Multi-mode Remote Control with Laser and Infrared for Gesture Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current television systems lack the ability to provide sophisticated and convenient user interactions without requiring a touch-sensitive surface, as they rely on discrete point and click actions which are insufficient for complex interface navigation.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a pointing device with laser and infrared capabilities that allows users to simulate multi-touch inputs by impinging a laser beam on a screen and sending corresponding infrared commands, enabling advanced gesture-based control and navigation within the television interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch-sensitive surface is used to enable sophisticated user interactions, then user interaction capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a laser pointer as an intermediary tool that projects a visible beam onto the screen to indicate user intent. The screen acts as a passive mediator that detects the laser's position and reflects it to the controller, enabling sophisticated gestures without requiring a complex touch-sensitive surface. This intermediary approach achieves multi-touch-like functionality through optical means rather than electronic sensing layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electronic touch-sensitive surface with an optical system. Instead of using a complex array of sensors to detect finger positions and gestures, the system uses a laser beam's optical path and the screen's reflective properties to determine user intent. The infrared camera captures the laser's position and movement, translating optical information into control signals, thereby substituting a mechanical sensing system with an optical one.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a touch-sensitive surface is used to enable advanced gesture control, then user interaction sophistication is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing screen serve multiple functions: it displays visual content, detects laser beam position through reflection, and provides a reference plane for gesture recognition. The standard screen components (display panel, housing, and existing camera) are utilized for both their primary display function and the secondary gesture control function, eliminating the need for separate touch-sensitive layers or additional specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of touch interaction functionality through optical means. Instead of implementing physical touch sensors, the system uses the laser pointer to create a visible indicator that copies the intended touch location, and the infrared camera captures this optical copy to process gesture information. This allows the system to simulate multi-touch capabilities without the physical complexity of actual touch sensors.
3Device complexity
If discrete point and click actions are used for interface control, then device simplicity is maintained, but user interaction sophistication deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static point-and-click interactions into dynamic gestures by tracking the laser beam's movement over time. The system analyzes the trajectory, speed, and pattern of the laser's motion across the screen to recognize various gestures such as swiping, circling, or tapping sequences. This dynamic approach allows simple hardware to support complex interactions by interpreting temporal patterns in the laser's position data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the dimension of time to the interaction model by tracking the laser beam's movement trajectory rather than just its final position. By analyzing the path and temporal sequence of laser impingement points, the system can distinguish between different gestures (e.g., a quick tap versus a slow swipe) using the same basic hardware, thereby enhancing interface navigation capability without increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances user interaction by allowing for fluid and sophisticated control of television interfaces, such as pinch-to-zoom, without the need for a touch-sensitive surface, providing a more satisfying and user-friendly experience while reducing manufacturing costs for the pointing device.
Implementation Method 1
determining an intended gesture based on movement of the element across the screen
Implementation Method 2
a command to activate the control element based on an infrared command signal received from the pointing device
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-mode remote control unit that has both infrared command and laser pointer capability. In some examples, the multi-mode remote control unit together with one or both of a television receiver and a television may implement simulated touch gestures that typically require a touch sensitive screen. The multi-mode remote control unit in such an implementation advantageously may not include logic to implement simulated multi-touch gestures. Rather, one or both of the television receiver and the television may include logic to implement simulated touch gestures.