WO2020201686A1

WO2020201686A1 - Control of a steerable fan using image recognition

Info

Publication number: WO2020201686A1
Application number: PCT/GB2020/050530
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nishant Singh; Mark ADKIN
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2019-04-03
Filing date: 2020-03-06
Publication date: 2020-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-03
Also published as: GB201904700D0; GB2582796A; CN111794993A; CN111794993B; GB2582796B

Abstract

There is provided a method of controlling a fan assembly that is capable of changing the direction of an airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting a relative orientation of a steerable section with respect to a non-steerable section. The method comprises, at a remote computer device, capturing a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly and using the captured images to determine a current position and a current orientation of the fan assembly. The method further comprises receiving from the fan assembly a current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section of the fan assembly, receiving user input that indicates a target direction for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly, determining a target relative orientation that aligns the steerable section with the target direction, and sending to the fan assembly instructions to move to the target relative orientation.

Description

CONTROL OF A STEERABLE FAN USING IMAGE RECOGNITION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a fan assembly, a fan assembly and an electronic device configured to control a fan assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional domestic fan typically includes a set of blades or vanes mounted for rotation about an axis, and drive apparatus for rotating the set of blades to generate an airflow. The movement and circulation of the airflow creates a 'wind chill' or breeze and, as a result, the user experiences a cooling effect as heat is dissipated through convection and evaporation. The blades are generally located within a cage which allows an airflow to pass through the housing while preventing users from coming into contact with the rotating blades during use of the fan.

US 2,488,467 describes a fan which does not use caged blades to project air from the fan assembly. Instead, the fan assembly comprises a base which houses a motor-driven impeller for drawing an airflow into the base, and a series of concentric, annular nozzles connected to the base and each comprising an annular outlet located at the front of the nozzle for emitting the airflow from the fan. Each nozzle extends about a bore axis to define a bore about which the nozzle extends.

Each nozzle is in the shape of an airfoil may therefore be considered to have a leading edge located at the rear of the nozzle, a trailing edge located at the front of the nozzle, and a chord line extending between the leading and trailing edges. In US 2,488,467 the chord line of each nozzle is parallel to the bore axis of the nozzles. The air outlet is located on the chord line, and is arranged to emit the airflow in a direction extending away from the nozzle and along the chord line.

Another fan assembly which does not use caged blades to project air from the fan assembly is described in WO 2010/100451 . This fan assembly comprises a cylindrical base which also houses a motor-driven impeller for drawing a primary airflow into the base, and a single annular nozzle connected to the base and comprising an annular mouth/outlet through which the primary airflow is emitted from the fan. The nozzle defines an opening through which air in the local environment of the fan assembly is drawn by the primary airflow emitted from the mouth, amplifying the primary airflow. The nozzle includes a Coanda surface over which the mouth is arranged to direct the primary airflow. The Coanda surface extends symmetrically about the central axis of the opening so that the airflow generated by the fan assembly is in the form of an annular jet having a cylindrical or frusto-conical profile.

WO 2010/046691 also describes a fan assembly. The fan assembly comprises a cylindrical base which houses a motor-driven impeller for drawing a primary airflow into the base, and an annular nozzle connected to the base and comprising an annular air outlet through which the primary airflow is emitted from the fan. The fan assembly comprises a filter for removing particulates from the airflow. The filter may be provided upstream from motor-driven impeller, in which case particulates are removed from the airflow prior to passing through the impeller. This protects the impeller from debris and dust that may be drawn into the fan assembly and which may damage the fan assembly. Alternatively, the filter may be provided downstream from the motor-driven impeller. In this configuration it is possible to filter and clean the air drawn through the motor-driven impeller, including any exhaust emissions, prior to progression through the elements of the fan assembly and supply to the user.

WO 2016/128732 describes a fan assembly similar to those of WO 2010/100451 and WO 2010/046691 . The fan assembly is provided with air inlets that extend around the entire circumference of the body of the fan in order to maximise the area available for air to be drawn into the fan assembly. The fan assembly is therefore also provided with a tubular, barrel-type filter that fits concentrically over the body of the fan and surrounds the entire circumference of the fan body upstream from the air inlets, and a nozzle that is removably mounted on the body. The filter is not connected to either the body or the nozzle but is securely held in place by the nozzle when mounted on the body, and can only be removed from the fan assembly after removal of the nozzle. This arrangement provides that the filter may simply be lowered onto the body before being secured in place by the engagement of the nozzle with the body and further provides that the filter can easily be removed from the body after removal of the nozzle in order to allow for cleaning or replacement of the filter.

The fan assemblies described in each of WO 2010/100451 , WO 2010/046691 , and WO 2016/128732 each comprise a plurality of user-operable buttons that enable a user to operate the fan. WO 2012/017219 then also describes a fan assembly, in the form of a portable fan heater, which is provided with a plurality of user-operable buttons for enabling a user to control various functions of the fan assembly and that is also provided with a display for providing the user with a visual indication of a temperature setting of the fan assembly. Similarly, GB25091 1 1 describes a fan assembly that is provided with a user interface circuit comprising both a user- actuable switch for operating the fan assembly and a display for displaying a current operational setting of the fan assembly. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect there is provided a method of controlling a direction of an airflow emitted from a fan assembly, the fan assembly being capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting a relative orientation of a steerable section of the fan assembly with respect to a non-steerable section of the fan assembly. The method comprises, at a remote computer device, capturing a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly and using the captured images to determine a current position of the fan assembly and a current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly. The method further comprises receiving from the fan assembly a current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section of the fan assembly, receiving user input that indicates a target direction for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly, determining an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section and the target direction, combining the orientation difference and the current relative orientation to determine a target relative orientation of the steerable section that aligns the steerable section with the target direction, and sending to the fan assembly instructions to move to the target relative orientation.

The step of capturing a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly may comprise using one or more image sensors of the computer device to capture a sequence of images of the scene. The step of using the captured images to determine a current position and a current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly may comprise the captured images to generate a map of the scene and to detect the fan assembly within the map of the scene. The map of the scene is preferably a three-dimensional map of the scene. The step of processing the captured images to generate a map of the scene may comprises using feature- based methods to implement simultaneous localization and mapping. These feature-based methods comprises any of image registration or alignment, visual odometry and visual inertial odometry.

The step of processing the captured images to detect the fan assembly within the map of the scene may comprise implementing object recognition processing in order to identify the fan assembly and determine the position and orientation of the fan assembly within the map. The step of processing the captured images to generate a map of the scene and to detect the fan assembly within the map of the scene may comprise generating a point cloud for the scene and matching at least a section of the generated point cloud to a representative point cloud that is associated with the fan assembly. The representative point cloud may be stored in association with orientation data that defines an orientation relative to points of the representative point cloud. The method may further comprise, when at least a section of the generated point cloud corresponds to the stored representative point cloud, retrieving orientation data that defines an orientation relative to points of the representative point cloud and using the generated point cloud and the retrieved orientation data to determine the orientation of the fan assembly within the scene.

The step of receiving user input that indicates a target direction may comprise displaying the captured images of the scene on a display of the device, receiving a user input that selects a location within the displayed images, identifying a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected location within the displayed images, and identifying the target direction by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly. The method may further comprise displaying a virtual object that is located at the identified location within subsequent images of the scenes that are displayed on the display.

The step of receiving user input that indicates a target direction may comprise displaying the captured images of the scene on a display of the device, receiving a user input that selects a direction within the displayed images, identifying a direction within the scene that corresponds to the selected direction within the displayed images, and using the identified direction within the scene as the target direction. The method may further comprise displaying a virtual object at least a portion of which is aligned with the identified direction within subsequent images of the scenes that are displayed on the display.

The method may further comprise, after receiving user input that indicates a target direction, storing data that is indicative of the target direction, displaying on a display of the device a graphical object that is associated with the stored data and, in response to receipt of a user input that selects the displayed graphical object, using the stored data to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section.

The received user input may identify a location within the scene and the stored data may then comprise the identified location. The step of displaying graphical object on the display may then comprise displaying a virtual object that is located at the identified location within images of the scenes displayed on the display. Receipt of a user input that selects the displayed graphical object may comprise receipt of a user input that selects the virtual object within the displayed images. The step of using the stored data to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section may comprise determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly and using the determined orientation as the target direction. The received user input may identify a direction within the scene and the stored data may then comprise the identified direction. The step of displaying a graphical object on the display may then comprise displaying a virtual object at least a portion of which is aligned with the identified direction within images of the scenes displayed on the display. Receipt of a user input that selects the displayed graphical object may comprise receipt of a user input that selects the virtual object within the displayed images. The step of using the stored data to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section may comprise using the identified direction as the target direction.

