Method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control

Abstract

Method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control (1), wherein the method comprises the following steps: - Detection (22) by the remote control (1) of a movement of the remote control (1); - Determine (23, 24) by remote control (1) a command associated with the detected motion; and - Sending (25) the specified command from the remote control (1) to the electronic device, the method further comprising: - Putting (20) the remote control (1) into a motion detection state, wherein putting (20) the remote control (1) into a motion detection state includes: - Pressing a button (2) on the remote control (1), whereby the remote control (1) remains in the motion detection state as long as the button (2) is pressed.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control, in particular by detecting a movement of the remote control. background

[0002] Electronic devices, especially so-called "smart" devices, are becoming increasingly prevalent in everyday life. All these devices need to be controlled in some way – even if they are too small to be equipped with controls or are installed in hard-to-reach places.

[0003] Controlling such devices by voice would be an option, but voice control requires either high processing power or a continuous internet connection for speech analysis.

[0004] Traditionally, electronic devices were controlled by remote controls featuring numerous buttons for accessing various functions. However, remote controls with many buttons can be confusing, and those with only a few buttons can make controlling the device cumbersome, especially if the device lacks a screen.

[0005] Patent applications DE 10 2010 011 473 A1, US 2012 / 0 169 482 A1, US 9 310 887 B2, DE 20 2010 018 151 U1 and EP 2 323 013 B1 describe methods for controlling various electronic devices, such as terminal devices, computers or image output devices, by means of remote control devices, wherein the remote control devices are designed to recognize movements or movement patterns and interpret them as commands for controlling electronic devices. Patent application DE 10 2015 216 482 A1 describes a method for controlling terminal devices or computers by means of a remote control, wherein the remote control can independently detect movement sequences and interpret them as gestures.German patent application DE 10 2013 205 550 A1 describes a method and a system for providing authorization confirmation by a device, wherein a vibration unit executes a movement sequence of the device and a movement pattern calculated from the movement sequence is compared with a reference movement pattern. German patent application DE 10 2009 052 079 A1 describes a portable remote control device for a vehicle in the form of an electronic key with an accelerometer for detecting movement of the remote control device. German patent application DE 10 2007 055 465 A1 describes a remote control for a device for positioning a patient, wherein the remote control has a sensor for detecting when a user grasps the remote control. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the known state of the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control and a corresponding remote control with which the problems mentioned above are overcome.

[0007] This problem is solved by a method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control and a corresponding remote control according to the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are specified by the dependent claims.

[0008] A method according to the present invention for controlling an electronic device with a remote control comprises the following steps: In one step, the remote control detects movement of the remote control itself. This movement can be translational, rotational, or a combination of both. "Movement of the remote control" refers to the movement of the remote control as a whole. It is not simply a matter of one part of the remote control in relation to another part. For example, pressing a button on the remote control or moving a control lever on the remote control is not considered a movement of the remote control. In particular, the movement can be a two-dimensional and / or a three-dimensional movement of the remote control in space.

[0009] In a further step, the remote control determines a command linked to the detected movement. This command is a signal to be transmitted to the electronic device and to control its behavior.

[0010] If the movement is two-dimensional, its relative orientation in space can either be considered or ignored when determining the associated command. For example, if the movement represents a circle, a circle in a horizontal plane and a circle in a vertical plane can be associated with either the same command or with different commands.

[0011] In a further step, the remote control sends the specific command to the electronic device. The command can be sent using known methods such as infrared (IR) or radio transmission (e.g., Bluetooth or ZigBee technology). The command can be sent using a sequence of bits that represent the command. Sending the command can be analogous to sending a command from a conventional remote control to an electronic device when a button on the remote control is pressed.

[0012] Because motion detection is used to identify the command to be sent, the remote control doesn't need to have many buttons (e.g., one for each command). Instead, a small number of buttons can suffice. Specifically, the remote control can have one, two, or three buttons, or even no buttons at all. At the same time, the remote control remains versatile and can recognize and send a large number of commands.

