The invention is directed at a remote-control device for controlling one or more user devices, comprising a directional optical sensor for receiving one or more optical signals from the user devices. Each optical signal encodes a device identifier by high and low signal states in periods having granulated lengths. Each granulated length is an integer number of clock periods of a transmitter clock. The transmitter clock has a clock ratio to the predetermined receiver clock, the clock ratio being a number larger than one. At least one granulated length is longer than an integer number of clock periods of the predetermined receiver clock by a fraction of the clock period of the predetermined receiver clock, which granulated length may be detected by an asynchronous receiver clock and a detection range having only two values.

Provided is a control object and a method for controlling a plurality of pieces of equipment. The method includes determining, with the control object, a piece of equipment to be controlled from the plurality of pieces of equipment based on a user pointing the control object at the piece of equipment to be controlled, adapting, with the control object, a control interface of the control object as a function of the piece of equipment to be controlled, receiving, through the control interface of the control object, at least one command from the user to control the piece of equipment to be controlled, generating, with the control object, control data configured to control the piece of equipment to be controlled based on the at least one command received from the user, and controlling the piece of equipment to be controlled by transmitting the control data with the control object.

A terminal having an infrared remote control function and a pairing method for infrared remote control, where in the terminal, a memory stores an infrared code library, a processor selects an infrared code from the infrared code library, an infrared transmitter sends an infrared signal to a to-be-remotely-controlled device according to the infrared code, a sensor senses a status change of the to-be-remotely-controlled device that occurs after the to-be-remotely-controlled device receives the infrared signal, and the processor determines, according to the status change of the to-be-remotely-controlled device sensed by the sensor, whether the terminal successfully establishes a pairing with the to-be-remotely-controlled device. Therefore, the terminal automatically establishes the pairing with the to-be-remotely-controlled device, and an automation degree of a pairing process during intelligent remote control is improved.

The invention is directed at a remote control device for controlling one or more user devices, comprising a directional optical sensor for receiving one or more optical signals from the user devices and for detecting an incoming direction of said received optical signals, and a processor. For identification of at least one of said user devices, the processor is arranged for analyzing at least one of said received optical signals for associating thereof with the at least one of said user devices and for keeping track of the at least one of said optical signals upon changing of said incoming direction. The one or more optical signals comprise high and low signal states, wherein each optical signal consists of one or more signal fragments. Each signal fragment comprising a leading or trailing low signal state and a high signal state, wherein a duration of the high signal state determines a signal fragment type of the signal fragment and wherein said duration of the high signal state is longer than a duration of the low signal state. The processor is arranged for performing said associating of said at least one received optical signal with the at least one of said user devices by recognition of the one or more signal fragments and associating each signal fragment with its signal fragment type for obtaining therefrom a signal pattern which is uniquely associable with said at least one of said user devices.

A user equipment (UE) for use in a smart home control system is provided. The UE includes a beam forming device configured to transmit a directional signal beam to an electronic device. The directional signal beam includes a credential associated with the UE. The UE also includes a transmitter configured to transmit a command signal including the credential after the beam forming device transmits the directional signal beam to the electronic device. The command signal commands an operation of the electronic device. The UE further includes an input device. The input device is configured to receive a directional signal beam generating input to initiate the transmission of the signal beam. The input device is also configured to receive a command input to initiate the transmission of the command signal.

A method for determining a piece of equipment to be controlled by a transportable control object disposed in a space having at least one positioning unit capable of determining the relative position of the control object relative to the positioning unit, the method including: a step of determining the position and the orientation of the control object in the space from the position of the at least one positioning unit, a step of determining a direction and a sense pointed at by the control object from the position and orientation of the control object determined in this way, and a step of determining a piece of equipment to be controlled in the space from the direction and sense determined in this way.

In various embodiments, methods and systems for implementing integrated free space and surface inputs are provided. An integrated free space and surface input system includes a mixed-input pointing device for interacting and controlling interface objects using free space inputs and surface inputs, trigger buttons, pressure sensors, and haptic feedback associated with the mixed-input pointing device. Free space movement data and surface movement data are tracked and determined for the mixed-input pointing device. An interface input is detected for the mixed-input pointing device transitioning from a first input to a second input, such as, from a free space input to a surface input or from the surface input to the free space input. The interface input is processed based on accessing the free space movement data and the surface movement data. An output for the interface input is communicated from the mixed-input pointing device to interact and control an interface.

A wireless control system includes multiple wireless transmitters and a control circuit configured to transmit information from the wireless transmitters, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectably enable and disable each of the wireless transmitters.

Various arrangements involving an absolute direction of a remote control device are presented herein. In response to user input received by a remote control device, the orientation of the remote control device may be determined. A compass heading direction in which the remote control device is pointed may be determined. An absolute direction may be determined based on the determined orientation and the determined compass heading. A target control device may be selected from a plurality of target control devices based on the absolute heading of the remote control device. A message indicative of the user input may then be transmitted to the selected target control device.

A control device (130) for controlling a domestic appliance system (100) comprises: a first remote controllable device (110), a second remote controllable device (120) and a remote control (150). The remote control typically comprises a pointing detection unit (140) configured for identifying a remote controllable device (110, 120) at which the remote control is pointing (156, 156). The remote control is configured for commanding a read in response to a user input commanding a copy while the user points the remote control at the first device and the remote control is configured for commanding a write in response to a user input commanding a paste while the user points the remote control at the second device. The control device comprises: a reception unit (310) configured for receiving a first value of the first device in response to the read; and a conversion unit (320) coupled to the reception unit configured for determining a third value based on the first value for replacing a value of the second device in response to the write for influencing the functioning of the second device. Hence the control device couples remote controllable devices of a domestic appliance system for providing the user with an intuitive drag and drop system for controlling these devices.