WO2007036818A1

WO2007036818A1 - A remote control device and system

Info

Publication number: WO2007036818A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/053060
Authority: WO
Inventors: Adolf Proidl; Bartel M. Van De Sluis; Lukasz Szostek
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2005-09-29
Filing date: 2006-09-01
Publication date: 2007-04-05

Abstract

A remote control device for controlling operation of a controllable device in which the remote control device comprises a transmitter for transmitting control signals to said controllable device for controlling operation of said controllable device and a detector for detecting an orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device such that operation of the remote control device and/or controllable device is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of the remote control device. In this way the mood of the user can be simply detected by the orientation of the remote control device.

Description

A remote control device and system

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a remote control device. In particular, it relates to a remote control that detects the mood of the user, for example, whether the user is in a hurry or is irritated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A remote control device which detects the mood or emotional state of the user is known. For example, US6795808 discloses an interaction simulator which enables a number of different inputs to establish the mood or emotional state of the user. One of these inputs includes the pressure the user applies to the keys on the remote control device. If the user is irritated or in a hurry, the pressure or frequency of use of the keys of the remote control may increase. The interaction simulator can then provide appropriate responses to the user based upon their mood or emotional state. However, such a simulator is very complex and requires a number of different inputs to establish the mood or emotional state of the user. Remote control devices are required to interact with many different types of system. One such system provides information from various information sources, for example broadcast or Internet. The information is acquired in a number of different ways such as scheduled recording or downloading and is displayed on a screen integral with the remote control device or on a screen integral with the controllable device, such as a television screen, for reference by the user. There are also various mechanisms known to make the user aware of new information as it comes available: for example an inbox pop-up or alert, SMS/MMS messages to the mobile phone, alarms etc. The user can then access and display the information using the remote control device.

To operate these and many other types of systems, there exists many different types of remote control devices. One known type of remote control device includes an integral display, for example an active matrix LCD. The remote control device may be operated by conventional keys, scan menu options or by means of a touch screen, for example as illustrated in Figure 1. However, LCD screens consume a significant amount of power and therefore it is desirable to reduce consumption and prolong battery life. Further, remote control devices operated by a touch screen do not enable the mood or emotional state of the user to be detected by conventional methods such as pressure or frequency of use of the keys.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is desirable to provide a simplified method of detecting the mood or emotional state of the user and to adjust the operation of the remote control device and/or the device being controlled by the remote control taking into account the emotional state of the user. This is achieved according to an aspect of the present invention which provides a remote control device for controlling operation of a controllable device, the remote control device comprising a transmitter for transmitting control signals to the controllable device for controlling operation of the controllable device; a detector for detecting an orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device such that operation of the remote control device and/or controllable device is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of the remote control device.

This is also achieved according to another aspect of the present invention which provides a system comprising a controllable device and a remote control device, the operation of the controllable device being controlled by the remote control device, the remote control device comprising a transmitter for transmitting control signals to the controllable device to control operation of the controllable device, the controllable device comprising a receiver for receiving the control signals transmitted by the remote control device, the system comprising a detector for detecting an orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device such that operation of the remote control device and/or the controllable device is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of the remote control device.

This is also achieved according to yet another aspect of the present invention which provides a method for remotely controlling the operation of a controllable device with a remote control device, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a control signal to the controllable device to control operation of the controllable device; detecting an orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device; and adjusting the operation of the remote control device and /or the controllable device in response to the detected orientation of the remote control device. This is also achieved according to yet another aspect of the present invention which provides a controllable device, the operation of said controllable device being controlled by a remote control device, the controllable device comprising: at least one receiver for receiving control signals from said remote control device; and processing means for receiving data of a detected orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device and adjusting the operation of the remote control device and/or controllable device in response to the detected orientation.

Detecting the orientation of the remote control device is a simple and effective method to indicate whether the user is in a hurry or to indicate the level of irritation of the user and, in response, the operation of the remote control device and/or controllable device is adjusted appropriately. For example, if the user is in a hurry, the device is less likely to be used in a comfort position, such as illustrated in Figure 1 for example, and is more likely to be used horizontal on a table top or while the user is standing.

A simple method of detecting the orientation of the remote control device is to detect the angle of inclination of the remote control device. In this way simple sensors such as an electronic compass, gyroscope sensor or inclinometer can be utilised. Alternatively, use of transmission of the control signals of a conventional remote control to detect the angle of inclination by measuring the level of reception of the control signal at each of a plurality of receivers positioned in the vicinity of the remote control device. In this way no adaptation of the remote control device is required. To improve accuracy of detection of the angle of inclination by this technique, the control signal may be transmitted in a beam of a predetermined shape.

The present invention can be utilised in a remote control device which includes a integral display, such as an active matrix LCD. If the orientation of the remote control device indicates that the user is not referring to the display, the display can be deactivated to reduce the power consumption of the device.

