WO2005004445A1

WO2005004445A1 - Apparatus and method for controlling an electronic device in a car

Info

Publication number: WO2005004445A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/002659
Authority: WO
Inventors: Janne Jormalainen
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation
Priority date: 2003-07-04
Filing date: 2003-07-04
Publication date: 2005-01-13
Also published as: AU2003304618A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for controlling an electronic device (3) in a car environment. In order to simplify the operation of the electronic device in certain situations, it is proposed that the apparatus (1) comprises at least one motion sensor (4, 5) for detecting, when activated, a motion in the vicinity. It is further proposed that the apparatus (1) comprises a processing unit (6) for activating the at least one motion sensor (4, 5) in at least one predefined situation and for performing an action associated for the at least one predefined situation to a motion detected by the at least one motion sensor (4, 5). The invention relates equally to a corresponding method.

Description

Apparatus and method for controlling an electronic device in a car

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling an electronic device, like a mobile terminal, in a car environment .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For using a mobile terminal during an ongoing call, a user may hold the mobile terminal close to his/her head or employ a handsfree set or station, for instance in form of a car kit . The mobile terminal can either be part of such a handsfree station or be connected to the handsfree station. For enabling a handsfree use of the mobile terminal, a handsfree station usually comprises a microphone and at least one loudspeaker which enable a communication via the mobile terminal at a certain distance to the mobile terminal . A handsfree station is of particular advantage for a convenient and safe use of a mobile terminal in a car when driving.

For accepting, rejecting and terminating a call, the mobile terminal is commonly operated in either case by pressing buttons of the mobile terminal or of separate user interface buttons which implement the same functionality. Pressing a button, however, requires first locating the button. When driving a car, such a localization takes the user's attention off from driving and increases thus the risk of an accident. Also in other circumstances, it might be burdensome to locate first a button for operating a mobile terminal. The localization results even more difficult when it is dark so that the user has exclusively the possibility to sense the location of the required button with the fingers.

As an alternative, it is known to enable a use of voice commands for operating a mobile terminal. Especially in a car environment, voice commands are less reliable due to the background noise, though.

As a further alternative to an operation by buttons, U.S. patent 6,573,883 Bl proposes to measure a movement of a handheld computing device by means of motion sensor mounted to the device . The user can then operate the device by moving and turning the device in a predetermined manner. When driving a car, however, this is even less practicable than pressing a button.

Similar problems may also occur with the control of other electronic devices than mobile terminals in a car environment .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to simplify the operation of an electronic device in certain situations .

On the one hand, an apparatus for controlling an electronic device in a car environment is proposed, which comprises at least one motion sensor for detecting, when activated, a motion in the vicinity of the at least one motion sensor. The proposed apparatus comprises in addition a processing unit for activating the at least one motion sensor in at least one predefined situation and for performing an action associated for the at least one predefined situation to a motion detected by the at least one motion sensor.

On the other hand, a method for controlling an electronic device in a car environment by means of an apparatus is proposed. The proposed method comprises as a first step activating at least one motion sensor of the apparatus in case of a predefined situation. The proposed method comprises as a second step detecting a motion in the vicinity of the at least one motion sensor by means of the at least one motion sensor. Finally, the proposed method comprises a step of performing an action associated for the predefined situation to the detected motion.

The invention proceeds from the consideration that a simple movement of a hand in the environment of a part of an apparatus requires much less attention by a user than pressing a specific button. Therefore, it is proposed to introduce a separate user interface to the apparatus, which comprises at least one motion sensor connected to a processing unit. With such a motion sensor, a movement of a hand etc. can be detected and be interpreted as indication that a certain action, e.g. a predefined control of the electronic device, is desired in a certain situation, e.g; in a certain state of the electronic device . It is an advantage of the invention that it is easy to understand for a user of the electronic device and that it is suited to make the operation of an electronic device quite easy.

The invention is in particular suited to make the operation of an electronic device more safe for the driver of a car.

At the same time, the reliability of the operation of the electronic device is ensured.

Preferred embodiments of the invention become apparent from the dependent claims .