The method may further comprises initially forming a wireless data connection between the fan assembly and the remote computer device.

There is also provided a method of controlling a direction of an airflow emitted from a fan assembly, the fan assembly being capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting a relative orientation of a steerable section of the fan assembly with respect to a non-steerable section of the fan assembly. The method comprises, at the fan assembly, receiving from a remote computer device a request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section, in response to receipt of the request, determining the current relative orientation of the steerable section and sending the current relative orientation to the remote computer device. The method further comprise, at the fan assembly, receiving from the remote computer device instructions to move the steerable section to a target relative orientation and, in response to receipt of the instructions, adjusting the relative orientation of the steerable section from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation.

The method may further comprise, after receiving the request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section, displaying a fiducial marker on a display of the fan assembly. The fan assembly may display the fiducial marker on the display in response to receipt from the remote computer device of a request to display the fiducial marker. The fan assembly may display the fiducial marker on the display in response to receipt of the request for the current relative orientation. The fan assembly may display the fiducial marker on the display either for a predefined period of time or until receipt of an indication from the remote computer device that the display of the fiducial marker can be discontinued. According to a second aspect there is provided a computer device configured to control a fan assembly, the fan assembly being capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting a relative orientation of a steerable section of the fan assembly with respect to a non-steerable section of the fan assembly. The computer device comprises a user input device, one or more image sensors, a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter; and a controller. The controller is configured to use the wireless receiver to receive from the fan assembly a current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section, instruct the image capture device to capture a sequence of images of a scene, use the captured images to determine when the fan assembly is present within the scene and, when the fan assembly is present, to determine a current position of the fan assembly and a current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly within the scene. The controller is further configured to, in response to inputs received at the user input device that indicate a target direction for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly, determine an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section within the scene and an orientation of the target direction relative to the fan assembly, and combine the orientation difference and the current relative orientation to determine a target relative orientation between the steerable section and the non-steerable section that aligns the steerable section with the target direction, and use the wireless transmitter to send to the fan assembly instructions to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation.

The controller may be configured to process the captured images to generate a map of the scene and to determine when a representation of the fan assembly is present within the map of the scene. The controller may be configured to implement object recognition processing in order to determine when a representation of the fan assembly is present within the map of the scene and, when a representation of the fan assembly is present within the map, to determine the position and orientation of the fan assembly within the map. The controller may be configured to generate a point cloud for the scene and to determine when at least a section of the generated point cloud corresponds to a representative point cloud that is associated with the fan assembly.

The computer device may further comprise a memory storing the representative point cloud that is associated with the fan assembly together with orientation data that defines an orientation relative to points of the representative point cloud. The computer device may further comprise an electronic display, and the controller may be configured to cause the captured images of the scene to be displayed on the electronic display. The controller may be configured to, in response to inputs received at the user input device that select a location within the displayed images, identify a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected location within the displayed images, and identify the target direction by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly. The controller may be configured to cause the electronic display to display a virtual object that is located at the identified location within subsequent images of the scenes that are displayed on the display.

The controller may be configured to, in response to inputs received at the user input device that select a direction within the displayed images, identify a direction within the scene that corresponds to the selected direction within the displayed images, and use the identified direction within the scene as the target direction. The controller may be configured to cause the electronic display to display a virtual object at least a portion of which is aligned with the identified direction within subsequent images of the scenes that are displayed on the display.

The remote computer device may be a portable computer device such as a smart phone or tablet computer. The one or more image sensors comprise any of a charge-coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or active pixel sensor. The remote computer device may further comprise one or more motion sensors, such as inertial measurement units (IMU). The remote computer device may then be configured to augment the processing of the captured images with input from the one or more motion sensors.

There is also provided a fan assembly comprising an air flow generator for creating an airflow, a non-steerable section, a steerable section, one or more actuators for adjusting a relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section, and an air outlet arranged to emit the airflow from the fan assembly, the air outlet being provided on the steerable section. The fan assembly further comprises a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, and a controller. The controller is configured to use the wireless receiver to receive from a remote computer device a request for a current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section, in response to receipt of the request, determine the current relative orientation of the steerable section and use the wireless transmitter to send the current relative orientation to the remote computer device, use the wireless receiver to receive from the remote computer device instructions to move the steerable section to a target relative orientation, and in response to receipt of the instructions, cause the one or more actuators to move the steerable section from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation.

The fan assembly may be capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom to any direction within a range of adjustment of the fan assembly. The fan assembly may further comprise an electronic display. The controller may then be configured to, after receipt of the request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section, cause the electronic display to display a fiducial marker. The controller may be configured to cause the electronic display to display the fiducial marker in response to receipt from the remote computer device of a request to display the fiducial marker. The controller may be configured to cause the electronic display to display the fiducial marker in response to receipt of the request for the current relative orientation. The controller may be configured to cause the electronic display to display the fiducial marker for a predefined period of time or until receipt of an indication from the remote computer device that the display of the fiducial marker can be discontinued. The electronic display may be provided on the steerable section.

The steerable section may be mounted upon or supported by the non-steerable section. The steerable section may be arranged to be rotated relative to the non-steerable section around an axis of rotation. The non-steerable section may comprise a base of the fan assembly. The steerable section may comprise a nozzle of the fan assembly through which the airflow is emitted. The air outlet may then be provided on the nozzle. The steerable section may comprise a body of the fan assembly that is mounted upon or supported by the base of the fan assembly, and the nozzle may then be mounted upon or supported by the body. The non-steerable section may comprises a body of the fan assembly that is mounted upon or supported by the base of the fan assembly, and the nozzle may be mounted upon or supported by the body. The nozzle may then be arranged to be rotated relative to both the body and the base. The body of the fan assembly may comprise an airflow generator that is arranged to generate the airflow emitted by the nozzle. The airflow generator may comprise a motor-driven impeller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of the steps that may be performed by a remote computer device in order to implement a method of controlling a fan assembly;

Figure 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of the steps that may be performed by a fan assembly in order to implement a method such as that illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 illustrates schematically an example of a system suitable for implementing the methods described herein,

Figure 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a detailed example of the methods described herein, Figures 5a and 5b are sequence diagrams illustrating another detailed example of the methods described herein;

Figure 6a illustrates an example of a fan assembly for which the methods described herein are suitable, whilst Figures 6b and 6c then illustrate alternative configurations of the fan assembly of Figure 6a;

Figures 7a to 7d illustrate schematically a first example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein;

Figures 8a to 8c illustrate schematically a second example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein;

Figures 9a to 9d illustrate schematically a third example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein; and

Figures 10a to 10d illustrate schematically a fourth example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There will now be described a method of controlling the direction of an airflow emitted from a fan assembly. The method applies to a fan assembly that is capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting an orientation offset between a steerable section of the fan assembly and a non-steerable section of the fan assembly. The orientation offset between the steerable section and the non-steerable section is the difference between the orientation of the steerable section and the orientation of the non-steerable section and may therefore also be referred to as the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section. The method involves using a remote computer device to capture a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings), to use the captured images to determine the position of the fan assembly and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly and, in response to a user input that identifies a target direction within the scene for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly, to calculate an orientation offset that aligns the steerable section of the fan assembly with the target direction and to send instructions to the fan assembly to move the steerable section to the calculated orientation offset.

In geometry, the position and orientation of an object is given relative to a frame of reference, wherein a frame of reference consists of a coordinate system and a set of physical reference points that locate and orient the coordinate system. General references herein to the position or orientation of an object therefore refer to the position and orientation relative to the scene within which the object is located (i.e. relative to its surroundings), which is defined relative to a reference frame that is fixed relative to the scene and to the real-world. Consequently, the position of an object within a scene may therefore also be referred to as the“scene position” or “world position” of the object and the orientation of an object within a scene may also be referred to as the “scene orientation” or “world orientation”. In contrast, the term “relative orientation” as used herein refers to the orientation of a first object relative to a second object. The relative orientation is therefore defined relative to a reference frame that is fixed relative to one or other of the first and second objects but that is not necessarily fixed relative to the scene or the real-world.

