`
`a2) United States Patent
`Liberty
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,158,118 B2
`*Jan. 2, 2007
`
`(54)
`
`(75)
`
`(73)
`
`3D POINTING DEVICES WITH
`ORIENTATION COMPENSATION AND
`IMPROVED USABILITY
`
`Inventor: Matthew G. Liberty, Potomac, MD
`(US)
`
`Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc., Rockville,
`MD (US)
`
`Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis-
`claimer.
`
`(21)
`
`Appl. No.: 11/119,719
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`May2, 2005
`
`(65)
`
`(60)
`
`(Sl)
`
`(52)
`
`(58)
`
`(56)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2005/0243062 Al
`
`Nov. 3, 2005
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`Provisional application No. 60/641,410, filed on Jan.
`5, 2005, provisional application No. 60/566,444, filed
`on Apr. 30, 2004,provisional application No. 60/612,
`571, filed on Sep. 23, 2004.
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`G09G 5/00
`(2006.01)
`G09G 5/08
`ULS. Ch. eeccceceeeeeeeees 345/158; 345/156; 345/157;
`345/163
`Field of Classification Search......... 345/156—-169,
`345/173-179; 178/18.01-18.07, 19.01—19.06
`See application file for complete search history.
`References Cited
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`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner—Vijay Shankar
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Potomac Patent Group
`PLLC
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`invention
`Systems and methods according to the present
`describe 3D pointing devices which enhance usability by
`transforming sensed motion data from a first frame of
`reference (e.g., the body of the 3D pointing device) into a
`second frameof reference (e.g., a user’s frame ofreference).
`One exemplary embodiment of the present
`invention
`removes effects associated witha tilt orientation in which the
`3D pointing device is held bya user.
`
`17 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
`
`410
`
`
`
`001
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`Google 1006
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`US 7,158,118 B2
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` Page 2
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`neering, vol. 49, No. 2, Feb. 2002, pp. 152-159.
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`
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`* cited by examiner
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`002
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`002
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jan. 2, 2007
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`Sheet 1 of 9
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`US 7,158,118 B2
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`FIG.
`7
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`(Prior Art)
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`Jan. 2, 2007
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`Jan. 2, 2007
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`FIG. 7
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`Sheet 8 of 9
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`US 7,158,118 B2
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`Jan. 2, 2007
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`Sheet 9 of 9
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`US 7,158,118 B2
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`FIG. 9
`
`
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`
`903
`
`
`
`Sensors
`
`
`
`
`Interpret
`
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`
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`to User
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`
`
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`Movement
`
`
`
`
`Produce
`
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`
`
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`
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`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`
`
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`
`
`
`
`US 7,158,118 B2
`
`
`1
`3D POINTING DEVICES WITH
`
`
`
`
`ORIENTATION COMPENSATION AND
`
`
`IMPROVED USABILITY
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`This application is related to, and claimspriority from,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/566,444
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`filed on Apr. 30, 2004, entitled “Freespace Pointing Device”,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`This application is also related to, and claimspriority from,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/612,571,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`filed on Sep. 23, 2004, entitled “Free Space Pointing
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Devices and Methods”, the disclosure of which is incorpo-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`rated here by reference. This application is also related to,
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`
`and claims priority from, U.S. Provisional Patent Applica-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`tion Ser. No. 60/641,410, filed on Jan. 5, 2005, entitled
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`“Freespace Pointing Devices and Methods for Using Same”,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`This application is also related to U.S. patent applications
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Ser. Nos. 11/119,987, 11/119,688, and 11/119,663, entitled
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`“Methods and Devices for Removing Unintentional Move-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`ment in 3D Pointing Devices”, “Methods and Devices for
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Identifying Users Based on Tremor”, and “3D Pointing
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Devices and Methods”, all of which werefiled concurrently
`
`
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`
`
`
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`
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`here with and all of which are incorporated here by refer-
`ence.
`
`
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`2
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`being transmitted on those channels and (3) date and time.