Further, the present invention can be utilised in a system comprising a receiver for receiving information from a variety of information sources and a classifier. In this system if the orientation of the remote control device indicates that the user is in a hurry, for example, the system can provide information to the user which is useful to the user in a "hurry" state. The information received by the receiver is classified by the classifier for example, information that is relevant in a "hurry" situation is separated from information that is irrelevant in a "hurry" situation. Therefore only information relevant in a "hurry" situation is presented, if the user is detected to be in a hurry. For example, recommendations may be skipped of limited to urgent message and a user interface (e.g. of a remote control device) may be adapted to show only a limited set of controls.

If the angle of inclination of the remote control device is unexpected, for example at an angle of, say, 180° (face down) or at an angle of 90° but skewed more than 45° at the same time, and it is not operated, or is permanently operated as if a key were stuck, for example somebody is sitting on the remote control device whilst it is face down, or the remote control is in a dog's mouth or a small child's hand, the remote control device can be activated to issue an alarm such as an acoustical signal and then switch off all functionality for a predetermined period of time to save as much power as possible. If the user becomes particularly irritated, they may shake the remote control device, thinking that it is faulty, in which case rapid changes in the orientation of the remote control device is detected and a self test may be carried out by the remote control device or the transmission power of the control signals may be temporarily increased.

The present invention can also be used to adapt the orientation/perspective of content displayed on the controllable device. If the remote control device is a game controller and the controllable device is a game console, for example, the rendering of a 3D character in the game may be adapted such that it is always looking at the viewer holding the game device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a known type of touch screen remote control device in normal "comfort" use; Figures 2a and 2b illustrate the logic of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a system according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a system according to yet a further embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 illustrates a known type of touch screen remote control device 100. The remote control device 100 includes a touch screen 110 comprising an active LCD screen. The device 100 is battery operated making power saving a premium.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the remote control device 100 is typically used resting on the user's knees. Due to the limited viewing angle of an LCD screen, it can be assumed that the remote control device will not be used completely horizontal, i.e. at an angle of inclination, α, of 0°. Typically, the remote control device 100 will be used at an angle of inclination of between 25° and 155°, angles over 100° assume that the user is reclining and using the remote control device over their head.

Since the displays of such remote control devices consume significant amounts of power, power can be conserved by turning the display off when it is not in use. It can be assumed that at angles of inclination outside the range of 25° and 155°, the display is not being viewed and it is not in use and, consequently, the power to the display can be turned off. The display can then be powered up (activated) when the remote control device returns to an angle of inclination within the range of 25° and 155°. The logic for operating such a remote control device is illustrated in Figures 2a and 2b. At step 201, the remote control device is turned on. The angle of inclination of the remote control device is measured and at step 203, it is determined whether the angle of inclination of the remote control device is within the range of view of, say, 25° and 155°.

If the angle of inclination of the remote control device is within the range, the automatic screen off watch dog steps 205 are activated in which the angle of inclination of the remote control device is monitored at step 209. If the angle of inclination of the remote control device remains within the range, the LCD screen remains turned on, step 211. If the angle of inclination of the remote control device is outside the range, the LCD screen is turned off, step 213, in order to conserve power. If, at step 203, it is determined that the angle of inclination of the remote control device is outside the range of usage, the remote control device activates time out such that after a predetermined time interval, the remote control device enters its standby mode of operation, step 207.

Automatically turning the screen on/off depending on the angle of inclination of the device reduces the power consumption of the remote control device thus prolonging battery life.

A remote control device without a display is typically operated at an angle of inclination within the range -10° and 30°. A greater angle of inclination may indicate that the user is not "blindly" operating the remote, but is focusing on the remote control keys. This may be for two reasons: the user is looking for a specific key or something did not work so the user is making sure that he depressed the correct key.

In both situations, it would be desirable to assist the user by temporarily increasing the transmission power of the control signals transmitted by the remote control device to control operation of a controllable device. The greater angle of inclination means that the transmitted control signal is not directed at the receiving device (controllable device) and hence increasing the transmission power of the control signal will improve the reliable of the operation of the controllable device.

The user may become irritated if pressing a key on the remote control device does not have the desired effect. The user may shake the remote control device, as they expect it to be due to a malfunction, moisture or loose batteries. Therefore, rapid change in the angle of inclination may indicate shaking of the device and irritation of the user. If it is determined that the remote control has been shaken, the transmission power of the control signals could be increased to improve the command signal quality or the device could perform a self test, including battery conditions, and indicate to the user, by means of an acoustic signal, for example, that the device is operating correctly and the user can stop shaking it.

