FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electronic control device.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a remote control device for electronic equipment, such as televisions, sound systems or lighting controls.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

Remote controls have been used for many years to control consumer electronic equipment. In order to provide sufficient functionality in the control of the equipment, remote controls have evolved to contain a large number of buttons or dials associated with the various functions of the equipment. This has led to increased complexity in the use and understanding of a remote control.

Even in its simplest form, the conventional remote control requires the following steps to be done, namely: (a) a person must pick up the remote control; (b) in the case of an infra-red remote control, the remote control must be aimed at the electronic equipment; (c) the person must look at the remote control to locate the correct button and place their finger on that button; and (d) the person must depress the button to activate the function.

When viewing a television, which is often done in low lighting conditions or in near darkness, the person may have difficulty in performing the above steps, particularly step (c). Also, the above steps are time consuming to perform correctly and can lead to frustration if the incorrect buttons are accidentally pressed.

It is an object of the invention to suggest an electronic control device, which will assist in overcoming these problems. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention an electronic control device includes a body; a movement sensor supported by the body, the movement sensor being adapted to sense movement of the body relative to a static point; and processing means for generating various function control signals dependent upon the movement of the body.

The body may have a flat bottom wall being adapted to be supported on a surface.

The body may have a contoured top wall being adapted to fit into a palm of a person's hand.

The body may have a flat top wall being adapted to be supported on a surface when the body is inverted.

The static point may be a centre point of the body.

The movement sensor may be selected from an acceleration sensor, a Yaw sensor, a XY sensor, a magnetic field sensor, capacitive sensors or any other type of movement sensor.

The movement sensor may be adapted to detect rotational movement of the body at the static point.

The movement sensor may detect the direction of rotation, the speed of rotation and the degree of rotation.

Rotational movement of the body may be associated with a first controlled parameter, such as a volume function on electronic equipment associated with the electronic control device.

Rotational movement of the body in a clockwise direction may be adapted to increase the first controlled parameter. Rotational movement of the body in a counter clockwise direction may be adapted to decrease the first controlled parameter.

The movement sensor may be adapted to detect circular movement of the body around a remote point spaced apart from the static point.

The movement sensor may detect the direction of the circular movement, the speed of the circular movement and the radial distance between the remote point and the static point.

The circular movement of the body may be associated with a second controlled parameter, such as a channel function on electronic equipment associated with the electronic control device.

The circular movement of the body in a clockwise direction may be adapted to increase the second controlled parameter.

The circular movement of the body in a counter clockwise direction may be adapted to decrease the second controlled parameter.

The second controlled parameter may be associated with circular movement having a diameter being less than a predetermined size.

A third controlled parameter may be associated with circular movement having a diameter being greater than the predetermined size.

The electronic control device may include an orientation sensor or gravitation sensor being adapted to determine if the body is inverted and to provide additional controlled parameters associated with the rotational and circular movement of the body when inverted.

Function control signals may be solely generated by movement of the body with no buttons being provided on the body. The electronic control device may include transmitters for transmitting signals to electronic equipment by means of infra-red, radio waves, Bluetooth etc.

The electronic control device may include various coloured light emitters or vibrators to indicate which type of control function is being performed .

The electronic control device may be a remote control .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

In the drawings there is shown in :

Figure 1 : A perspective view of an electronic control device according to the invention;

Figure 2 : A front view seen along arrow II in figure 1;

Figure 3 : A top view seen along arrow III in figure 2;

Figure 4: A top view of the control device of figures 1 to 3 showing a first type of movement; and

Figure 5 : A top view of the control device of figures 1 to 3 showing a second type of movement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Referring to figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, an electronic control device in accordance with the invention, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, is shown. The electronic control device is adapted to operate as a remote control for controlling functions of related consumer or other electronic equipment, e.g. such as a television, sound system or light. The control device 10 includes a body 12 that is substantially in the form of a half sphere having a flat bottom wall 14 and a curved upper wall 16. The bottom wall 14 is adapted to be supported on a surface, such as a table, while the upper wall 16 is adapted to fit comfortably in the palm of a person hand during use. In order to achieve this purpose more fully, the upper wall 16 can be further shaped as needed to fit more snugly in a person's palm/hand. Due to its substantially symmetrical shape, the body 12 has no defined front or back end and thus can be used from any direction, i.e. it is not necessary to aim the control device 10 at any electronic equipment during use.

The body 12 supports two spaced apart movement sensors 18,20 located at or near to the bottom wall 14. The sensors 18,20 shown in the figures are positioned along a diameter of the bottom wall 14, but they can also be offset from the diameter. The sensors 18,20 are adapted to determine movement of the body 12 and are operatively connected to a processing means (such as a computer processor) for analysing the type of movement that is being made, e.g. rotational movement or circular movement of the body 12, and then to associate that movement with a specific control function. Additional control functions can be associated with the direction of the movement and the amplitude / extent of the movement. The sensors 18,20 can be acceleration sensors, Yaw sensors, XY sensors, magnetic field sensors or any other type of movement sensors.

