corresponds to the consent option AO. If the contact position that authorizes the operation (as shown in FIG. 12 , the primary control device 20 advances to contact the contact position CP) corresponds to the consent option AO, the processor 17 allows the wireless connection to be established with the secondary control device 40 . If the contact position corresponds to the rejection option DO or other positions, the processor 17 prohibits establishing a wireless connection with the secondary control device 40 .

In other embodiments, the authorized operation may be to remotely control the user interface displayed on the electronic device 10 . FIG. 13 is a flowchart of remote control authorization operation determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 13 , in step S131 , the processor 17 may receive the pointing signal of the main control device 20 through the positioning receiver 11 . The generation and reception of the pointing signal and the determination of the target position may be referred to the aforementioned description of the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 (ie, the embodiment of FIG. 7 ), and will not be described again here. In step S132, the processor 17 may determine whether the target position of the pointing signal of the main control device 20 corresponds to the consent option in the user interface.

For example, FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of remote control authorization operation according to FIG. 13 . The "Agree Authorization" option interface shown in Figure 14 is the same as Figure 12, providing an consent (for example, "yes") option AO and a rejection (for example, "no") option DO. The difference from Figure 12 is that in Figure 14, if the target position pointed by the main control device 20 (as shown in Figure 14, the virtual line RC extending from the main body of the main control device 20 overlaps the target position corresponding to the cursor EP2 location) corresponding to the consent option AO, then the processor 17 allows the wireless connection to be established with the secondary control device 40 . If the target location pointed by the primary control device 20 corresponds to the rejection option DO or other locations, the processor 17 prohibits establishing a wireless connection with the secondary control device 40 .

There are also other ways to remotely control the user interface displayed by the electronic device 10 . FIG. 15 is another flowchart of remote control authorization operation determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15 , the authorization operation is performed by the main control device 20 transmitting an authorization signal to the electronic device 10 through its wireless transceiver. If the key (ie, input device) of the main control device 20 is operated (for example, pressed by the user or continuously clicked), its processor can be triggered to generate an authorization signal to the electronic device 10 through the wireless transceiver. In step S151 , the processor 17 may receive through the wireless transceiver 12 via another wireless connection between the electronic device 10 and the primary control device 20 (different from the wireless connection between the electronic device 10 and the secondary control device 40 ). Authorization signal. In step S152, the processor 17 may determine whether the secondary control device 40 is authorized according to the authorization signal. Specifically, if the authorization signal from the primary control device 20 is received through the wireless transceiver 12, the secondary control device 40 is authorized. If the wireless transceiver 12 does not receive an authorization signal from the main control device 20 or receives a signal indicating disapproval, then the secondary control device 40 fails to pass authorization.

For example, FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the remote control authorization operation according to FIG. 15 , in which the "agree to authorize" option interface shown in FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 12 or FIG. 14 . The main control device 20 includes two buttons 461 and 462 . Key 461 is used to switch options, and key 462 is used to confirm options. If the processor of the main control device 20 detects that the button 461 is pressed, it switches between the "Yes" and "No" options. If the processor of the main control device 20 detects that the button 462 is pressed, it will automatically confirm the current option. For example, if the current option is the "Yes" option, the wireless transceiver generates and transmits an authorization signal; if the current option is the "No" option, the electronic device 10 does not generate an authorization signal or transmits a signal indicating disapproval. It should be noted that since the main control device 20 controls the electronic device 10 through the buttons 461 and 462, the main control device 20 does not need to deliberately point into the control area ED of the electronic device 10 in steps S151 and S152.

After passing the authorization operation method in one of the aforementioned figures 12, 14 and 16, the electronic device 10 responds to the authorization operation and allows the secondary control device 40 to pass the authorization, and the secondary control device 40 can establish a substantial wireless connection with the electronic device 10. String. And the control signals such as up and down page switching signals, "Enter" signals or other control signals from the secondary control device 40 can be transmitted to the electronic device 10 through the wireless connection of the wireless transceiver to provide more additional operations. It should be noted that based on information security, the electronic device 10 can set the secondary control device 40 to only perform instruction control of the electronic device 10 with limited authority, but it does not affect the original main control device 20 to control the electronic device 10 .