[0013] The commands can be linked to movements of the remote control in such a way that the user can execute the respective movement intuitively. This simplifies the control of the electronic device. For example, increasing a parameter such as the light intensity of a lamp or the volume of a sound output device can be achieved by moving the remote control clockwise (from the user's perspective) in a circle. Similarly, decreasing the parameter can be achieved by moving the remote control counterclockwise in a circle.

[0014] In another example, the movement can be heart-shaped and the associated command can be the invocation of a romantic lighting setting for a lamp or lighting system (e.g., the smart lamps sold by LEDVANCE GmbH under the Lightify brand).

[0015] In one embodiment, the method further includes the step of putting the remote control into a motion detection state. Preferably, the remote control is put into the motion detection state by an action of the user before the remote control executes the movement to be detected. This prevents the accidental detection of a movement and the sending of the associated command when the user does not intend to send such a command, for example, when the remote control is simply placed elsewhere or stored away. Furthermore, this contributes to energy savings, since the remote control does not have to keep a motion detection element permanently in an active state.

[0016] In one embodiment, the remote control can be put into motion detection mode by pressing a button on the remote. The remote can remain in motion detection mode as long as the button is pressed, i.e., until the button is released. Alternatively, pressing and releasing the button can cause the remote to enter motion detection mode for a predetermined period, for example, 10 seconds. The remote can also automatically exit motion detection mode if no movement has occurred for a predetermined period, for example, 30 seconds.

[0017] The remote control can also be put into motion detection mode by switching it on or by inserting batteries (or another electrical energy storage device) into it. In such a case, the remote control can remain in motion detection mode until it is switched off or the batteries are removed.

[0018] In one embodiment, the detection of remote control movement includes the detection of translational movement. In other words, rotation of the remote control during its movement can be disregarded. Essentially, the remote control movement detection only needs to consider the position of a specific point on the remote control (e.g., its center of gravity or the position of a motion detection element within the remote control) in space. This simplifies the use of the remote control, as the user does not need to be careful not to rotate the remote control while performing the movement, especially when the movement includes curved sections.

[0019] In one embodiment, detecting a movement of the remote control includes recording a movement pattern characteristic of a movement of the remote control, and determining a command associated with the detected movement includes comparing the recorded movement pattern with one or more movement patterns stored in a memory of the remote control.

[0020] The detected movement pattern can be a set of spatial coordinates of the remote control or a set (that is, one or more) of movement vectors. The movement pattern can include or exclude the rotation orientation of the remote control and / or the rotation vectors.

[0021] When comparing the detected movement pattern with the movement patterns stored in memory, it can be taken into account that a movement is not always executed in the same way or with the same amplitude (size). For example, the remote control might be moved in a circle with a different radius each time. Nevertheless, the user intends the same command each time, and it should therefore be recognized and sent to the electronic device. Accordingly, comparing the recorded movement pattern with one or more movement patterns stored in the remote control's memory can involve converting the recorded movement pattern into an abstract representation of the movement, for example, normalizing the recorded movement pattern to a predefined size.

[0022] Instead of comparing the complete movement pattern, a numerical representation of the movement pattern (e.g., a hash value) can be compared. The movement patterns can also be stored solely as a numerical representation.

[0023] Preferably, the method for controlling an electronic device can be used to control a lighting device (such as a lamp or a lighting system).

[0024] The present invention also relates to a remote control for controlling an electronic device. The remote control comprises a motion detector (i.e., a motion detection element) for detecting movement of the remote control. The preceding explanations regarding the movement to be detected also apply here. In particular, the motion detector can comprise at least one accelerometer such as the accelerometer available from STMicroelectronics under model number MPU9250. The motion detector can be configured to detect translational movement in one, two, or three spatial dimensions. The motion detector can additionally or alternatively be configured to detect rotation about one, two, or three axes. The motion detector can be an axis magnetometer.