The term“fan assembly” as used herein refers to a fan assembly configured to generate and deliver an airflow for the purposes of thermal comfort and/or environmental or climate control. Such a fan assembly may be capable of generating one or more of a dehumidified airflow, a humidified airflow, a purified airflow, a filtered airflow, a cooled airflow, and a heated airflow. Such a fan assembly will typically be capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom to any direction within a range of adjustment of the fan assembly. The term“range of adjustment” as used herein refers to the extent to which the direction of the airflow emitted can be varied and is therefore synonymous with the terms range of movement and range of travel when used in relation to mechanical systems. By way of example, some fan assemblies are configured to be able to pan (i.e. rotate in a horizontal plane, around a vertical axis) such that the range of adjustment would then be defined by the angle through which the fan assembly is able to pan, whilst some other fan assemblies are configured to be able to both pan and tilt (i.e. rotate in a vertical plane, around a horizontal axis) such that range of adjustment would then be defined by the combination of the angle through which the fan assembly is able to pan and the angle through which the fan assembly is able to tilt.

The methods described herein therefore involve using a remote computer device to control a fan assembly. The term“remote computer device” as used herein refers to a computer device that is separate to the fan assembly and is capable of interacting with the fan assembly at a distance (e.g. using wireless communication). By way of example, the remote computer device could be provided by a tablet or smartphone that is configured with a computer program/software application that implements the necessary processing and with a wireless transmitter and a wireless received that enable wireless communication.

Figure 1 therefore shows a flow diagram illustrating an example of the steps that may be performed by a remote computer device in order to implement a method such as that described herein. At step 101 , the remote computer device uses one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings). To implement the methods described herein the fan assembly does not need to be present within all of the captured images. For example, the user of the remote computer device may scan the device across the scene so that the fan assembly is only present in a subset of the captured images, with those images that do not include the fan assembly then being of other portions of the scene. In particular, scanning the scene whilst capturing the sequential images can be beneficial when determining depth information from the sequence of images as the different viewpoints of the features within the scene can then be used to implement parallax-based techniques to estimate depth.

At step 102, the remote computer device processes the captured sequence of images to determine the position of the fan assembly within the scene and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly within the scene. For example, the position of the fan assembly within the scene may comprise coordinates (x, y, z) within a reference frame that is fixed relative to the imaged scene. The orientation of the steerable section within the scene may then comprise a set of vectors that define the rotation of the steerable section within the same reference frame. By way of example, the reference frame used to define the position and orientation within the scene may consist of a set of coordinates whose origin is fixed relative to a position of the remote computer device within the real-world when the imaging of the scene is initiated.

At step 103, the remote computer device receives a user input that indicates a target direction within the scene for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly. This user input may be provided in any way that serves to identify a target direction within the scene. For example, this user input may comprise the selection of a location within an image of the scene as displayed on an electronic display of the remote computer device, with this selection then being translated from the two-dimensional image location to a location within the three-dimensional scene. At step 104, the remote computer device receives the current relative orientation of the steerable section (i.e. the orientation offset) from the fan assembly. The current relative orientation comprises the current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly with respect to the non-steerable section. At step 105, the remote computer device determines a target relative orientation for the steerable section. This target relative orientation comprises the orientation offset that aligns the steerable section of the fan assembly with the target direction. At step 106, the remote computer device transmits instructions to the fan assembly to move the steerable section from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation.

In the example of Figure 1 steps 102, 103 and 104 are independent of one another and can therefore occur in any order. In particular, any two or more of steps 102, 103 and 104 can occur simultaneously or sequentially and in any order. For example, step 102 can occur prior to step 103, with step 103 then occurring prior to step 104. As a further example, step 102 can occur prior to step 103, with step 104 then occurring simultaneously with either of steps 102 and 103. As a yet further example, step 104 can occur prior to both steps 102 and 103, with steps 102 and 103 then occurring simultaneously.

Figure 2 shows a flow diagram illustrating an example of the steps that may be performed by a fan assembly in order to implement a method such as that illustrated in Figure 1 . At step 201 , the fan assembly receives a request from the remote computer device for the current relative orientation of the steerable section relative to the non-steerable section. At step 202, the fan assembly determines the current relative orientation of the steerable section and transmits this to the remote computer device. At step 203, the fan assembly receives instructions from the remote computer device to move to the target relative orientation. At step 204, the fan assembly adjusts the relative orientation of the steerable section from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically a preferred embodiment of a system suitable for implementing the methods described herein, wherein the system comprises both a fan assembly 300 and a remote computer device 310 that is capable of communicating wirelessly with the fan assembly 300. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan assembly 300 is implemented as a combination of mechanical components, computer hardware and software and comprises an air flow generator 301 for creating an airflow, a non-steerable section 302a upon which the fan assembly 300 is supported, a steerable section 302b connected to the non-steerable section 302a and whose orientation relative to the non-steerable section 302a is capable of adjustment, one or more actuators 303 for adjusting the orientation of the steerable section 302b relative to the non- steerable section 302a (i.e. the orientation offset), and an air outlet 304 provided on the steerable section 302b that is arranged to emit the airflow from the fan assembly 300. Adjusting the orientation offset between the steerable section 302b and the non-steerable section 302a therefore adjusts the orientation of the air outlet 304 provided on the steerable section 302b such that the direction of the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 300 changes. By way of example, depending upon the type of fan assembly, the non-steerable section 302a could comprise a base or stand of the fan assembly 300 upon which the fan assembly 300 rests, as would be the case for a free-standing fan assembly. In this example, the steerable section 302b would then be supported upon the base or stand, either directly or indirectly. As an alternative example, the non-steerable section 302a could comprise a mount or bracket by which the fan assembly 300 is attached/fixed to a surface, as would be the case for a ceiling or wall mounted fan assembly. In this example, the steerable section 302b would then be supported upon the mount or bracket, either directly or indirectly. The non-steerable section 302a of the fan assembly 300 may therefore also be referred to as a stationary section or support section of the fan assembly 300.

The fan assembly 300 then further comprises a controller 305 configured to control the various functions of the fan assembly 300, a wireless receiver 306 through which the fan assembly 300 receives signals/messages from the remote computer device 310, and a wireless transmitter 307 through which the fan assembly 300 sends signals/messages to the remote computer device 310. By way of example, each of the wireless receiver 306 and the wireless transmitter 307 could be capable of wirelessly communicating information using any of a wireless local area network (WLAN) technology such as Wi-Fi, and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) technology such as Bluetooth.

The controller 305 may comprise electronic components mounted on to a circuit board that has an electronic interface with the one or more actuators 303, and preferably to each of the wireless receiver 306, the wireless transmitter 307, and the air flow generator 301 . Specifically, the controller 305 may comprise a processor such as central processing unit or microprocessor. The controller 305 may then further comprise a memory (e.g. primary storage such as a random-access memory (RAM)) that is directly accessible by the processor and secondary storage for any data, such as any computer programs/software applications implemented by the processor. By way of example, the controller 305 could comprise a microcontroller or systems on a chip (SoC).

As mentioned above, the controller 305 is configured to control the various functions of the fan assembly. In particular, the controller 305 is configured to control the one or more actuators 303 and thereby control the orientation offset between the steerable section 302b and the non- steerable section 302a. The controller 305 is also configured to determine or monitor the relative orientation of the steerable section 302b with respect to the non-steerable section 302a. For example, the controller 305 may be configured to monitor the state of the one or more actuators 303 in order to monitor the relative orientation of the steerable section 302b with respect to the non-steerable section 302a. Alternatively, the fan assembly 300 may further comprise an orientation offset sensor 308 that is arranged to monitor the relative orientation of the steerable section 302b with respect to the non-steerable section 302a. The controller 305 would then be configured to receive an output from the orientation offset sensor 308 that provides an indication of the relative orientation of the steerable section 302b with respect to the non-steerable section 302a.

The controller 305 may also be configured to process any messages received from the remote computer device 310, and to generate any messages that are to be transmitted to the remote computer device 310. The controller 305 may therefore be configured to control both the wireless receiver 306 and the wireless transmitter 307. In particular, the controller 305 may be configured to provide the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b (i.e. the orientation offset) to the remote computer device 310. For example, the controller 305 may be configured to process a request for the current relative orientation that is received by the wireless receiver 306 from the remote computer device 310 and, in response to receipt of this request, to generate a response comprising the current relative orientation and send this response to the remote computer device 310 using the wireless transmitter 307. The request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b may be a message that is explicitly for this purpose. Alternatively, the request for the current relative orientation may be a message that is treated as an implicit request for the current relative orientation. For example, the controller 305 may be configured to transmit the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b to the remote computer device 310 as part of an orientation control process that is initiated by the fan assembly 300 in response to receipt of a message from the remote computer device 310.

