Remote controlling a plurality of controllable devices

Abstract

The present application relates to a remote control device for controlling a plurality of controllable devices. The remote control device comprises at least two spaced apart antennas for receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device, a sending unit for sending a control signal, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal, to select a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information, and to send a control information for controlling the selected controllable device via the control signal with the sending unit to the selected controllable device.

Claims

1. A remote control device for controlling a plurality of controllable devices, comprising: at least two spaced apart antennas for receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device, a sending unit for sending a control signal, a user interface for receiving a user input from a user of the remote control device, a memory for storing location information of the plurality of controllable devices, the location information indicating for each controllable device a corresponding location of the controllable device in relation to a location of the positioning device, and a control unit configured to determine a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device via the at least two antennas, to select a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device, and to send a control information for controlling the selected controllable device via the control signal with the sending unit to the selected controllable device, to determine the control information for controlling the selected controllable device depending on the user input and the selected controllable device, to select the controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device and the location information of the plurality of controllable devices, wherein the control unit is configured to operate in a training mode upon a request received via the user interface, wherein, in the training mode, the control unit is configured to determine a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device via the at least two antennas, to receive, from the user via the user interface, an identifier relating to a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices, to determine a location of the controllable device in relation to the location of the positioning device depending on the position information of the remote control device, and to store the determined location of the controllable device in the memory.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of control elements for receiving the user input, wherein the control unit is configured to assign to each of the plurality of control elements a corresponding control function for the selected controllable device.

3. The remote control device according to claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises a display unit, wherein the control unit is configured to display for each of the plurality of control elements the assigned corresponding control function on the display.

4. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the radio signal comprises an identifier for identifying the positioning device, wherein the control information for controlling the selected controllable device is determined depending on the identifier.

5. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the position information of the remote control device comprises at least one of: an angle of arrival of the radio signal at the at least two antennas, a relative distance between the positioning device and the at least two antennas, an orientation of a housing of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device, and a distance between the remote control device and the positioning device.

6. The remote control device according to claim 1, further comprising a visual detection unit for detecting a visual information, preferably a gesture of a user of the remote control device, in an environment of the remote control device, wherein the control unit is configured to determine direction information indicated by a user in the environment of the remote control device depending on the visual information detected by the visual detection unit, to select the controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the direction information.

7. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device comprises at least one of a group consisting of: a mobile telephone, a headset, a mobile gaming device, a tablet computer, a wearable device, and a mobile accessory.

8. A remote control device for controlling a plurality of controllable devices, comprising: at least two spaced apart antennas for receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device, a sending unit for sending a control signal, a user interface for receiving a user input from a user of the remote control device, and a control unit configured to determine a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device via the at least two antennas, to select a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device, to send a control information for controlling the selected controllable device via the control signal with the sending unit to the selected controllable device, and to determine the control information for controlling the selected controllable device depending on the user input and the selected controllable device, wherein the user interface comprises an audio input unit for receiving an audio information in an environment of the remote control device, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the control information for controlling the selected controllable device depending on the audio information and the selected controllable device.

9. The remote control device according to claim 8, wherein the remote control device comprises furthermore: a memory for storing location information of the plurality of controllable devices, the location information indicating for each controllable device a corresponding location of the controllable device in relation to a location of the positioning device, wherein the control unit is configured to select the controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device and the location information of the plurality of controllable devices.

10. The remote control device according to claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of control elements for receiving the user input, wherein the control unit is configured to assign to each of the plurality of control elements a corresponding control function for the selected controllable device.

11. The remote control device according to claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises a display unit, wherein the control unit is configured to display for each of the plurality of control elements the assigned corresponding control function on the display.

12. A system comprising: a plurality of controllable devices, the remote control device according to claim 1, and a sending unit for sending a radio signal configured to be received by a remote control device for determining a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal, wherein the positioning device is comprised in at least one equipment of a group consisting of: a stand-alone device, a home entertainment system, an audio system, a television set, a light control system, a climate control system, a heating system, and a wireless local area network access point.