[0025] The remote control also includes a means of determining a command associated with the detected motion. This means of determining a command can be a microcontroller, specifically one such as the EM3585 microcontroller available from Silicon Labs. The means of determining a command can include one or more inputs for receiving electronic signals from the motion detector. For example, the motion detector can be connected to and communicate with the means of determining a command via an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus or an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus.

[0026] The remote control also includes a transmitter for sending the specified command to the electronic device. The transmitter can be an infrared (IR) diode or a radio transmitter (e.g., a Bluetooth or ZigBee transmitter). The means for determining a command can include one or more outputs for sending electronic signals to the transmitter.

[0027] The means of determining a command, the motion detector, and the transmitter (any two of them or all three) can be integrated into a single unit. For example, the means of determining a command can be a microcontroller with an integrated ZigBee transmitter, such as the microcontroller available from Silicon Labs under the model number EM3585.

[0028] In one embodiment, the remote control further comprises one or more buttons to put the remote control into a motion detection state. The buttons can be connected to corresponding inputs of the means for determining a command.

[0029] Alternatively or additionally, the remote control can include a switch to put it into motion detection mode. In such a case, the remote control can remain in motion detection mode as long as the switch is in a motion detection position, or it can exit motion detection mode if no motion is detected within a predetermined period (e.g., 30 seconds) to save energy.

[0030] In one embodiment, the remote control further comprises at least one accelerometer for detecting translational motion of the remote control. Each accelerometer can be configured to detect translational motion in one, two, or three spatial coordinates. Preferably, the remote control can comprise a single accelerometer configured to detect translational motion in three spatial coordinates, i.e., in three dimensions.

[0031] In one embodiment, the remote control further comprises a memory designed to store one or more motion patterns. The means for determining a command associated with the detected motion can then be designed to record a motion pattern characteristic of a movement of the remote control in the aforementioned memory or in another memory and to compare the recorded motion pattern with the motion patterns stored in the memory. The memory designed to store one or more motion patterns can be non-volatile memory, in particular flash memory. If another memory is used to store the recorded motion pattern, this other memory can be volatile or non-volatile.

[0032] The remote control can also be designed to allow a user to record motion patterns and / or link commands for the electronic device to pre-recorded motion patterns or to motion patterns recorded by the user. To record a motion pattern, the user puts the remote control into motion detection mode (if necessary) and moves the remote control along a motion pattern to be recorded. The recorded motion pattern can then be stored in the remote control's memory.

[0033] To link commands for the electronic device to pre-recorded or user-recorded motion patterns, the user selects the motion pattern and the command to be associated with it. Linking commands to motion patterns can be accomplished using an additional configuration device, such as a computer or smartphone running a corresponding application, which can be connected to the remote control either wirelessly (e.g., via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) or via a cable. The user-defined links are preferably stored in the remote control's memory. The additional configuration device can also be used to put the remote control into motion detection mode.

[0034] The remote control can also be designed to be locked by motion detection, preventing it from being used to control the electronic device (for example, by another user or unintentionally). To lock the remote control, the user puts it into motion detection mode (if necessary) and moves it along a locking pattern. The locking pattern can be predefined or user-definable. To unlock the remote control, the user puts it into motion detection mode (if necessary) and moves it along an unlock pattern. The locking pattern can be the same as the unlock pattern, or they can be different. It is also possible for motion detection to be used only for locking or unlocking the remote control, and for unlocking / unlocking to be done independently.Locking can be done in other ways, for example by pressing one or more keys.

[0035] The present invention also relates to a system comprising an electronic device and a remote control as described above for controlling the electronic device. The system may comprise more than one electronic device. One or more of the electronic devices may be designed to be controlled by the remote control using the motion detection described above.

[0036] Preferably, the electronic device is a lighting device, i.e. a lamp or a lighting system (e.g. the smart lamps sold by LEDVANCE GmbH under the Lightify brand).

