3d remote control system employing absolute and relative position detection

Abstract

The present invention can include three-dimensional remote control systems that can detect an absolute location to which a remote control is pointing in first and second orthogonal axes and an absolute position of the remote control in a third orthogonal axis. Remote control systems of the present invention can employ absolute position detection with relative position detection. Absolute position detection can indicate an initial absolute position of the remote control and relative position detection can indicate changes in the position of the remote control. By combining absolute and relative position detection, remote control systems of the present invention can track remote controls more precisely than systems that only employ absolute position detection. The present invention also can include methods and apparatus for zooming in and out of an image shown on a display based on the absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A remote control operative for use with a display, the remote control comprising:
 an absolute position detection component comprising at least one electro-optical component, wherein the absolute position detection component is operative to detect an initial absolute position of the remote control;   a relative position detection component operative to detect a change in a position of the remote control; and   a controller in communication with the absolute and relative position detection components, wherein the controller is operative to:
 detect that the remote control is pointing at a particular location on the display based on at least one of data from the absolute position detection component comprising the initial absolute position of the remote control and data from the relative position detection component, wherein the particular location on the display is defined by first and second orthogonal axes; 
 detect an updated absolute position of the remote control in a third axis based on the initial absolute position of the remote control and additional data from the relative position detection component, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes; and 
 transmit signals operative to change a portion of an image on the display corresponding to the particular location based on the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis. 
   
     
     
         35 . The remote control of  claim 34 , wherein the transmitted signals are operative to move a cursor on the display to the particular location. 
     
     
         36 . The remote control of  claim 34 , wherein the particular location is a focal point about which the portion of the image is operative to be changed by the transmitted signals. 
     
     
         37 . The remote control of  claim 34 , wherein the initial absolute position of the remote control comprises an initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis. 
     
     
         38 . The remote control of  claim 37 , wherein the controller is operative to:
 detect that the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis is closer to a reference location than the initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis; and   transmit the signals to the display to at least one of zoom in on and enlarge the portion of the image corresponding to the particular location.   
     
     
         39 . The remote control of  claim 37 , wherein the controller is operative to:
 detect that the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis is further from a reference location than the initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis is to the reference location; and   transmit the signals operative to at least one of zoom out of and shrink the portion of the image corresponding to the particular location.   
     
     
         40 . A method for use with a system having a remote control and a display, the method comprising:
 rendering an image defined by first and second orthogonal axes on the display;   determining an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes;   receiving at least one signal from a user input component to change the image, wherein the at least one signal comprises data associated with a change in position of the remote control;   in response to receiving the at least one signal, determining an updated absolute position of the remote control based on the initial absolute position and the data associated with the change in position of the remote control, wherein the updated absolute position comprises an updated absolute position in the third axis;   determining a scale factor for changing the rendered image based on the updated absolute position in the third axis;   changing the rendered image by the scale factor; and   rendering the changed image on the display.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the updated absolute position further comprises updated absolute positions in the first and second axes. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising correlating the updated absolute positions in the first and second axes with coordinates on the rendered image. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising determining a portion of the rendered image to translate based on the coordinates on the rendered image. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the determining the portion of the rendered image to translate further comprises determining a first amount of the rendered image to translate in a first direction corresponding to the first axis and a second amount of the rendered image to translate in a second direction corresponding to the second axis. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the determining the portion of the rendered image to translate further comprises generating a translation factor. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the changed image is centered about the coordinates on the rendered image. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the changing the rendered image further comprises translating the portion of the rendered image. 
     
     
         48 . A method for use with a system comprising a remote control and a display, wherein the display is defined by first and second orthogonal axes and shows an image, the method comprising:
 detecting a first absolute position of the remote control in a third axis with respect to a reference location based on absolute position data output by a light detector, wherein the third axis is orthogonal to the first and second axes;   rendering at least a first portion of the image in a first reference size on the display based on the first absolute position of the remote control in the third axis with respect to the reference location;   detecting a second absolute position of the remote control in the third axis based on the detected first absolute position and based on relative position data output by at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope; and   rendering at least a second portion of the image in a second reference size on the display based on the second absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the second reference size is scaled with respect to the first reference size based on a difference between:
 the first absolute position of the remote control in the third axis with respect to the reference location; and   the second absolute position of the remote control in the third axis with respect to the reference location.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the rendering the at least a second portion of the image comprises one of zooming in on and zooming out from a focal point of the image. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the focal point is based on an absolute position of the remote control in the first and second axes with respect to the reference location. 
     
     
         52 . A remote control for use with a display defined by first and second orthogonal axes and operative to show an image, the remote control comprising:
 an absolute position detection component of an absolute position detection sub-system, wherein the absolute position detection component comprises at least one photodetector that enables the absolute position detection sub-system to detect an initial absolute position of the remote control in a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes;   a relative position detection component of a relative position detection sub-system, wherein the relative position detection component comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope that enables the relative position detection sub-system to detect a change in a position of the remote control in the third axis; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the absolute position detection component and to the relative position detection component, wherein the controller:
 detects an updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis by combining the initial absolute position detected by the absolute position detection sub-system with the change in the position detected by the relative position detection sub-system; and 
 change the scale factor of the image shown on the display based on the difference between the initial absolute position of the remote control in the third axis and the updated absolute position of the remote control in the third axis. 
   
     
     
         53 . The remote control of  claim 52 , wherein:
 the change of the scale factor comprises one of zooming in on and zooming out from a focal point of the image; and   the focal point is based on an absolute position of the remote control in the first and second axes.