13. A method for controlling a plurality of controllable devices with a remote control device, comprising: receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device at at least two spaced apart antennas of the remote control device, determining a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device at the at least two antennas, selecting a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device, sending a control information for controlling the selected controllable device from the remote control device to the selected controllable device, determining the control information for controlling the selected controllable device depending on and the selected controllable device and a user interface for receiving a user input from a user of the remote control device, storing location information of the plurality of controllable devices, the location information indicating for each controllable device a corresponding location of the controllable device in relation to a location of the positioning device, and selecting the controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device and the location information of the plurality of controllable devices, operating in a training mode upon a request received via the user interface, wherein, in the training mode, determining a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device via the at least two antennas, receiving, from the user via the user interface, an identifier relating to a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices, determining a location of the controllable device in relation to the location of the positioning device depending on the position information of the remote control device, and storing the determined location of the controllable device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method is executed by a remote control device, comprising: at least two spaced apart antennas for receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device, a sending unit for sending a control signal, and a control unit configured to determine a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device via the at least two antennas, to select a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device, and to send a control information for controlling the selected controllable device via the control signal with the sending unit to the selected controllable device.

15. A method for controlling a plurality of controllable devices with a remote control device, comprising: receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device at at least two spaced apart antennas of the remote control device, determining a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal received from the positioning device at the at least two antennas, selecting a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information of the remote control device, sending a control information for controlling the selected controllable device from the remote control device to the selected controllable device, determining the control information for controlling the selected controllable device depending on and the selected controllable device and a user interface for receiving a user input from a user of the remote control device, wherein the user interface comprises an audio input unit for receiving an audio information in an environment of the remote control device, and determining the control information for controlling the selected controllable device depending on the audio information and the selected controllable device.

16. A system comprising: a plurality of controllable devices, the remote control device according to claim 8, and a sending unit for sending a radio signal configured to be received by a remote control device for determining a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal, wherein the positioning device is comprised in at least one equipment of a group consisting of: a stand-alone device, a home entertainment system, an audio system, a television set, a light control system, a climate control system, a heating system, and a wireless local area network access point.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows schematically a system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising a plurality of controllable devices and a remote control device.

(3) FIG. 2 shows schematically a system according to a further embodiment of the present invention comprising a plurality of controllable devices and a remote control device.

(4) FIG. 3 shows schematically a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 shows method steps of a method for controlling a plurality of controllable devices with a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail. It is to be understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined with each other unless specifically noted otherwise. Same reference signs in the various drawings refer to similar or identical components. Any coupling between components or devices shown in the figures may be a direct or indirect coupling unless specifically noted otherwise.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a system 10 comprising controllable devices 11 and 12, a positioning device 20, and a remote control device (RCD) 30. The system 10 may be arranged for example in a user's home, for example in a living room, and the controllable device 11 may represent a light control system and the controllable device 12 may represent a television set.

(8) The positioning device 20 comprises a sending unit 21 for sending a radio signal 40, 41 configured to be received by the remote control device 30 for determining a position information of the remote control device 30 in relation to the positioning device 20 based on the radio signal. As will be described later in more detail in connection with FIG. 3, the remote control device 30 comprises at least two antennas 34, 35. As will be described in the following, an angle of arrival of the radio signal from the sending unit 21 will be determined. Therefore, at least two antennas are necessary (two-dimensional angle of arrival). However, the remote control device 30 may comprise more than two antennas, for example at least three antennas for detecting a three-dimensional angle of arrival, or even more than three antennas for increasing detection accuracy. However, for reasons of clarity, in the following, only two antennas will be discussed. Operation of three or more antennas is assumed to be accordingly.

(9) The antennas of the remote control device 30 are arranged spaced apart from each other. Therefore, the radio signal from the sending unit 21 will be received via two paths 40 and 41 at the two antennas. The radio signal will be received via path 40 at one of the two antennas of the remote control device 30, and the same radio signal will be received via path 41 at the other antenna of the two antennas of the remote control device 30. Therefore, for example based on a time of flight measurement or a phase difference between the radio signal received along the paths 40, 41, an angle of arrival may be determined. For example, the remote control device 30 may have a longitudinal axis 60 which is perpendicular to a plane of reception in which the two antennas are arranged. Thus, an angle 70 of arrival may be determined by the remote control device 30 between the longitudinal axis 60 and a direction 50 from the remote control device 30 to the positioning device 20. Thus, an orientation of the remote control device 30 within the system 10 may be determined. Furthermore, based on the received radio signal, a relative distance between the positioning device 20 and the antennas 34, 35 may be determined. For this, for example a time of flight or a signal strength of the radio signal may be determined or a change of the angle of arrival may be determined while the remote control device 30 is moved. The movement of the remote control device 30 may be determined with sensors of the remote control device 30, for example an accelerometer. Furthermore, in case at least two positioning devices 20 are present in system 10, a relative distance with respect to the positioning devices 20 may be determined by determining the angles of arrival to each of the positioning devices and triangulation. Thus, a position and orientation of the remote control device 30 within the system 10 may be determined.