If the angle of inclination of the remote control device is unexpected, for example at an angle of, say, 180° (face down) or at an angle of 90° but skewed more than 45° at the same time, and it is not operated, or is permanently operated as if a key were stuck, for example somebody is sitting on the remote control device whilst it is face down, or the remote control is in a dog's mouth or a small child's hand, the remote control device can be activated to issue an alarm such as an acoustical signal and then switch off all functionality for a predetermined period of time to save as much power as possible. There exists numerous technologies that can be used for sensing the angle of inclination of a remote control devices, for example electronic compasses, gyroscopic sensors and inclinometers. All of these devices provide simple and effective ways to sense the angle of inclination.

Another technique for sensing the angle of inclination is illustrated in Figure 3. This technique requires no modification of the remote control and can be used with existing conventional remote control devices.

The remote control device 301 comprises a key pad 303 and a transmitter 305 (such as an infra red transmitter). A plurality of receivers 307a to 307d are positioned in the vicinity of the remote control device, for example around the room or in the controllable device 315. The receivers 307a to 307d are connected either wirelessly or wired to a central processor 309. The processor 309 comprises a processor core 311 and transmitter 313. The transmitter communicates either wirelessly or wired to the controllable device 315 and to the remote control device 301. In operation, the user enters a command via the key pad 303 of the remote control device 301. The command is transmitted in a beam 317 of predetermined shape to the plurality of receivers 307a to 307d. As illustrated in Figure 3, the beam 317 will have a different level of reception at each of the receivers 307a to d. The reception levels are processed by the processor core 311 to establish the orientation of the remote control device 301. The processor core 311 then issues a command to the transmitter 313. This command is transmitted to the controllable device 315 and/or the remote control device 301 to adjust the operation of the controllable device 315 and the remote control device 301 based on the orientation of the remote control device 301.

The remote control device according to a further embodiment of the present invention may be used in a system in which the controllable device gathers information from different information sources such as broadcasting or the Internet and provides information upon request to the user. Such a remote control device is illustrated in Figure 4.

The remote control device 401 comprises a display 403, a mood detector 405 which includes detection of the orientation of the remote control device and a filter 407. The controllable device comprises a receiver 409 which receives and stores information from various information sources and a classifier 411.

The information received by the receiver 409 is collated and classified by the classifier 411 to categorise the information into information that would be useful to the user if the user was in a hurry, for example, and information that would not be useful to the user if the user is in a hurry.

The remote control device 401 filters the classified information via the filter 407 and transferred the information dependent on the orientation of the remote control device detected by the mood detector 405. In this way only information that would be useful to the user, if in a hurry for example, is displayed and other information can be displayed when the user is not busy.

Although, according to the embodiment, the information is displayed on a display integral with the remote control device, it can be appreciated that this information may also be displayed on a display of the controllable device. Furthermore, the controllable device, such as a DVD recorder or the like, receives data from a plurality of sensors, located in a television set or in the vicinity of the recorder, indicating the orientation of the remote control device which controls the operation of the DVD recorder. The DVD recorder comprises a processor which, upon receipt of the data relating to the orientation of the remote control device, provides an output to the television or to the remote control device to display information appropriate to the mood of the viewer.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous modifications without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A remote control device for controlling operation of a controllable device, the remote control device comprising a transmitter for transmitting control signals to said controllable device for controlling operation of said controllable device; a detector for detecting an orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device such that operation of said remote control device and/or controllable device is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of the remote control device.

2. A remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said detector detects the angle of inclination of said remote control device.

3. A remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote control device further comprises a display, the display being activated or deactivated in response to the detected orientation of said remote control device.

4. A remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the content of information for display on said remote control device and/or said controllable device is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of said remote control device.

5. A remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transmission power of said control signal is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of said remote control device.

6. A system comprising a controllable device and a remote control device, the operation of said controllable device being controlled by said remote control device, said remote control device comprising a transmitter for transmitting control signals to said controllable device to control operation of said controllable device, said controllable device comprising a receiver for receiving said control signals transmitted by said remote control device, said system comprising: a detector for detecting an orientation of said remote control device with respect to the controllable device such that operation of said remote control device and/or said controllable device is adjusted in response to the detected orientation of said remote control device.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said detector detects the angle of inclination of said remote control device.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein said detector is incorporated in said remote control device.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a plurality of receivers remote from said remote control device for receiving said control signals transmitted by said remote control device, the angle of inclination being calculated from the relative levels of reception of said control signal received by each of said plurality of receivers.

10. A method for remotely controlling the operation of a controllable device with a remote control device, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a control signal to said controllable device to control operation of the controllable device; detecting an orientation of said remote control device with respect to the controllable device; and adjusting the operation of said remote control device and /or said controllable device in response to the detected orientation of said remote control device.

11. Software operative to make a programmable device perform the method according to claim 10.

12. A controllable device, the operation of said controllable device being controlled by a remote control device, the controllable device comprising: at least one receiver for receiving control signals from said remote control device; and processing means for receiving data of a detected orientation of the remote control device with respect to the controllable device and adjusting the operation of the remote control device and/or controllable device in response to the detected orientation.