The apparatus may comprise a single motion sensor for detecting a motion, or a plurality of motion sensors. Multiple sensors can be used on the one hand to improve the accuracy of the detection. On the other hand, multiple sensors can be used to detect different motion patterns, such as the direction of a sweeping movement of a hand. Different gestures may then represent different responses by the user and thus cause different actions by the processing unit.

The predefined situations in which the motion sensors are activated may comprise for instance the situation of an incoming call, of an ongoing call and any other situation in which a response by a user is required.

It is to be noted that the proposed apparatus and the proposed method may support in addition speech commands as known from the state of the art. In a first alternative, the user may then switch between a control which is based on a motion detection and a control which is based on speech commands. In a second alternative, both types of control are activated simultaneously and the user can select freely for each requested input which type of control he prefers to use.

The electronic device which is to be controlled can be for instance, though not exclusively, a mobile terminal, e.g. a mobile phone. Accordingly, the apparatus can be for instance, though not exclusively, a car kit for a mobile terminal . The apparatus can either be designed for receiving an electronic device, but the electronic device may also form part of the apparatus. It is to be noted that the motion sensors do not have to be arranged close to the electronic device. They could for example also be integrated into a separate unit which is connected by wire or by a wireless connection to another part of the apparatus. The separate unit can be realized for example similarly as the separate user interface in the car phone Nokia 810.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the apparatus of figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 is schematic diagram of a car kit 1 as an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.

The car kit 1 comprises a receiving portion 2 with contact elements (not shown) for receiving a mobile phone 3. The car kit 1 enables a handsfree operation of a mobile phone 3 which is inserted into the receiving portion 2 , as known from the state of the art . Conventional components of the car kit 1 supporting this function, like loudspeakers or a microphone, are not shown in figure 1.

The car kit 1 comprises in addition two motion sensors 4, 5 arranged in the front cover of the car kit 1 on the left side and on the right side, respectively, of the receiving portion 2. The motion sensors 4, 5 can be for example infrared sensors or ultrasound sensors . A processing unit 6, depicted in figure 1 with dashed lines, is integrated into the car kit 1. Both motion sensors 4, 5 are connected within the car kit 1 to this processing unit 6. The processing unit 6 is further connected to the contact elements of the car kit 1 and thereby to a mobile phone 3 which is inserted into the receiving portion 2 of the car kit 1.

The operation of the car kit 1 when a mobile phone 3 is inserted into its receiving portion 2 is illustrated in the flow chart of figure 2. The processing unit 6 is notified via its connection to the mobile phone 3 about each incoming call. As soon as the processing unit 6 becomes aware of an incoming call, it activates both motion sensors 4, 5. As a result, each of the motion sensors 4, 5 will detect a motion within a certain distance in front of it and inform the processing unit 6 about a detected motion.

At the same time, the user is informed in a conventional manner about an incoming call, in particular by an acoustic signal, and may decide thereupon to accept, reject or ignore the call.

For accepting the call, the user simply has to sweep a hand from the left to the right in front of the car kit 1. With such a movement, first the motion sensor 4 on the left side of the receiving portion 2 will detect a motion, and shortly after, the motion sensor 5 on the right side of the receiving portion 2 will detect a motion. The processing unit 6 thus receives first an indication of a detected motion from the motion sensor 4 on the left side and then an indication of a detected motion from the motion sensor 5 on the right side. This detection order of a motion is associated in the processing unit 6 to a desired acceptance of an incoming call . The processing unit 6 therefore causes the mobile phone 3 to accept the call, and deactivates the motion sensors 4, 5 again.

For rejecting the call, the user simply has to sweep a hand from the right to the left in front of the car kit 1. With such a movement, first the motion sensor 5 on the right side of the receiving portion 2 will detect a motion, and shortly after the motion sensor 4 on the left side of the receiving portion 2 will detect a motion. The processing unit 6 thus receives first an indication of a detected motion from the motion sensor 5 on the right side and then an indication of a detected motion from the motion sensor 4 on the left side. This detection order of a motion is associated in the processing unit 6 to a desired rejection of an incoming call. The processing unit 6 therefore causes the mobile phone 3 to reject the call, and deactivates the motion sensors 4, 5 again.