In addition, in response to the authorization operation of the electronic device 10 through authorization, the processor 17 may display a cursor corresponding to the pointing signal of the secondary control device on the user interface UI displayed on the display 14 . That is, if the secondary control device 40 has established a substantial connection with the electronic device 10 , the processor 17 can display the pointing signal on the user interface of the electronic device 10 based on the pointing signal received from the secondary control device 40 by the positioning receiver 11 . Generate the corresponding cursor.

For example, FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a secondary control device implementing cross-device control according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 17 , in response to the pointing signals of the main control device 20 and the secondary control device 40 corresponding to the control area, screen or user interface UI of the electronic device 10 , the processor 17 displays on the user interface UI corresponding to the main control The device 20 and the secondary control device 40 point to two cursors CU1 and CU2 of the signal. To facilitate identification, the cursors CU1 and CU2 have different appearances. For example, cursor CU1 is a dot, and cursor CU2 is a heart. In addition to differences in shape, different colors, sizes and/or flashing frequencies can be used to distinguish the cursors of different control devices, and embodiments of the present invention do not limit the appearance. At this time, both the main control device 20 and the secondary control device 40 can control the electronic device 10 .

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of the secondary control device 40 returning to the original default control of the electronic device 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 18 , in response to the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 , the control area, screen, or user interface UI2 of the electronic device 30 is responded to. The processor of the electronic device 30 displays a message corresponding to the secondary control device 40 on the user interface UI2 . Cursor CU2 pointing to the signal. That is, the secondary control device 40 originally defaults the electronic device 30 as the primary control device. Even if the pointing signal of the secondary control device 40 returns from the electronic device 10 of the cross-device to the original default electronic device 30, the electronic device 30 can still be controlled. At this time, the shape of the cursor CU2 can be restored to the preset dot.

Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of an external projection according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 19, embodiments of the present invention can also be applied to external screens or projection screens. Taking the external display 19 as an example, the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 can wirelessly project images to the external display 19 through the wireless transceiver 12 or wiredly project images to the external display 19 through HDMI, DP or Thunderbolt transmission interfaces. Similarly, assuming that the main control device 20 has pre-established a connection with the electronic device 10 , the external display 19 can display the cursor CU1 corresponding to the pointing signal of the main control device 20 . It should be noted that a positioning receiver 11 can be provided around the external display 19 to determine whether the main control device 20 or the secondary control devices 40 and 60 are pointed at the external display 19 . It is assumed that the secondary control device 40 has been pre-established with the electronic device 30 and can control the electronic device 30 through input devices such as touch, pointing or operation. In addition, it is assumed that another secondary control device 60 has established a pre-connection with the electronic device 50 and can control the electronic device 50 through an input device such as touch, pointing or operation.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 7 , the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 in FIG. 19 can also receive the pointing signals of the secondary control devices 40 and 60 through the positioning receiver 11 , and position based on the pointing signals of the secondary control devices 40 and 60 As a result, a wireless connection is established with the secondary control devices 40 and 60 .

According to the embodiments of FIGS. 8 to 10 , the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 in FIG. 19 can determine that the target position of the pointing signal of the secondary control devices 40 and 60 is located in the control area, so as to eliminate the mis-pointing of the secondary control devices 40 and 60 situation. In addition, according to the embodiments of FIGS. 11 to 16 , the processor 17 of the electronic device 10 in FIG. 19 can determine whether the secondary control devices 40 and 60 are authorized.

For example, FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of an authorization operation according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 20, if there are two secondary control devices 40, 60 or more control devices requiring authorization, the external display 19 can display a confirmation prompt for multi-person authorization, and confirm the direction of the main control device 20 through the cursor CU1. If the cursor CU1 corresponds to the "Yes" option, the wireless transceiver of the main control device 20 generates and transmits an authorization signal, and thereby allows the electronic device 10 to establish a connection with the secondary control devices 40 and 60; if the cursor CU1 corresponds to If the option is the "No" option, the electronic device 10 does not generate an authorization signal or transmit a signal indicating disapproval.

Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of a multi-cursor according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 21 . Similarly, the pointing signals reflected by the main control device 20 and the secondary control devices 40 and 60 correspond to the control area, screen or user interface of the external display 19 . The processor 17 uses the external display 19 Three cursors CU1, CU2, and CU3 corresponding to the pointing signals of the main control device 20 and the secondary control devices 40 and 60 are displayed on the user interface. To facilitate identification, the cursors CU1, CU2, and CU3 have different appearances. For example, cursor CU1 is a dot, cursor CU2 is a cross, and cursor CU3 is a heart.

Similarly, if the pointing signals of the secondary control devices 40 and 60 return to the original default electronic devices 30 and 50 respectively, the electronic devices 30 and 50 can still be controlled respectively.

Similarly, in addition to the aforementioned two secondary control devices 40 and 60 , the embodiments of the present invention can also be applied to the authorization and connection of more secondary control devices.

To sum up, in the electronic device and its control method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the primary and secondary control devices are provided with positioning transmitters and wireless transceivers, and the electronic device is provided with corresponding positioning receivers and wireless transceivers. The connection is triggered according to the positioning result, thereby allowing the electronic device to establish a wireless connection with the secondary control device. This provides a simple and intuitive connection mechanism, and can be used in multi-person conference situations to achieve cross-device command control.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above through embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field may make some modifications and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, The protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the appended patent application scope.

10, 30, 50: Electronic devices 11: Positioning receiver 12:Wireless transceiver 13:Touch sensor 14:Display 17: Processor 141:Screen ED: control area 41: Positioning transmitter 42:Wireless transceiver 43:Magnetic induction coil 44:Motion sensor 45:Battery 46:Input device 47: Processor 421:Bluetooth chip 422:UWB chip 40, 60: Secondary control device S510~S520, S810~S830, S910~S930, S111~S112, S131~S132, S151~S152: steps UI, UI2: User interface EP1, EP2, CU, CU1~CU3: Cursor 461, 462: Button AO: Agree option DO: reject option CP: contact position RC: imaginary line 19:External monitor

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a positioning receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a secondary control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a usage scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of authorization inquiry of an electronic device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a usage scenario according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an electronic device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a flow chart of positioning result determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is another flowchart of positioning result determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the keys being operated according to FIG. 9 . Figure 11 is a flow chart of authorization operation determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a contact control authorization operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of remote control authorization operation determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of remote control authorization operation according to FIG. 13 . FIG. 15 is another flowchart of remote control authorization operation determination according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of remote control authorization operation according to FIG. 15 . FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of the secondary control device implementing cross-device control according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of the secondary control device returning to the original default electronic device control according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of an external projection according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of authorization operations according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of a multi-cursor according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

S710~S720: steps

Claims (21)