Optionally the fan assembly 300 may further comprise an electronic display 309. The controller 305 may then also be configured to cause the fan assembly 300 to display a fiducial marker on the electronic display 309. The display of fiducial marker by the fan assembly 300 can assist with the recognition of the fan assembly 300 within the images captured by the remote computer device 310, as will be described in more detail below. The display of a fiducial marker by the fan assembly 300 is particularly advantageous when the electronic display 309 is provided on the steerable section 302b as this can then assist with the determination of the orientation of the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 during object recognition. In this regard, a fiducial marker typically comprises an image of a known pattern and size that can be used to improve the location and orientation estimation of an object recognition process. In particular, the appearance of a fiducial marker is designed to assist in the detection of an object by providing an image that is recognizable and that is easily discernible from the surroundings in a conventional scene. For example, this could take the form of a QR-code or similar. The fiducial marker would therefore have a predefined appearance and be stored in a memory of the fan assembly 300.

The controller 305 may be configured to cause the electronic display 309 to display a fiducial marker after receipt of the request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b. For example, the controller 305 may be configured to cause the electronic display 309 to display the fiducial marker in response to receipt from the remote computer device 310 of the request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b. The controller 305 may then initiate the display of the fiducial marker at any time after receiving the request (e.g. as part of an orientation control process that is initiated in response to receipt of the request) and may continue to display the marker for either a predefined period of time or until the fan assembly 300 receives a further message from the remote computer device 310 that either explicitly or implicitly indicates that the fan assembly 300 can discontinue the display of the fiducial marker. As an alternative example, the controller 305 may be configured to cause the electronic display 309 to display the fiducial marker in response to receipt from the remote computer device 310 of an explicit request to display the fiducial marker. Again, the controller 305 may then initiate the display of the fiducial marker and may continue to display the marker for either a predefined period of time or until the fan assembly 300 receives a further message from the remote computer device 310 that indicates that the display of the fiducial marker can be discontinued.

The controller 305 may also be configured to receive instructions from the remote computer device 310 to move to the target relative orientation and, in response to these instructions, to adjust the relative orientation of the steerable section 302b from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation. To do so, the controller 305 may be configured to process a request comprising the target relative orientation that is received by the wireless receiver 307 from the remote computer device 310 and to control the one or more actuators 304 to make the required adjustment to the orientation of the steerable section 302b relative to the non-steerable section 302a.

The controller 305 may also be configured to control the air flow generator 301 . For example, the air flow generator 301 could comprise a motor-driven impeller and the controller 305 may then be configured to control the speed of the motor/impeller in order to vary the flow rate of the generated air flow. The control of the air flow generator 305 may be based on either user inputs that select one of a plurality of desired operational states for the air flow generator 301 (e.g. a user-inputted speed selection) and/or based on a control algorithm implemented by the controller 305. For example, this control algorithm may provide an automatic mode for the air flow generator 301 wherein the operational state of the air flow generator 301 is determined based on inputs from one or more environmental sensors (not shown) that are associated with the fan assembly 300.

Whilst the air outlet 304 of the fan assembly 300 is provided on the steerable section 302b such that adjustment of the orientation offset between the steerable section 302b and the non- steerable section 302a results in a change the direction of the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 300, the other components of the fan assembly 300 can be provided on or within either of the steerable section 302b and the non-steerable section 302a. For example, the air flow generator 301 , the one or more actuators 303, the controller 305, the wireless receiver 306 and the wireless transmitter 307 may all be housed within the steerable section 302b such that they move with the steerable section 302b when the orientation offset is adjusted. Alternatively, the air flow generator 301 , the one or more actuators 303, the controller 305, the wireless receiver 306 and the wireless transmitter 307 may all be housed within the non-steerable section 302a such that they do not move with the steerable section 302b. As a further alternative, a subset of these components could be housed within the steerable section 302b, such that they move with the steerable section 302b, whilst the remainder of these components is housed within the non-steerable section 302a. When the fan assembly 300 also comprises an electronic display 309, the electronic display 309 may be provided on either of the steerable section 302b and the non-steerable section 302a. However, as described above, there may be advantages to providing the electronic display 309 on the steerable section 302b when the electronic display 309 is to be used to display a fiducial marker.

The remote computer device 310 is implemented as a combination of computer hardware and software and comprises one or more user input device(s) 31 1 that are configured to receive inputs provided by a user of the remote computer device 310, one or more image sensors 312 that are configured to capture images (i.e. images of a scene surrounding the computer device/within view of the image sensors), a controller 313 configured to control the various functions of the remote computer device 310, a wireless transmitter 314 through which the remote computer device 310 sends signals/messages to the fan assembly 300, and a wireless receiver 315 through which the remote computer device 310 receives signals/messages from the fan assembly 300. By way of example, each of the wireless transmitter 314 and the wireless receiver 315 could be capable of wirelessly communicating information using any of a wireless local area network (WLAN) technology such as Wi-Fi, and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) technology such as Bluetooth. The remote computer device 310 then further comprises an electronic display 316 that is arranged to present images and/or data to a user of the remote control device 310.

The one or more user input devices 311 may comprise any device through which a user can provide inputs to the remote computer device 310. For example, the one or more user input devices may comprise one or more of a keyboard, a pointing device (e.g. a mouse, touchpad, or joystick), buttons and/or knobs, an audio input device for voice control (e.g. a microphone), a gesture recognition control device (e.g. camera(s) and/or inertial measurement units), or a touch interface (e.g. a touchscreen). In particular, the remote computer device 310 may comprise a touchscreen that combines the electronic display 316 with a user input device 311. Alternatively, or in addition, the remote computer device 310 may comprise one or more user input devices 311 that are separate to the electronic display 316.

The controller 313 may comprise electronic components mounted on to a circuit board and have an electronic interface with the one or more user input devices 311 , the image sensor(s) 312 and preferably to each of the wireless transmitter 314, the wireless receiver 315, and the electronic display 316. Specifically, the controller 313 may comprise a processor such as central processing unit or microprocessor. The controller 313 may then further comprise a memory (e.g. primary storage such as a random-access memory (RAM)) that is directly accessible by the processor and secondary storage for any data, such as any computer programs/software applications implemented by the processor. By way of example, the controller 313 could comprise a microcontroller or systems on a chip (SoC).

As mentioned above, the controller 313 is configured to control the various functions of the remote computer device 310. In particular, the controller 313 is configured to control the image sensor(s) 312 to capture a sequence of images of a scene, to process the captured images to determine the position of a fan assembly 300 within the scene and to determine the orientation of a steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 within the scene, to calculate an orientation offset that aligns the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 with a user input target direction and to send instructions to the fan assembly 300 to move the steerable section 302b to the calculated orientation offset.

In order to determine both the location of a fan assembly 300 within the scene and the orientation of the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 within the scene, the controller 313 may be configured to process the images captured by the on-board images sensors 312 to determine the location and orientation (e.g. pose) of the remote computer device 310. This location and orientation of the remote computer device 310 is defined relative to a reference frame that is fixed relative to the imaged scene and is therefore also fixed relative to the real- world. For example, this reference frame typically consists of a set of coordinates whose origin is fixed at a location of the remote camera device 310 within the real-world when the imaging of the scene is initiated (i.e. the location of the remote camera device 310 when a first image of the sequence of images is captured).

For example, the controller 313 may be configured to implement visual odometry to determine the location and orientation of the remote computer device 310 relative to the imaged scene. Visual odometry typically involves extracting features from each of the images and correlating/tracking these features across the sequence of images to estimate the motion of the image sensors. Alternatively, the controller 313 may be configured to implement visual inertial odometry to determine the location and orientation of the remote computer device 310 relative to the imaged scene. Visual inertial odometry involves combining conventional visual odometry with data from motion sensors (e.g. inertial measurement units (IMU)) to improve the pose estimation. The remote computer device 310 may therefore further comprise one or more motion sensors 317, such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope, to provide inertial information for visual inertial odometry.