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`The television was tuned to the desired channel by adjusting
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`a tuner knob and the viewer watched the selected program.
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`Later, remote control devices were introducedthat permitted
`viewers to tune the television from a distance. This addition
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`to the user-television interface created the phenomenon
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`knownas “channel surfing” whereby a viewer could rapidly
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`view short segments being broadcast on a number of chan-
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`nels to quickly learn what programs were available at any
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`given time.
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`Despite the fact that the number of channels and amount
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`of viewable content has dramatically increased, the gener-
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`ally available user interface, control device options and
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`frameworks for televisions has not changed much over the
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`last 30 years. Printed guides are still the most prevalent
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`mechanism for conveying programming information. The
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`multiple button remote control with up and downarrowsis
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`still the most prevalent channel/content selection mecha-
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`nism. The reaction of those who design and implement the
`TVuser interface to the increase in available media content
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`has been a straightforward extension of the existing selec-
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`tion procedures and interface objects. Thus, the number of
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`rowsin the printed guides has been increased to accommo-
`date more channels. The number of buttons on the remote
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`control devices has been increased to support additional
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`functionality and content handling, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1.
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`However, this approach has significantly increased both the
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`time required for a viewer to review the available informa-
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`tion and the complexity of actions required to implementa
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`selection. Arguably, the cumbersomenature of the existing
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`invention relates generally to handheld,
`The present
`interface has hampered commercial implementation of some
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`pointing devices and, more specifically to three-dimensional
`services, e.g., video-on-demand, since consumersare resis-
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`(hereinafter “3D”) pointing devices and techniques for tilt
`tant to new services that will add complexity to an interface
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`compensation and improved usability associated therewith.
`that they view as already too slow and complex.
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`In addition to increases in bandwidth and content, the user
`Technologies associated with the communication of infor-
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`mation have evolved rapidly over the last several decades.
`interface bottleneck problem is being exacerbated by the
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`Television, cellular telephony, the Internet and optical com-
`aggregation of technologies. Consumers are reacting posi-
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`munication techniques (to name just a few things) combine
`tively to having the option of buying integrated systems
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`to inundate consumers with available information and enter-
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`rather than a numberof segregable components. An example
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`of this trend is the combination television/VCR/DVD in
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`tainment options. Taking television as an example, the last
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`three decades have seen the introduction of cable television
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`which three previously independent components are fre-
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`service, satellite television service, pay-per-view movies and
`quently sold today as an integrated unit. This trend is likely
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`video-on-demand. Whereastelevision viewers of the 1 960s
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`to continue, potentially with an endresult that most if notall
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`could typically receive perhaps four or five over-the-air TV
`of the communication devices currently found in the house-
`45
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`channels on their television sets, today’s TV watchers have
`hold will be packaged together as an integrated unit, e.g., a
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`television/VCR/DVD/internet access/radio/stereo—_unit.
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`the opportunity to select from hundreds,
`thousands, and
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`potentially millions of channels of shows and information.
`Even those who continue to buy separate components will
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`Video-on-demand technology, currently used primarily in
`likely desire seamless control of, and interworking between,
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`hotels and the like, provides the potential for in-home
`the separate components. With this increased aggregation
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`entertainment selection from among thousands of movie
`comes the potential for more complexity in the user inter-
`titles.