(10) In addition, the arrangement of the controllable devices 11, 12 and of the positioning device 20 may be known to the remote control device 30, for example stored in a memory of the remote control device 30. Based on the determined position and orientation of the remote control device 30 in relation to the positioning device 20 within the system 10, the remote control device 30 knows from the angle 70 that it is not pointing to the positioning device 20. Taking into account the positioning information concerning the controllable devices 11, 12, the remote control device 30 may determine angle 71 between the longitudinal axis of the remote control device 30 and a direction 51 from the remote control device 30 to the controllable device 12. When the remote control device 30 determines that angle 71 is very small, nearly null or below a predefined threshold, the remote control device 30 may determine that it is actually pointing to the controllable device 12. This may be used by the remote control device 30 to configure control elements such that functions of the controllable device 12 may be controlled. Upon activation of the control elements by the user, corresponding control signals may be sent by the remote control device 30 to the controllable device 12. The control signals for controlling the controllable device 12 from the remote control device 30 to the controllable device 12 may comprise for example infrared signals, a Bluetooth radio communication, a wireless local area network communication or a wired local area network communication.

(11) When the remote control device 30 in the exemplary system 10 of FIG. 1 is rotated such that the longitudinal axis 60 is pointing approximately to the controllable device 11, corresponding functions of the controllable device 11 may be controlled via the remote control device 30 by reconfiguring its control elements correspondingly.

(12) The location information of the devices 11 and 12 may be configured in the remote control device 13 during a training session. For accomplishing this, the remote control device 13 may be operated upon a request from the user in a training mode. In the training mode, the user may point with the remote control device 30 into a direction of one of the controllable devices 11 or 12 and enters an information into the remote control device indicating that the remote control device 30 is now pointing to a specific controllable device. The remote control device 30 determines its actual orientation based on the radio signal received from the positioning device 20. Based on the actual orientation, the direction into which the specific controllable device is arranged may be determined, and this information may be stored in the remote control device 30 as location information for the identified controllable device. Such a training sequence may be repeated for each controllable device which is to be controlled by the remote control device 30.

(13) FIG. 2 shows another exemplary system 10 comprising three controllable devices 13, 14 and 15 and a remote control device (RCD) 30. Each of the controllable devices 13 to 15 comprises additionally a positioning device comparable to the positioning device 20 of FIG. 1. Therefore, the controllable devices 13 to 15 are named in FIG. 1 controllable and positioning device, and each controllable device 13 to 15 comprises a corresponding sending unit 21 which is not shown in FIG. 2. However, each controllable device 13 to 15 sends a radio signal configured to be received by the remote control device 30 for determining the position of the remote control device 30 in relation to the corresponding controllable device 13 to 15.

(14) As described above in connection with FIG. 1, an angle of arrival of each of the radio signals from each of the controllable devices 13 to 15 may be determined by the remote control device 30. In detail, the radio signal emitted from the controllable device 15 is received via paths 42 and 43 at the two antennas of the remote control device 30 and a corresponding direction 52 from the remote control device 30 to the controllable device 15 may be determined. Furthermore, an angle 72 of arrival between the longitudinal axis 60 of the remote control device 30 and the direction 52 to the controllable device 15 may be determined. In the same way, the radio signal emitted from the controllable device 14 is received via paths 44 and 45 at the two antennas of the remote control device 30 and a corresponding direction 53 from the remote control device 30 to the controllable device 14 may be determined. An angle 73 of arrival between the longitudinal axis 60 of the remote control device 30 and the direction 53 to the controllable device 14 may be determined. Likewise, the radio signal emitted from the controllable device 13 is received via paths 46 and 47 at the two antennas of the remote control device 30 and a corresponding direction 54 from the remote control device 30 to the controllable device 13 may be determined. An angle 74 of arrival between the longitudinal axis 60 of the remote control device 30 and the direction 54 to the controllable device 13 may be determined.

(15) Based on the determined angles 72 to 74 the remote control device 30 may determine into which direction it is currently pointing. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the remote control device 30 is pointing to the controllable device 13 as angle 73 is the smallest of angles 72 to 74. The radio signals received from the controllable devices 13 to 15 may each comprise a corresponding identifier identifying the corresponding controllable device 13 to 15. Thus, based on the identifier and the direction into which the remote control device 30 is pointing, the remote control device 30 may configure its user interface and control elements for controlling the controllable device 14 and may send corresponding control information upon the user activating the user interface and the control elements.