In addition to determining the location and orientation of the remote computer device 310 relative to the imaged scene, the controller 313 may be configured to process the sequential images captured by the on-board images sensor(s) 312 to generate a three-dimensional map of the imaged scene. For example, the controller 313 may be configured to use parallax effects for features identified in the sequence of images to reconstruct depth information for those features in order to build a three-dimensional map of the imaged scene. This three-dimensional map typically takes the form of a point cloud for the scene. The controller 313 may be configured to simultaneously determine the pose of the remote computer device 310 and generate a three- dimensional map of the imaged scene using simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques.

In order to determine the location of a fan assembly 300 within the scene and the orientation of the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 within the scene, the controller 313 may be configured to implement object recognition processing in order to determine when the fan assembly 300 is present within the scene and, when the fan assembly 300 is present, to determine the location of the fan assembly 300 and the orientation of the steerable portion 302b of the fan assembly 300 within the scene. To do so, the controller 313 may be configured to determine if a portion of the three-dimensional map of the imaged scene matches/correlates with a reference representation of the fan assembly 300 and, if so, to determine the location and orientation of the matching/correlated portion of the three-dimensional map within the scene. To do so, the reference representation of the fan assembly 300 should be in a similar format to the three-dimensional map of the imaged scene and must be stored in the memory of the remote computer device 310. The controller 313 may then scan the three-dimensional map of the imaged scene to search for a portion that matches with the reference representation. By way of example, when the three-dimensional map takes the form of a three-dimensional point cloud generated for the scene, the reference representation of the fan assembly 300 should also be in the form of a three-dimensional point cloud. The process of determining if a portion of the three- dimensional map of the imaged scene matches/correlates with a reference representation of the fan assembly may 300 then comprise matching a point cloud model of the fan assembly 300 with a portion of the point cloud generated for the scene. In this example, point matching, or point set registration, of the point cloud model of the fan assembly 300 then also provides a transformation that aligns the point cloud model of the fan assembly 300 with the matching portion of the point cloud generated for the scene, and thereby provides an estimate of the location of the fan assembly 300 within the scene and the orientation of the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 within the scene.

The controller 313 may also be configured to process inputs received at the user input device to identify a target direction within the scene for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 300. The required processing of the user inputs depends upon the type of user input. For example, the remote computer device 310 may be configured to provide an augmented reality interface through which the user can provide inputs that indicate a target direction within the scene. Augmented reality refers to systems and devices that capture images, enhance those images with additional information, and then present the enhanced information on a display. This enables, for example, a user to use a computer device such as a smart phone to capture a video stream of a scene, and in real-time or near real-time display the scene along with additional information. This information may include placing virtual objects in the scene so that the virtual objects are presented as if they existed in the scene, as part of the real-world. In particular, a virtual object can appear to stay in the same place relative to the scene, even as the user moves the computer device such that the perspective of the image sensor(s) capturing the scene changes.

When providing an augmented reality interface the controller 313 may be configured to display a sequence of real-time or near-real time images of the scene, as captured by the image sensor(s) 312, on the electronic display 316 of the remote computer device 310, with at least one user input device 31 1 of the remote computer device 310 then being configured to enable a user to select a location on the electronic display 316 that identifies a location/point within the images shown on the display 316. The controller 313 may then be configured to identify a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected image location and to identify the target direction by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly 300. The controller 313 may then also be configured to display a virtual object on the electronic display 316 that is anchored/fixed to the identified location within subsequent images of the scene that are displayed on the display 316. Displaying a virtual object at the identified location within the scene provides feedback to the user that allows them to check that they have accurately selected a desired target location for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 300.

Alternatively, at least one user input device 31 1 of the remote computer device 310 may be configured to enable a user to select a location on the electronic display 316 that identifies a direction within the images shown on the display 316. The controller 313 may then be configured to identify a direction within the scene that corresponds to the selected direction within the displayed images and to use the identified direction within the scene as the target direction. The controller 313 may then also be configured to display a virtual object on the electronic display 316 at least a portion of which is aligned with the identified direction within subsequent images of the scenes that are displayed on the display 316.

When the remote computer device 310 is configured to provide an augmented reality interface it may be preferable that the electronic display 316 and a user input device 31 1 of the remote computer device 310 are combined in a touchscreen that allows the user to directly identify a location or a direction within the scene by touching a portion of the touchscreen that is displaying images of the scene. By way of example, the user could then use the touchscreen to touch a point on the touchscreen to identify a corresponding location within the displayed images of the scene. The controller 313 would then be configured to identify a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected image location (i.e. by translating between image plane coordinates (c', y') of the selected image location and the coordinates (x, y, z) of a corresponding location within the scene) and to identify the target direction by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly 300. As an alternative example, in a particular mode of operation the controller 313 could be configured to display a virtual object in the displayed images of the scene that represents either the current orientation of the steerable section 302b (e.g. an arrow or other directional pointer originating from the fan assembly) within the scene or a currently set range of oscillation of the steerable section 302b (e.g. an annular or circular sector centred on the fan assembly 300). For a virtual object that represents the current orientation of the steerable section 302b, the user could drag or swipe on the representation of the virtual object on the touchscreen to alter the direction of the virtual object. The controller 313 would then be configured to identify a direction within the scene that corresponds to the direction of the virtual object within the image of the scene and to use the identified direction as the target direction. For a virtual object that represents the currently set range of oscillation, the user could drag, swipe, pinch or spread on the representation of the virtual object on the touchscreen to either alter the size of the virtual object or to individually adjust the end points of the virtual object. The controller 313 may then be configured to identify a first direction within the scene that corresponds to the first end of the virtual object within the image of the scene and to use the identified first direction as a target direction, and to identify a second direction within the scene that corresponds to the second end of the virtual object within the image of the scene and to use the identified second direction as a further target direction. The controller 313 may then be configured to instruct the fan assembly to move the steerable section 302b to a target relative orientation that corresponds to the target direction and to oscillate the steerable section 302b between the target relative orientation and a further target relative orientation that corresponds to the further target direction.

The controller 313 may be configured, after receiving user input that indicates a target direction and prior to determining a target relative orientation of the steerable section 302b, to store data that is indicative of the target direction within the memory of the remote computer device 310. The controller 313 may then be further configured to retrieve the stored data from the memory, to cause a graphical element or object that is associated with the stored data to be displayed on the electronic display 316 and, in response to a user input that selects the displayed graphical element or object, to use the stored data to identify the target direction and to determine a target relative orientation that aligns the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 with target direction. For example, the graphical element or object displayed on the electronic display 316 could be a control element, such as an icon or button, or a virtual object. At least one user input device 31 1 of the remote computer device 310 may therefore be configured to enable a user to select the displayed graphical element or object. This allows the user to initially define a target direction and then subsequently select this target direction by merely selecting an associated graphical element or object that is displayed on the electronic display 316.

By way of example, the received user input may identify a location within the scene and the stored data may then comprise the identified location. The controller 313 may then be further configured to cause the electronic display 316 to display a virtual object that is located at the identified location within subsequent images of the scene displayed on the electronic display 316. The controller 313 may then be further configured to receive a user input that selects the virtual object within the displayed images. The controller 313 may then be configured to use the stored data (i.e. the previously identified location) to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section 302b by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly 300 and using the determined orientation as the target direction.

As an alternative example, the received user input may identify a direction within the scene and the stored data may then comprise the identified direction. The controller 313 may then be further configured to cause the electronic display 316 to display a virtual object at least a portion of which is aligned with the identified direction within subsequent images of the scene displayed on the electronic display 316. The controller 313 may then be further configured to receive a user input that selects the virtual object within the displayed images. The controller 313 may then be configured to use the stored data (i.e. the previously identified direction) to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section 302b by using the identified direction as the target direction.

The controller 313 may also be configured to process any messages received from the fan assembly 300, and to generate any messages that are to be transmitted to the fan assembly 300. The controller 313 may therefore be configured to control both the wireless transmitter 314 and the wireless receiver 315. In particular, the controller 313 may be configured to obtain the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b (i.e. the orientation offset) from the fan assembly 300. To do so, the controller 313 may be configured to generate a request for the current relative orientation and to send this request to the fan assembly 300 using the wireless transmitter 314, and to then process a response comprising the current relative orientation that is received by the wireless receiver 315 from the fan assembly 300. The request for the current relative orientation may be a message generated explicitly for this purpose. Alternatively, the request for the current relative orientation may be a message that functions as an implicit request for the current relative orientation. For example, the controller 313 may be configured to generate a message to the fan assembly 300 that is arranged to initiate an orientation control process at the fan assembly 300, wherein the transmission of the current relative orientation of the steerable section 302b to the remote computer device 300 is one of the steps implemented during this orientation control process.