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`face. For example, when so-called “universal” remote units
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`The technological ability to provide so much information
`were introduced, e.g., to combine the functionality of TV
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`remote units and VCR remote units, the number of buttons
`and content to end users provides both opportunities and
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`challenges to system designers and service providers. One
`on these universal remote units was typically more than the
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`number of buttons on either the TV remote unit or VCR
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`challenge is that while end users typically prefer having
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`more choices rather than fewer, this preference is counter-
`remote unit individually. This added number of buttons and
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`weighted by their desire that the selection process be both
`functionality makes it very difficult to control anything but
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`fast and simple. Unfortunately,
`the development of the
`the simplest aspects of a TV or VCR without hunting for
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`systems and interfaces by which end users access media
`exactly the right button on the remote. Manytimes, these
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`items has resulted in selection processes which are neither
`universal remotes do not provide enough buttons to access
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`fast nor simple. Consider again the example of television
`many levels of control or features unique to certain TVs. In
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`programs. Whentelevision was in its infancy, determining
`these cases, the original device remote unit is still needed,
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`which program to watch wasa relatively simple process
`and the original hassle of handling multiple remotes remains
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`primarily due to the small number of choices. One would
`due to user interface issues arising from the complexity of
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`consult a printed guide which was formatted, for example, as
`aggregation. Some remote units have addressed this problem
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`series of columns and rows which showed the correspon-
`by adding “soft” buttons that can be programmed with the
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`dence between (1) nearby television channels, (2) programs
`expert commands. These soft buttons sometimes have
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`accompanying LCD displays to indicate their action. These
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`too have the flaw that they are difficult
`to use without
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`looking away from the TV to the remote control. Yet another
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`flaw in these remote units is the use of modes in an attempt
`to reduce the numberof buttons. In these “moded”universal
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`remote units, a special button exists to select whether the
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`remote should communicate with the TV, DVD player, cable
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`set-top box, VCR, etc. This causes many usability issues
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`including sending commands to the wrong device, forcing
`the user to look at the remote to make sure that it is in the
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`right mode, andit does not provide any simplification to the
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`integration of multiple devices. The most advancedof these
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`universal remote units provide someintegration by allowing
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`the user to program sequences of commands to multiple
`devices into the remote. This is such a difficult task that
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`many users hire professional
`installers to program their
`universal remote units.
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`Some attempts have also been made to modernize the
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`screen interface between end users and media systems.
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`However, these attempts typically suffer from, among other
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`drawbacks, an inability to easily scale between large col-
`lections of media items and small collections of media items.
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`For example, interfaces which rely on lists of items may
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`work well for small collections of media items, but are
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`tedious to browse for large collections of media items.
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`Interfaces which rely on hierarchical navigation (e.g., tree
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`structures) may be speedierto traverse than list interfaces for
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`large collections of media items, but are not readily adapt-
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`able to small collections of media items. Additionally, users
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`tend to lose interest in selection processes wherein the user
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`has to move through three or more layers in a tree structure.
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`For all of these cases, current remote units make this
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`selection processor even more tedious by forcing the user to
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`repeatedly depress the up and down buttons to navigate the
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`list or hierarchies. When selection skipping controls are
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`available such as page up and page down,the user usually
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`has to look at the remote to find these special buttons or be
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`trained to know that they even exist. Accordingly, organiz-
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`ing frameworks, techniques and systems which simplify the
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`control and screen interface between users and media sys-
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`tems as well as accelerate the selection process, while at the
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`same time permitting service providers to take advantage of
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`the increases in available bandwidth to end user equipment
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`by facilitating the supply of a large number of media items
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`and new services to the user have been proposed in U.S.
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`patent application Ser. No. 10/768,432, filed on Jan. 30,
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`2004, entitled “A Control Framework with a Zoomable
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`Graphical User Interface for Organizing, Selecting and
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`Launching Media Items”, the disclosure of which is incor-
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`porated here by reference.
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`Ofparticular interest for this specification are the remote
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`devices usable to interact with such frameworks, as well as
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`other applications and systems. As mentioned in the above-
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`incorporated application, various different types of remote
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`devices can be used with such frameworks including, for
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`example, trackballs, “mouse”-type pointing devices,
`light
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`pens, etc. However, another category of remote devices
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`which can be used with such frameworks (and other appli-
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`cations) is 3D pointing devices. The phrase “3D pointing”is
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`used in this specification to refer to the ability of an input
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`device to move in three (or more) dimensionsin the air in
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`front of, e.g., a display screen, and the corresponding ability
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`of the user interface to translate those motions directly into
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`user interface commands, e.g., movementof a cursor on the
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`display screen. Thetransfer of data between the 3D pointing
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`device may be performed wirelessly or via a wire connecting
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`the 3D pointing device to another device. Thus “3D point-
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`ing”differs from, e.g., conventional computer mouse point-
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`ing techniques which use a surface, e.g., a desk surface or
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`mousepad, as a proxy surface from which relative move-
`mentof the mouseis translated into cursor movement on the
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`computer display screen. An example of a 3D pointing
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`device can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,326.