(16) FIG. 3 shows the remote control device 30 in more detail. The remote control device 30 comprises a control unit 31, a sending unit 32, a memory 33, a first antenna 34, a second antenna 35, a user interface 36, a camera 37, and a microphone 38. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 are arranged spaced apart in a housing of the remote control device 30. The distance between the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 may be a few centimeters, for example in a range of 1 to 20 cm. For example, the antennas 34, 35 may be arranged at the top and bottom sides of the remote control device 30.

(17) Operation of the remote control device 30 will be described in more detail with reference to a method 90 shown in FIG. 4. Method 90 comprises method steps 91 to 98. In step 98 a radio signal is sent from a positioning device. As described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, in step 92 the same radio signal from the same positioning device is received at the first and the second antenna 34 and 35. In step 93, the control unit 31 determines a position information of the remote control device 30 in relation to the positioning device from which the radio signal was received based on a two-way reception of the radio signal. Furthermore, in step 94, the control unit selects a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information. As described above, location information of the plurality of controllable devices may be stored in the memory 33 and may be used for selecting one of the controllable devices.

(18) The controllable device, which is intended by the user to be controlled, may additionally be determined by a detection of non-physical interactions with the user. For example, the remote control device 30 may monitor its environment with the camera 37. When a user in the environment points into a direction of a controllable device, for example by a hand gesture or an eye movement or directing the head into the direction of the controllable device, this visual information may be determined and a corresponding direction information derived therefrom. Based on the position information of the remote control device and this visual information, the remote control device determines the controllable device which is to be controlled. As an alternative, the camera may be arranged somewhere in the room, for example at the ceiling of the room or in one of the controllable devices, and the visual information detected by the camera may be transmitted to the remote control device via for example Bluetooth or a wireless local area network. Based on the visual information the remote control device may determine a gesture of the user or where the user is looking at and how the user is oriented with respect to the remote control device. Based on this visual information and the position information of the remote control device, the remote control device may select a user intended controllable device for a subsequent control.

(19) Based on the selected controllable device, the control unit 31 configures in step 95 the user interface 36 such that it represents control functions for controlling the selected controllable device. In step 96, a user input via the user interface 36 is received, for example by activating one of the represented control functions. In step 97 a control information corresponding to the actuated control function is determined and sent via the sending unit 32 to the selected controllable device in step 98.

(20) As an alternative, user commands for controlling the selected controllable device may be received via the microphone 38. For example, while the remote control device is directed to a lamp, the user may just say turn it on to turn on the light or turn it off to turn off the light. In particular in combination with the above described visual information, the user may control for example the controllable device, for example a television set, by looking or pointing at the television set and say a corresponding command like volume up, volume down, channel up, channel down and so on.

(21) Although, in the description above, the remote control device 30 comprises two antennas 34, 35 for receiving the radio signal from the same positioning device for determining the position information of the remote control device 30, the remote control device 30 may comprise more than two antennas. For example, the remote control device 30 may comprise three antennas. The radio signal is received from the same positioning device via the three antennas. A three-dimensional direction into which the positioning device is arranged may be determined based on the radio signal received via the three antennas.

(22) The user interface 36 may comprise a plurality of control elements. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the user interface 36 may comprise five pushbuttons 80 to 84. Based on the selected controllable device, a control function of each of the pushbuttons 80 to 84 may be varied. Accordingly, control information related to the control functions may be varied.

(23) For example, pushbutton 82 may represent a function to tune up the volume in connection with a TV or a music player, and a function to increase a light intensity in connection with an illumination system. Pushbutton 84 may represent a function to tune down the volume in connection with the TV or the music player, and a function to lower the light intensity in connection with the illumination system. Furthermore, pushbuttons 80 and 83 may represent functions to tune up and down a channel of the TV, to skip to the next and previous song of the music player, and to change the color of the light of the illumination system. For example, in any case, pushbutton 81 may represent a function to switch on and off the selected controllable device.

(24) In an alternative implementation, the user interface 36 may comprise a so-called touch screen on which the control elements are displayed and which is capable to detect a user touching each of the displayed control elements. After the control unit has selected one of the controllable devices, a corresponding user interface may be displayed on the touch screen such that the current assignment of functions is visible as an aid to the user.

(25) The remote control device 30 may be a stand-alone device or may be integrated into a consumer product, for example a mobile telephone, a mobile gaming device, a tablet computer or wearable device or a mobile accessory. In particular, the remote control device may be realized with low additional cost in connection with a mobile telephone or a tablet computer, as these devices provide already the required control unit, sending unit, user interface and an antenna. Furthermore, the positioning device 20 may be integrated into a consumer product like a TV set, a stereo system, detectors for security, and fire detectors.