The controller 313 may also be configured to calculate an orientation offset that aligns the steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300 with the target direction indicated by the user input (i.e. to determine target relative orientation for steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300). In order to determine to determine target relative orientation for steerable section 302b of the fan assembly 300, the controller 313 may be configured to determine an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section 302b and the target direction, and to then combine the orientation difference and the current relative orientation to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section 302b. For example, when the user input identifies a location within the scene the controller 313 may be configured to determine the corresponding target direction by defining a vector that extends between the location of the fan assembly 300 within the scene and the user identified location within the scene, such that this vector is representative of the orientation of the identified location relative to the fan assembly 300. The controller 313 may then be configured to determine the difference between the vector to the identified location within the scene and the current orientation of the steerable section 302b, which may also be defined by a vector.

The controller 313 may also be configured to instruct the fan assembly 300 to move to target relative orientation. To do so, the controller 313 may be configured to generate a request to move to target relative orientation and to send this request to the fan assembly 300 using the wireless transmitter 314.

Figure 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a detailed example of a method of controlling the direction of an airflow emitted from a fan assembly when implemented by a system such as that illustrated in Figure 3. At step 401 , a request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section is sent from the remote computer device to the fan assembly. This step may be initiated by the remote computer device receiving a user input that initiates a direction control process for the fan assembly. For example, this user input may comprise the user activating a direction control portion of a software application that is associated with the fan assembly and that is run by the remote computer device. The remote computer device may send the request automatically as part of the direction control process implemented by the remote computer device.

At step 402, the request for the current relative orientation is received by the fan assembly. At step 403, in response to receipt of the request, the fan assembly determines the current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section. As described above, the fan assembly may be configured to monitor the state of the one or more actuators for the steerable section in order to monitor the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section. By way of example, the one or more actuators could each comprise a stepper motor. The controller of the fan assembly could then be configured to monitor the position of each stepper motor in order to determine the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section. Alternatively, the fan assembly may comprise an orientation offset sensor that is arranged to monitor the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section. At step 404, a response comprising the current relative orientation of the steerable section is sent from the fan assembly to the remote computer device. As described above, the process implemented by the fan assembly may further comprise, after receipt of the request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section, displaying a fiducial marker on a display of the fan assembly.

At step 405, the response comprising the current relative orientation of the steerable section is received by the remote computer device. At step 406, the remote computer device uses one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings). As described above, this step of capturing a sequence of images of a scene can occur simultaneously with any of the preceding steps. At step 407, the captured sequence of images are processed to determine the position of the fan assembly and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly within the scene.

At step 408, a user input is received by the remote computer device that indicates a target direction within the scene for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly. As described above, the fan assembly may be configured to provide an augmented reality interface for the user. The step of receiving user input that indicates a target direction may therefore comprise displaying the captured images in real-time or near-real time and accepting a user input that selects a location within the displayed images. The process implemented by the fan assembly may then further comprise identifying a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected image location and displaying a virtual object that is located at the location within subsequent images of the scene displayed on the electronic display.

At step 409, the remote computer device determines an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section within the scene and the target direction. At step 410, the remote computer device determines a target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly by combining the orientation difference determined at step 409 with the current relative orientation received from the fan assembly at step 405. At step 41 1 , an instruction to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation is sent from the remote computer device to the fan assembly. At step 412, the instruction to move to the target relative orientation is received by the fan assembly. At step 413, in response to receipt of the instruction, the fan assembly adjusts the relative orientation of the steerable section from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation. Figures 5a and 5b are sequence diagrams illustrating another detailed example of a method of controlling the direction of an airflow emitted from a fan assembly when implemented by a system such as that illustrated in Figure 3. At step 501 , the remote computer device uses one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings). At step 502, a user input is received by the remote computer device that indicates a target direction within the scene for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly. As described above, the remote computer device may be configured to provide an augmented reality interface for the user. The step of receiving user input that indicates a target direction may therefore comprise displaying the captured images in real-time or near-real time and accepting a user input that selects a location within the displayed images. The process implemented by the fan assembly may then further comprise identifying a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected image location and displaying a virtual object that is located at the location within subsequent images of the scene displayed on the electronic display. At step 503, the remote computer device stores data that is indicative of the target direction within the memory of the remote computer device.

At step 504, the remote computer device retrieves the stored data from the memory. This step would typically occur following some delay after the receipt of the user input that indicates a target direction. For example, steps 501 to 503 could be implemented during an earlier occurrence of an orientation control process, with this occurrence of the orientation control process being terminated prior to step 504. Step 504 may then occur during a further occurrence of the orientation control process that is subsequently initiated by a user. This approach therefore allows a user input that indicates a target direction to be stored and re-used.

At step 505, the remote computer device again uses one or more image sensors to capture a further sequence of images of the scene that includes the fan assembly (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings). At step 506, the remote computer device causes the electronic display to display the captured images in real-time or near-real time together with a virtual object whose location within the scene is defined by the stored data. At step 507, a user input is received by the remote computer device that selects the virtual object within the displayed images. At step 508, the remote computer device uses the stored data that is associated with the selected virtual object to determine the target direction.

At step 509, the captured sequence of images are processed to determine the position of the fan assembly and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly within the scene. At step 510, a request for the current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section is sent from the remote computer device to the fan assembly. At step 51 1 , the request for the current relative orientation is received by the fan assembly. At step 512, in response to receipt of the request, the fan assembly determines the current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section. At step 513, a response comprising the current relative orientation of the steerable section is sent from the fan assembly to the remote computer device. At step 514, the response comprising the current relative orientation of the steerable section is received by the remote computer device.

At step 515, the remote computer device determines an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section within the scene, as determined in step 509, and the target direction, as determined from the stored data in step 508. At step 516, the remote computer device determines a target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly by combining the orientation difference determined at step 515 with the current relative orientation received from the fan assembly at step 514. At step 517, an instruction to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation is sent from the remote computer device to the fan assembly. At step 518, the instruction to move to the target relative orientation is received by the fan assembly. At step 519, in response to receipt of the instruction, the fan assembly adjusts the relative orientation of the steerable section from the current relative orientation to the target relative orientation.

Figure 6a illustrates an example of a fan assembly for which the methods described herein are suitable. Figures 6b and 6c then illustrate alternative configurations of the fan assembly of Figure 6a. In the example of Figure 6a, the fan assembly 600 is a free-standing fan assembly in which the non-steerable section 601 comprises a base of the fan assembly 600 upon which the fan assembly 600 rests. The steerable section 602 then comprises a body 602a of the fan assembly 600 that is rotatably mounted to the base 601 of the fan assembly 600, with the air outlets 603 then being provided by a nozzle 602b that is mounted to the body 602a of the fan assembly 600. In this example, the body 602a of the fan assembly 600 is arranged to be rotatable relative to the base 601 of the fan assembly 600 (i.e. to pan) in order to adjust the relative orientation of the body 602a and the nozzle 602b (i.e. the steerable section) with respect to the base 601 (i.e. the non-steerable section) and thereby the direction of the airflow emitted from the air outlets 603. In particular, the fan assembly 600 is provided with an actuator (not shown) that comprises a motor, a drive member that is arranged to be driven by the motor, and a drive member that is arranged to be driven by the drive member and thereby cause the body 602a to rotate relative to the base 601 . In this example, the relative orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly (i.e. the body and the nozzle) with respect to the non- steerable section (i.e. the base) is therefore given by a single angle that defines the angular distance between a reference direction of the steerable section and a reference direction of the non-steerable section. In this example, the fan assembly 600 further comprises an electronic display 604 that is provided on the body 602a (i.e. on the steerable section) of the fan assembly 600.

Figure 6a shows this exemplary fan assembly 600 in a configuration in which the body 602a and the base 601 are aligned such that orientation offset between the steerable section and the non- steerable section is 0 degrees. Figure 6b then shows this exemplary fan assembly 600 in a first alternative configuration in which the body 602a has been rotated to the right relative to the base 601 such that orientation offset between them is approximately 45 degrees, whilst Figure 6c then shows this exemplary fan assembly 600 in a second alternative configuration in which the body 602a has been rotated to the left relative to the base 601 such that orientation offset between them is approximately -45 degrees.