[0037] Features mentioned in this description relating to a device can also be used for the corresponding methods. Conversely, features mentioned in this description relating to a method can also be used for the corresponding devices. Brief description of the drawing

[0038] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawing. The following are shown: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a hardware architecture diagram of an embodiment of a remote control according to the present invention; Fig. 3 a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control according to the present invention; Fig. 4 a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for linking a movement with a command for a remote control according to the present invention; and Fig. 5 a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for unlocking a remote control according to the present invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawing. The same or similar elements, or elements with the same effect, may be designated with the same reference number in several figures. Repetition of the description of such elements may be omitted to avoid redundant descriptions.

[0040] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the use of a remote control 1 according to the present invention in a method according to the present invention. The remote control 1 comprises three buttons 2, 3. One of the buttons 2 is used to put the remote control 1 into a motion detection state. The other two buttons 3 can be used to directly select commands and send these commands to an electronic device (not shown), e.g., to switch the electronic device on and off. The remote control 1 can also comprise only two or more than three buttons 2, 3.

[0041] Remote control 1 can be put into a motion detection state by pressing and holding the corresponding button 2. Remote control 1 can be designed to detect and analyze its movement and send a corresponding command to the electronic device while button 2 is pressed. For example, if remote control 1 is in motion detection state and is moved along a clockwise circle (as shown in the diagram), the motion detection state will be triggered. Fig. (as shown in Figure 1), a command to increase a parameter can be sent to the electronic device. For example, the electronic device could be a lamp, such as a smart lamp, and the command could be to increase the lamp's brightness.

[0042] Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a hardware architecture diagram of an embodiment of a remote control 1. The remote control 1 may include a microcontroller 4. An accelerometer 6 may be connected to the microcontroller, in particular via a bus 8 such as an SPI bus or an I2C bus. The microcontroller 4 may receive electronic signals indicative of a movement of the remote control 1 (i.e., a movement pattern) from the accelerometer 6 and use these signals to determine the movement of the remote control 1.

[0043] To determine a command associated with the movement pattern, the remote control 1 can compare the detected movement pattern with movement patterns stored in a memory 5. The memory 5 can be part of the microcontroller 4 or it can be a separate component connected to the microcontroller 4.

[0044] Buttons 2 and 3 of the remote control are connected to corresponding inputs 7 of the microcontroller 4, allowing the microcontroller 4 to detect when a button 2 or 3 is pressed. One of the buttons 2 can be used to put the remote control 1 into a motion detection state.

[0045] Once the microcontroller 4 has determined a command associated with the movement of the remote control 1, the command can be sent to an electronic device via a transmitter 9 (e.g., a Bluetooth or ZigBee transmitter). The transmitter 9 can be part of the microcontroller 4 or it can be a separate component connected to the microcontroller 4.

[0046] Fig. Figure 3 presents, by means of a flowchart, an embodiment of a method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control 1 using motion detection. In step 20, the remote control 1 is put into a motion detection state, for example, by pressing and holding a corresponding button 2. In step 21, the remote control 1 is moved by the user along a desired path while the button 2 is held down. The movement of the remote control is detected by a motion detector 6 (such as an accelerometer), and corresponding electronic signals are provided to a microcontroller 4 as a motion pattern in step 22. In step 23, the microcontroller reads a stored motion pattern from a memory 5 of the remote control 1. The detected motion pattern and the motion pattern read from the memory 5 are compared in step 24.If the two motion patterns match to a predetermined degree (branch Y), the command associated with the motion pattern (also stored in memory 5) can be sent to an electronic device in step 25. If the two motion patterns do not match (branch N), the procedure returns to step 23 and the next stored motion pattern is read from memory 5. If the detected motion pattern does not match any of the stored motion patterns, no command is sent to the electronic device.

[0047] Fig. Figure 4 presents, using a flowchart, an embodiment of a method for linking a movement to a command for a remote control. In step 30, the remote control 1 is placed into a motion detection state, for example, by means of a smartphone (not shown) that is wirelessly connected (e.g., via Bluetooth) to the remote control and is running a configuration application. In step 31, the remote control 1 is moved by the user along a desired path while in the motion detection state. The movement of the remote control is detected by a motion detector 6 (such as an accelerometer), and corresponding electronic signals are provided to a microcontroller 4 in step 32 as a motion pattern.In step 33, the detected movement pattern is stored in memory 5 of the remote control, preferably together with a linked command to be sent to an electronic device. The linked command can be selected using a smartphone.