For ignoring the call, the user does not have to carry out any action. The processing unit 6 deactivates the motion sensors 4, 5 again automatically, as soon as the incoming call is terminated by the calling side.

In case a call has been accepted by the user, the processing unit 6 activates both motion sensors 4, 5 again after a short period of time.

For terminating the ongoing call, the user now simply has to sweep a hand in any direction in front of the car kit 1.

At least one of the motion sensors 4, 5 will detect this motion and inform the processing unit 6. For the situation of an ongoing call, any detected motion is associated in the processing unit 6 to a desired termination of the call . The processing unit 6 therefore causes the mobile phone 3 to terminate the call, and deactivates the motion sensors 4, 5 again. The short period of time during which the motion sensors 4, 5 are deactivated after an acceptance of a call is provided in order to ensure that the user does not terminate the call unintentionally immediately after having accepted the call, while the hand of the user is still close to the car kit 1 and thus to the motion sensors 4, 5.

It is to be understood that the described embodiment constitutes only one of a variety of possible embodiments of the invention. For example, the number, type and location of motion sensors and the predefined association between specific situations, motion patterns and actions which are to be taken can be selected in any other suitable way.

Claims

C l a i m s

Apparatus (1) for controlling an electronic device (3) in a car environment, said apparatus (1) comprising: at least one motion sensor (4,5) for detecting, when activated, a motion in the vicinity of said at least one motion sensor (4,5); and a processing unit (6) for activating said at least one motion sensor (4,5) in at least one predefined situation and for performing an action associated for said at least one predefined situation to a motion detected by said at least one motion sensor (4,5) .

Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one motion sensor comprises a plurality of motion sensors (4,5) and wherein said processing unit (6) is enabled to activate each of said motion sensors (4,5) in at least one predefined situation.

Apparatus (1) according to claim 2, wherein said processing unit (6) is enabled to distinguish between at least two different motion patterns based on a motion detected by said plurality of motion sensors (4,5), to which at least two different motion patterns at least two different actions are associated in said processing unit (6) for at least one predefined situation, and wherein said processing unit (6) is enabled to perform an action associated for said at least one predefined situation to a recognized one of said at least two motion patterns.

4. Apparatus (1) according to claim 3, wherein said at least two motion patterns comprise at least two sweeping motions which are distinguished from each other by said processing unit (6) based on the order in which said plurality of motion sensors (4,5) detect a motion.

5. Apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said electronic device (3) is a mobile terminal and wherein said at least one predefined situation comprises at least one of an incoming call and an ongoing call at said mobile terminal (3) .

6. Apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said electronic device (3) is a mobile terminal and wherein said action associated in said processing unit (6) to a motion in at least one predefined situation comprises at least one of answering an incoming call, rejecting an incoming call and terminating an ongoing call.

7. Apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said apparatus (1) further comprises said electronic device (3) .

8. Method for controlling an electronic device (3) in a car environment by means of an apparatus (1) , said method comprising the steps of: activating at least one motion sensor (4,5) of said apparatus (1) in case of a predefined situation; detecting a motion in the vicinity of said at least one motion sensor (4,5) by means of said at least one motion sensor (4,5); and performing an action associated for said predefined situation to said detected motion.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein detecting a motion comprises recognizing one of at least two different predefined motion patterns in a motion detected by a plurality of motion sensor (4,5) of said apparatus (1) , to which at least two different motion patterns at least two different actions are associated for at least one predefined situation, and wherein performing an action comprises performing an action which is associated for said at least one predefined situation to a recognized one of said at least two motion patterns.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein said at least two motion patterns comprise at least two sweeping motions which are distinguished from each other based on the order in which said plurality of motion sensors (4,5) detect a motion.

11. Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said electronic device (3) is a mobile terminal and wherein said at least one predefined situation comprises at least one of an incoming call and an ongoing call at said mobile terminal (3) .

2. Method according to one of claims 8 to 11, wherein said electronic device (3) is a mobile terminal and wherein said action associated to a motion in at least one predefined situation comprises at least one of answering an incoming call, rejecting an incoming call and terminating an ongoing call.