Figures 7a to 7d illustrate schematically a first example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein. In particular, Figures 7a to 7d show a remote computer device 700 comprising a touchscreen 710 that combines the electronic display of remote computer device 700 with a user input device, and in which the remote computer device 700 is configured to provide an augmented reality interface for the user. In Figure 7a, the remote computer device 700 makes use of one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene 720 that includes a fan assembly 721 (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings) and simultaneously displays these images in real-time or near real-time on the touchscreen 710. In this example, the fan assembly 721 is a free-standing fan assembly similar to that of Figures 6a to 6c in which the non-steerable section comprises a base of the fan assembly upon which the fan assembly rests. The remote computer device 700 uses the captured images to determine the position of the fan assembly 721 and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly 721 within the scene.

In Figure 7b, a user of the remote computer device 700 provides a user input by touching a location on the touchscreen 710 and thereby selects a location within the images of the scene 720 as displayed on the touchscreen 710. The remote computer device 700 then identifies a location within the scene 730 that corresponds to the selected image location. For example, this may involve translating from the two-dimensional image location to a location within the three- dimensional scene. The remote computer device 700 then identifies a target direction 740 for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 721 by determining an orientation of the identified location 730 within the scene relative to the fan assembly 721 , calculates a target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly 721 that aligns the steerable section with the target direction, and sends instructions to the fan assembly 721 to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation.

In Figure 7c, in response to the user input, the remote computer device 700 also displays a virtual object 722 on the touchscreen 710 that is anchored/fixed to the identified location 730 within subsequent images of the scene that are displayed on the touchscreen 710. In this example, the virtual object 722 is provided by a teardrop-shaped marker icon. Displaying a virtual object at the identified location within the scene provides feedback to the user that allows them to check that they have accurately selected a desired target location for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 721 . In Figure 7d, in response to receipt of the instructions from the remote computer device 700, the fan assembly 721 has adjusted the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section such that the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 721 is now directed in the target direction, towards the location 730 identified by the user input.

Figures 8a to 8c illustrate schematically a second example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein. Figures 8a to 8c show a remote computer device 800 comprising a touchscreen 810 that combines the electronic display of remote computer device 800 with a user input device, and in which the remote computer device 800 is configured to provide an augmented reality interface for the user. In Figure 8a, the remote computer device 800 makes use of one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene 820 that includes a fan assembly 821 (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings) and simultaneously displays these images in real-time or near real-time on the touchscreen 810. The remote computer device 800 also displays a virtual object 822 on the touchscreen 810 that is anchored/fixed to a location 830 within the scene that has previously been identified by a user of the remote computer device 800. In this example, the virtual object 822 is provided by a teardrop-shaped marker icon. The previously identified location 830 will have been stored in a memory of the remote computer device 800 when identified by the user and then retrieved from the memory upon activation of the augmented reality interface so as to allow the remote computer device 800 to display a virtual object 822 at the previously identified location 830.

In Figure 8b, a user of the remote computer device 800 provides a user input by touching a location on the touchscreen 810 that selects the virtual object 822 displayed on the touchscreen 810. The remote computer device 800 then identifies a target direction 840 for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 821 by determining an orientation of the previously identified location 830 within the scene relative to the fan assembly 821 , calculates a target relative orientation for steerable section of the fan assembly 821 that aligns the steerable section with the target direction 840, and sends instructions to the fan assembly 821 to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation. In Figure 8c, in response to receipt of the instructions from the remote computer device 800, the fan assembly 821 has adjusted the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section such that the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 821 is now directed in the target direction, towards the location 830 identified by the user input.

Figures 9a to 9d illustrate schematically a third example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein. In particular, Figures 9a to 9d show a remote computer device 900 comprising a touchscreen 910 that combines the electronic display of remote computer device 900 with a user input device, and in which the remote computer device 900 is configured to provide an augmented reality interface for the user. In Figure 9a, the remote computer device 900 makes use of one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene 920 that includes a fan assembly 921 (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings) and simultaneously displays these images in real-time or near real-time on the touchscreen 910. In this example, the fan assembly 921 is a free-standing fan assembly similar to that of Figures 6a to 6c in which the non-steerable section comprises a base of the fan assembly upon which the fan assembly rests. The remote computer device 900 uses the captured images to determine the position of the fan assembly 921 and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly 921 within the scene.

In Figure 9b, a user of the remote computer device 900 provides both a first user input by touching a first location on the touchscreen 910 and a second user input by touching a second location on the touchscreen 910. The first user input thereby selects a first image location within the images of the scene 920 as displayed on the touchscreen 910 whilst the second user input selects a second image location within the images of the scene 920 as displayed on the touchscreen 910. The remote computer device 900 then identifies a first location 930 within the scene that corresponds to the selected first image location and identifies a second location 931 within the scene that corresponds to the selected second image location. The remote computer device 900 then identifies a target direction 940 for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 921 by determining an orientation of the identified first location 930 within the scene relative to the fan assembly 921 and calculates a target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly 921 that aligns the steerable with the target direction 940. The remote computer device 900 also identifies a further target direction 941 for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 921 by determining an orientation of the identified second location 931 within the scene relative to the fan assembly 921 and calculates a further target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly 921 that aligns the steerable section with the further target direction 940. The remote computer device 900 then sends instructions to the fan assembly 921 to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation and to oscillate the steerable section between the target relative orientation and the further target relative orientation.

In Figure 9c, in response to the user input, the remote computer device 900 displays a virtual object 922 on the touchscreen 910 that is anchored/fixed to the identified first location 930 within subsequent images of the scene that are displayed on the touchscreen 910. The remote computer device 900 also displays a further virtual object 923 on the touchscreen 910 that is anchored/fixed to the identified second location 931 within subsequent images of the scene that are displayed on the touchscreen 910. In this example, both the virtual object 922 and the further virtual object 923 are provided by a pin-shaped marker icon. In Figure 9d, in response to receipt of the instructions from the remote computer device 900, the fan assembly 921 has adjusted the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section such that the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 921 is now directed in the target direction, towards the first location 930 identified by the user input. The fan assembly 921 then oscillates between the target relative orientation and the further target relative orientation.

Figures 10a to 10d illustrate schematically a fourth example of a usage scenario for the methods described herein. In particular, Figures 10a to 10d show a remote computer device 1000 comprising a touchscreen 1010 that combines the electronic display of remote computer device 1000 with a user input device, and in which the remote computer device 1000 is configured to provide an augmented reality interface for the user. In Figure 10a, the remote computer device 1000 makes use of one or more image sensors to capture a sequence of images of a scene 1020 that includes a fan assembly 1021 (i.e. images of the fan assembly and its surroundings) and simultaneously displays these images in real-time or near real-time on the touchscreen 1010. In this example, the fan assembly 1021 is a free-standing fan assembly similar to that of Figures 6a to 6c in which the non-steerable section comprises a base of the fan assembly upon which the fan assembly rests. The remote computer device 1000 uses the captured images to determine the position of the fan assembly 1021 and the orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly 1021 within the scene.

The remote computer device 1000 also displays a virtual object 1022 on the touchscreen 1010 that is anchored/fixed to the location of the fan assembly 1021 within the scene and that represents the currently set range of oscillation of the fan assembly 1021 . The currently set range of oscillation of the fan assembly 1021 may have been previously defined by a user of the fan assembly 1021 or may be a default range of oscillation of the fan assembly 1021 . In this example, the virtual object 1022 is provided by an arc-shaped icon. The currently set range of oscillation will either have been retrieved from a memory of the remote computer device 1000 or retrieved from the fan assembly 1021 upon activation of the augmented reality interface so as to allow the remote computer device 1000 to display a virtual object 1022 that represents the currently set range of oscillation of the fan assembly 1021

In Figure 10b, a user of the remote computer device 1000 provides a user input by touching a location on the touchscreen 1010 that selects the virtual object 1022 displayed on the touchscreen 1010 and performing a touch gesture that alters the end points of the virtual object 1022. For example, this user input could comprise touching the virtual object 1022 displayed on the touchscreen 1010 and then performing a drag, swipe, pinch or spread on the representation of the virtual object on the touchscreen to either alter the size of the virtual object 1022 or to individually adjust the end points of the virtual object 1022. The remote computer device 1000 then identifies a target direction 1040 for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 1021 by determining a direction within the scene that corresponds to the first end of the virtual object 1022 within the image of the scene and calculates a target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly 1021 that aligns the steerable with the target direction 1040. The remote computer device 1000 also identifies a further target direction 1041 for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 1021 by determining a direction within the scene that corresponds to the second end of the virtual object 1022 within the image of the scene and calculates a further target relative orientation for the steerable section of the fan assembly 1021 that aligns the steerable section with the further target direction 1040. The remote computer device 1000 then sends instructions to the fan assembly 1021 to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation and to oscillate the steerable section between the target relative orientation and the further target relative orientation.