[0048] Fig.Figure 5 presents an embodiment of a method for unlocking a remote control, illustrated by a flowchart. In step 40, the remote control 1 (which is in a locked state in which it does not send any commands to an electronic device) is put into a motion detection state, for example, by pressing and holding a corresponding button 2. In step 41, the user moves the remote control 1 along a desired path while holding down button 2. The movement of the remote control is detected by a motion detector 6 (such as an accelerometer), and corresponding electronic signals are provided to a microcontroller 4 in step 42 as a motion pattern. In step 43, the microcontroller reads a stored motion pattern from a memory 5 of the remote control 1 to unlock it.The detected movement pattern and the movement pattern read from memory 5 are compared in step 44. If the two movement patterns match to a predetermined degree (branch Y), remote control 1 is unlocked in step 45 and can be used to control an electronic device. If the two movement patterns do not match (branch N), remote control 1 remains locked in step 46. The user can restart the unlocking process in step 40.

[0049] If the remote control remains in the locked state, a corresponding signal (for example, a visual signal such as an LED lighting up on remote control 1, or an audible signal generated by a speaker or piezo element in the remote control) can be output in step 46. Similarly, a corresponding signal can be output in step 45 if the unlocking was successful and remote control 1 is returned to the unlocked state.

[0050] Although the invention is accurately represented and described by the embodiments explained above, it is not limited to these embodiments. Other modifications can be derived by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0051] In general, “ein” or “eine” can be understood as singular or plural, especially with the meaning “at least one”, “one or more”, etc., unless this is expressly excluded, for example by the expression “exactly one”, etc.

[0052] Furthermore, numerical values ​​may include the exact value as well as a usual tolerance range, unless this is expressly excluded.

[0053] Features shown in the embodiments, particularly in different embodiments, can be combined or replaced without leaving the scope of the invention. List of reference numbers 1 remote control 2nd button 3 buttons 4 microcontrollers 5 storage 6 accelerometers 7 entrances 8 Bus 9 channels 20-45 process steps

Claims

[1] Method for controlling an electronic device with a remote control (1) wherein the method comprises the following steps: - Detection (22) by the remote control (1) of a movement of the remote control (1); - Determine (23, 24) by remote control (1) a command associated with the detected motion; and - Sending (25) the specified command from the remote control (1) to the electronic device, the method further comprising: - Putting (20) the remote control (1) into a motion detection state, wherein putting (20) the remote control (1) into a motion detection state includes: - Pressing a button (2) on the remote control (1), whereby the remote control (1) remains in the motion detection state as long as the button (2) is pressed. [2] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detection (22) of a movement of the remote control (1) comprises: - Detecting a translational movement of the remote control (1). [3] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detection (22) of a movement of the remote control (1) comprises: - Recording a motion pattern indicative of movement of the remote control (1); and comprising determining (23, 24) a command associated with the detected movement: - Comparing the recorded movement pattern with one or more movement patterns stored in a memory (5) of the remote control (1). [4] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic device is a lighting device. [5] Remote control (1) for controlling an electronic device, wherein the remote control (1) comprises - a motion detector (6) for detecting movement of the remote control (1); - a means (4) for determining a command associated with the detected movement; and - a transmitter (9) for sending the specified command to the electronic device, wherein the remote control (1) comprises one or more buttons (2) for placing the remote control (1) into a motion detection state and is configured to remain in the motion detection state as long as the one or more buttons (2) are pressed. [6] Remote control (1) according to claim 5, further comprising at least one accelerometer (6) for detecting a translational movement of the remote control (1) . [7] Remote control (1) according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a memory (5) for storing one or more movement patterns. [8] System comprising at least one electronic device and one remote control (1) according to any one of claims 5-7. [9] System according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a lighting device.

Images