As an example, with reference to figure 4, rotational movement of the body 12 can be associated with a "volume" function on the electronic equipment. As the body 12 is able to rotate relative to itself, i.e. around a fixed centre static point 22 in the bottom wall 14, in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction as indicated by arrow 24, such rotation in a clockwise direction can be associated with an increase in volume or "volume up" function, while a rotation in a counter-clockwise direction can be associated with an decrease in volume or "volume down" function. During such rotational movement, a plane 26 extending through the sensors 18,20 will alter in direction relative to the static point 22, thereby allowing the computer processor to determine the type and extent of the movement. As a further example, with reference to figure 5, a circular movement of the body 12 can be associated with a "channel selection" function on the electronic equipment. During such circular movement the body 12 will circle around a remote point 28 being spaced apart from the static point 22 along a track 30. In such movement a plane 32 extending through the sensors 18,20 will remain substantially parallel in direction relative to the remote point 28. As the body 12 is able to be circled around the remote point 28 in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction as indicated by arrow 34, a clockwise circling can be associated with a "channel-up" function, while a counter-clockwise circling can be associated with a "channel-down" function.

As stated previously, additional control functions (not illustrated) can be associated with the amplitude or extent of the movement. Thus a circular movement as illustrated in figure 5 with a relatively small radius (the distance between the static point 22 and the remote point 28) can be associated with a first function, while a circular movement with a relatively large radius can be associated with a second function.

In further embodiments illustrated in figures 6 to 9, the sensors 18, 20 can be provided in the form of capacitive sensors, being able to detect either both rotation and circular movement (indicated by reference numeral 40 in the embodiment in figures 6 and 7) or only rotation movement (indicated by reference numeral 50 in the embodiment in figures 8 and 9). The advantage of using capacitive sensing is that it does not require electrical physical contact causing wear and also the parts required for manufacture are greatly reduced thus allowing a cheaper product to be made.

The capacitive sensor 40 includes a round printed circuit board (PCB) 42 on which is provided a central circular conductive pad "D" and around which are three pairs of arcuate conductive pads "A", "B" and "C". Each of these pairs is aligned on opposite sides of the circular conductive pad "D" along a diameter thereof. The conductive pads "A", "B", "C" and "D" are all isolated from each other. The capacitance between the pads "A" and "D", the pads "B" and "D", and the pads "C" and "D" is measured creating a three-phase system which enables calculation of position and direction of rotation of the control device 10. The capacitive sensor 40 further includes a conductive disc 44, being smaller than the central conductive pad "D", which can move freely in the vicinity of the conductive pads "A", "B", "C" and "D". As the disc 44 is smaller than the

PCB 42, the disc 44 will only partially cover pad "D" and selectively parts of the pads "A", "B", "C".

By measuring the change in capacitance existing between the pads "A" and "D", the pads "B" and "D", and the pads "C" and "D" as the disc 44 is moved relative to them, it is possible to determine the position and direction of rotation and circling of the control device 10. This is enabled because when the disc 44 moves to cover a larger portion of one of the pads "A", "B" or "C", a higher capacitance is measured because of capacitive coupling between the pads and the disc 44. In the position shown in Figure 7, the capacitance between pads "A" and "D" will be higher than the capacitances between pads "B" and "D" or pads "C" and "D".

At the centre of the disc 44 is placed a soft grip pad 46. When the control device 10 is orientated so that the capacitive sensor 40 is on its bottom wall 14 and the body 14 is moved over a flat surface, the grip pad 46 touches this surface and drags the disc 44 around due to friction. When used in an alternative orientation, the body 12 can be inverted (turned upside down) and a person can use their finger to push the disc 44 around making it possible to control other functions as well.

The capacitive sensor 50 shown in figure 8 also includes a round printed circuit board (PCB) 52 provided with a central circular conductive pad "D" around which are three pairs of arcuate conductive pads "A", "B" and "C" being similar to those shown in figure 6.

However, the capacitive sensor 50 includes an isolated disc 54 having a diameter being substantially similarly large to that of the PCB 52 and therefore the disc 54 is only able to rotate around its centre point relative to the PCB 52 without being able to move relative thereto. The disc 54 has two conductive regions 56 near diametrically opposite edges of the disc 54. During rotation of the disc 54 over the PCB 52, the movement of the regions 56 over the conductive pads "A", "B" and "C", causes a change in capacitance existing between the pads "A" and "D", the pads "B" and "D", and the pads "C" and "D". This makes it possible to determine the position and direction of rotation of the control device 10. Any circular movement of the control device 10 will not cause the disc 54 to move or rotate relative to the PCB 52 and thus no capacitance change will occur.

The disc 54 is covered with a soft grip pad (not shown). When the control device 10 is orientated so that the capacitive sensor 50 is on its bottom wall 14 the grip pad keeps the disc 54 in a static position while the PCB 52 and body 14 can rotate relative thereto. When used in an alternative orientation, the body 12 can be inverted (turned upside down) and a person can use their finger to push rotate the disc 54 making it possible to control other functions as well.

It is noteworthy that the body 12 does not include any buttons for controlling the various functions of the control device 10. All control functions are performed merely by movement of the body 12 in a specific manner.

A further envisaged embodiment is to provide a flat top wall, so that the body 12 is disc-shaped similar to an ice-hockey puck, and to provide additional orientation sensors. This will enable further functions to be similarly controlled by inverting the body 12 between the bottom and top walls.

Although not shown in the drawings, the body 12 also has other electronic circuitry for conventional processing of data and signal emitters for transmitting instructions to the electronic equipment, e.g. by way of infra-red, radio waves, Bluetooth etc. In the event of using infra-red signals, a number of transmitters are spaced around a periphery of the body 12 so as to transmit infra-red signals through a 360° radius to assist in the non-specific directional use of the electronic control device 10.

The electronic circuitry can also have various coloured light emitters or vibrators to indicate which type of control function is being performed.