In Figure 10c, in response to the user input, the remote computer device 1000 adjusts the end points of the virtual object 1022 within subsequent images of the scene that are displayed on the touchscreen 910 to reflect the effect of the user input on the range of oscillation. In Figure 10d, in response to receipt of the instructions from the remote computer device 1000, the fan assembly 1021 has adjusted the relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section such that the airflow emitted from the fan assembly 1021 is now directed in the target direction, which is aligned with the first end of the virtual object 1022 that represents the range of oscillation indicated by the user input. The fan assembly 1021 then oscillates between the target relative orientation and the further target relative orientation.

In a preferred embodiment, the fan assembly would comprise one or both of a pan oscillation motor and a tilt oscillation motor. A pan oscillation motor would be configured to move at least a section of the fan assembly such that the emission direction rotates in a horizontal plane (i.e. when the fan assembly is located on a substantially horizontal support surface). The range of adjustment of a fan assembly comprising a pan oscillation motor would then at least partially be defined by the angle through which the pan oscillation motor can rotate emission direction. In contrast, a tilt oscillation motor would be configured to move at least a section of the fan assembly such that the emission direction rotates in a vertical plane (i.e. when the fan assembly is located on a substantially horizontal support surface). The range of adjustment of a fan assembly comprising a tilt oscillation motor would then at least partially be defined by the angle through which the tilt oscillation motor can rotate emission direction.

In an optional embodiment, the fan assembly is a bladeless fan. The term‘bladeless’ as used herein refers to fan assembly in which the air flow emitted from the fan assembly without visible/ external moving blades. In other words, a bladeless fan assembly can be considered to have an output area or emission zone that is absent moving blades. Consequently, in this optional embodiment, the fan assembly preferably comprises a nozzle mounted on a fan body, with the motor-driven impeller being housed within the fan body, and the air outlet being provided by the nozzle. The nozzle is therefore arranged to receive the airflow from the fan body and to emit the airflow from the air outlet. In preferred embodiment, the nozzle defines a bore through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the airflow that is emitted from the air outlet and which combines with the airflow emitted from the air outlet to produce an amplified airflow.

It will be appreciated that individual items described above may be used on their own or in combination with other items shown in the drawings or described in the description and that items mentioned in the same passage as each other or the same drawing as each other need not be used in combination with each other. In addition, the expression "means" may be replaced by actuator or system or device as may be desirable. In addition, any reference to "comprising" or "consisting" is not intended to be limiting in any way whatsoever and the reader should interpret the description and claims accordingly.

Furthermore, although the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments as set forth above, it should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative only. Those skilled in the art will be able to make modifications and alternatives in view of the disclosure which are contemplated as falling within the scope of the appended claims. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described invention is equally applicable to both free standing fan assemblies and other types of environmental control fan assemblies. By way of example, such a fan assembly could be any of a freestanding fan assembly, a ceiling or wall mounted fan assembly and an in-vehicle fan assembly. Although the embodiments of the invention described with reference to the drawings comprise computer processors and processes performed by computer processors, the invention also extends to computer programs, particularly computer programs on or in a carrier, adapted for putting the invention into practice. The program may be in the form of source or object code or in any other form suitable for use in the implementation of the processes according to the invention. The carrier could be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the carrier may comprise a storage medium, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a semiconductor ROM, or a magnetic recording medium, for example a floppy disc or hard disk. Further, the carrier may be a transmissible carrier such as an electrical or optical signal which may be conveyed via electrical or optical cable or by radio or other means. When a program is embodied in a signal which may be conveyed directly by a cable or other device or means, the carrier may be constituted by such cable or other device or means. Alternatively, the carrier may be an integrated circuit in which the program is embedded, the integrated circuit being adapted for performing, or for use in the performance of, the relevant processes.

Claims

1 . A method of controlling a direction of an airflow emitted from a fan assembly, the fan assembly being capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting a relative orientation of a steerable section of the fan assembly with respect to a non-steerable section of the fan assembly, the method comprising:

at a remote computer device:

capturing a sequence of images of a scene that includes the fan assembly; using the captured images to determine a current position of the fan assembly and a current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly;

receiving from the fan assembly a current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section of the fan assembly;

receiving user input that indicates a target direction for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly;

determining an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section and the target direction;

combining the orientation difference and the current relative orientation to determine a target relative orientation for the steerable section that aligns the steerable section with the target direction; and

sending to the fan assembly instructions to move to the target relative orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using the captured images to determine a current position and a current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly comprises:

processing the captured images to generate a map of the scene and to detect the fan assembly within the map of the scene.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of processing the captured images to detect the fan assembly within the map of the scene comprises implementing object recognition processing in order to identify the fan assembly and determine the position and orientation of the fan assembly within the map.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of receiving user input that indicates a target direction comprises:

displaying the captured images of the scene on a display of the device;

receiving a user input that selects a location within the displayed images; identifying a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected location within the displayed images; and

identifying the target direction by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of receiving user input that indicates a target direction comprises:

displaying the captured images of the scene on a display of the device;

receiving a user input that selects a direction within the displayed images;

identifying a direction within the scene that corresponds to the selected direction within the displayed images; and

using the identified direction within the scene as the target direction.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, and further comprising, after receiving user input that indicates a target direction:

storing data that is indicative of the target direction;

displaying a graphical object on a display of the device that is associated with the stored data; and

in response to receipt of a user input that selects the displayed graphical object, using the stored data to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the received user input identifies a location within the scene and the stored data comprises the identified location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using the stored data to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section comprises determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly and using the determined orientation as the target direction.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the received user input identifies a direction within the scene and the stored data comprises the identified direction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of using the stored data to determine the target relative orientation of the steerable section comprises using the identified direction as the target direction.

1 1 . A computer device configured to control a fan assembly, the fan assembly being capable of changing the direction of the airflow emitted therefrom by adjusting a relative orientation of a steerable section of the fan assembly with respect to a non-steerable section of the fan assembly, the device comprising:

a user input device, one or more image sensors, a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter; and a controller;

wherein the controller is configured to:

use the wireless receiver to receive from the fan assembly a current relative orientation of the steerable section with respect to the non-steerable section;

instruct the image capture device to capture a sequence of images of a scene; use the captured images to determine when the fan assembly is present within the scene and, when the fan assembly is present, to determine a current position of the fan assembly and a current orientation of the steerable section of the fan assembly within the scene;

in response to inputs received at the user input device that indicate a target direction for the airflow emitted from the fan assembly, determine an orientation difference between the current orientation of the steerable section and the target direction, and combine the orientation difference and the current relative orientation to determine a target relative orientation between the steerable section and the non- steerable section that aligns the steerable section with the target direction; and

use the wireless transmitter to send to the fan assembly instructions to move the steerable section to the target relative orientation.

12. The computer device of claim 1 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

process the captured images to generate a map of the scene and to determine when a representation of the fan assembly is present within the map of the scene.

13. The computer device of any one of claims 1 1 and 12, wherein the controller is configured to:

implement object recognition processing in order to determine when a representation of the fan assembly is present within the map of the scene and, when a representation of the fan assembly is present within the map, to determine the position and orientation of the fan assembly within the map.

14. The computer device of any of claims 1 1 to 13, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to inputs received at the user input device that select a location within the displayed images, identify a location within the scene that corresponds to the selected location within the displayed images, and identify the target direction by determining an orientation of the identified location within the scene relative to the fan assembly.

15. The computer device of any of claims 1 1 to 13, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to inputs received at the user input device that select a direction within the displayed images, identify a direction within the scene that corresponds to the selected direction within the displayed images, and use the identified direction within the scene as the target direction.