A method of controlling an electronic device, including: receiving a pointing signal from a primary control device, wherein the pointing signal is used to confirm the positioning between the primary control device and the electronic device; and based on the placement position of at least one positioning receiver on the electronic device Determine a control area; and determine whether a target position of the pointing signal of the control device is located in the control area of the electronic device to obtain a positioning result, and establish a wireless connection with the control device through the electronic device, wherein The wireless connection is used to transmit data, wherein the positioning result includes that the target position is located in the control area and the target position is not located in the control area. The method of controlling an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the target position is located in the control area includes: judging the positioning result based on a residence time of the target position in the control area. The method of controlling an electronic device as described in claim 1 further includes: determining whether a startup signal is received while the target position is located in the control area, wherein a button of the control device is operated to generate the startup signal. The method of controlling an electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the wireless connection with the secondary control device based on the positioning result of the pointing signal includes: in response to the positioning result meeting a trigger condition, receiving a main control an authorized operation of the device; and The wireless connection is established based on the authorized operation. The method of controlling an electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the authorization operation is contacting a user interface displayed on a first electronic device, and the step of establishing the wireless connection based on the authorization operation includes: determining the authorization operation Whether a contact location corresponds to a consent option in the user interface. The method of controlling an electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the authorization operation is directed to a user interface displayed on a first electronic device, and the step of establishing the wireless connection according to the authorization operation includes: receiving the master control device a pointing signal; and determining whether a target position of the pointing signal of the main control device corresponds to a consent option in the user interface. The control method of the electronic device described in claim 4, wherein the authorization operation is to transmit an authorization signal, the authorization signal is generated in response to a button operation of the main control device, and the wireless connection is established based on the authorization operation. The steps include: receiving the authorization signal through another wireless connection between a first electronic device and the main control device; and determining whether authorization is passed based on the authorization signal. The control method of the electronic device described in claim 4 further includes: in response to the authorization operation being authorized, displaying a cursor corresponding to the pointing signal of the control device on a user interface displayed on a first electronic device. The control method of the electronic device described in claim 8 further includes: The pointing signal responsive to the secondary control device corresponds to a second electronic device, and a cursor corresponding to the pointing signal of the secondary control device is displayed on a user interface displayed by the second electronic device. The control method of the electronic device described in claim 8 further includes: the pointing signals reflected in the secondary control device and the main control device both correspond to the first electronic device, and display on the user interface corresponding to the control Two cursors pointing to the signal of the device and the main control device, wherein the two cursors have different appearances. An electronic device includes: at least one positioning receiver; a wireless transceiver; and a processor coupled to the at least one positioning receiver and the wireless transceiver and configured to: receive data through the at least one positioning receiver The pointing signal of the primary control device, wherein the pointing signal is used to confirm the positioning between the primary control device and the electronic device; determine a control area based on the installation position of the at least one positioning receiver on the electronic device; and determine the primary control device. Whether a target position of the pointing signal of the control device is located in the control area of the electronic device to obtain a positioning result, and establish a wireless connection with the control device through the wireless transceiver, where the wireless connection is used to transmit data , wherein the positioning result includes that the target position is located in the control area and the target position is not located in the control area. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine the positioning result based on a residence time of the target position in the control area. The electronic device as described in claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether a startup signal is received through the communication transceiver while the target position is located in the control area, wherein a button of the control device is The start signal is generated by the operation. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising: a display, wherein the at least one positioning receiver is located approximately at a boundary of a screen of the display. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive an authorized operation from a master control device in response to the positioning result meeting a trigger condition; and establish the wireless connection based on the authorized operation. . The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising: a display coupled to the processor, wherein the authorization operation is contacting a user interface displayed by the display; and a touch sensor coupled to the processor The processor is further configured to determine whether a contact position of the authorized operation corresponds to a consent option in the user interface through the touch sensor. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising: a display coupled to the processor, wherein the authorization operation is directed to a user interface displayed by the display, and the processor is further configured to: through the At least one positioning receiver receives the pointing signal of the main control device; and determines whether a target position of the pointing signal of the main control device corresponds to a consent option in the user interface. The electronic device as described in claim 15, wherein the authorization operation is to transmit an authorization signal, the authorization signal is generated in response to a button operation of the main control device, and the processor is further configured to: through the communication The transceiver receives the authorization signal through another wireless connection between the electronic device and the main control device; and determines whether authorization is passed based on the authorization signal. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising: a display coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to: respond to the authorization operation by authorizing, display a user interface on the display A cursor corresponding to the pointing signal of the control device is displayed above. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to the pointing signal of the control device corresponding to a second electronic device, a user interface displayed on the second electronic device A cursor corresponding to the pointing signal of the control device is displayed above. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to: respond to the pointing signals of the secondary control device and the primary control device corresponding to the electronic device, and display on the user interface corresponding to Two cursors pointing to the signal of the secondary control device and the main control device, wherein the two cursors have different appearances.

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