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`The 326 patent describes, among other things, a vertical
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`gyroscope adapted for use as a pointing device for control-
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`ling the position of a cursor on the display of a computer. A
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`motorat the core of the gyroscope is suspended by twopairs
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`of orthogonal gimbals from a hand-held controller device
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`and nominally oriented with its spin axis vertical by a
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`pendulous device. Electro-optical shaft angle encoders sense
`the orientation of a hand-held controller device as it is
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`manipulated by a user and the resulting electrical output is
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`converted into a format usable by a computer to control the
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`movementof a cursor on the screen of the computer display.
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`However, the freedom of use associated with 3D pointers
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`creates additional challenges. For example, since there is
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`generally no proxy surface on which a 3D pointing device
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`rests, the orientation of the handheld control device may
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`vary considerably from user to user or even use to use. Ifa
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`3D pointing device is used to, for example, control the
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`movement of a cursor displayed on a screen, then some
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`mapping is performed between the detected movement of
`the handheld device and the movementof the cursor on the
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`screen.
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`One technique for performing this mapping is to use the
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`body frame of the device as the frame of reference for
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`mapping detected motion of the 3D pointing device into
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`intended motion of the cursor. The term “body frame”refers
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`to a set of axes associated with the body ofthe object being
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`moved as described in more detail below. Using the body
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`frame of reference to perform the mapping, however, has
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`certain drawbacks. For example, it requires the user to hold
`the device in a certain orientation in order to obtain the
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`cursor movementhe or she desires. For example, if the user
`holds the device on its side and moves the device left to
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`right, the cursor will movevertically, not horizontally, on the
`screen.
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`Accordingly, the present invention describes methods and
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`devices for processing the data received from sensor(s) in a
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`manner which addresses these and other problems associ-
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`ated with conventional 3D pointing devices.
`SUMMARY
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`Systems and methods according to the present invention
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`describe 3D pointing devices which enhance usability by
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`transforming sensed motion data from a first frame of
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`reference (e.g., the body of the 3D pointing device) into a
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`second frameof reference (e.g., a user’s frame of reference).
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`One exemplary embodiment of the present
`invention
`removeseffects associated with a tilt orientation in which the
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`3D pointing device is held by a user.
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`According to an exemplary embodiment of the present
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`invention, a handheld, pointing device includesa first rota-
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`tional sensor for determining rotation of the pointing device
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`about a first axis and generating a first rotational output
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`associated therewith, a second rotational sensor for deter-
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`mining rotation of the pointing device about a second axis
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`and generating a second rotational output associated there-
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`with, an accelerometer for determining an acceleration of the
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`pointing device and outputting an acceleration output asso-
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`ciated therewith and a processing unit for receiving thefirst
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`and second rotational outputs and the acceleration output
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`and for: (a) converting the first and secondrotational outputs
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`US 7,158,118 B2
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`and the acceleration output from a body frame of reference
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`associated with the handheld pointing device into a user’s
`frame of reference in order to remove the effects oftilt
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`associated with the manner in which a user is holding the
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`handheld, pointing device; and (b) determining data associ-
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`ated with x and y coordinates which are in turn associated
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`with movement of a screen cursor, the data based on the
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`converted first and second rotational outputs and the con-
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`verted acceleration output, wherein the step of converting
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`renders the movement of the screen cursor substantially
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`independent of an orientation in which a user holds the
`handheld device.
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`According to another exemplary embodiment of the
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`present invention, a method for using a 3D pointing device
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`includesthe steps of detecting movementof the 3D pointing
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`device and compensating the detected movementbytrans-
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`forming the detected movement from a body frame of
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`reference associated with the 3D pointing device into an
`inertial frame of reference.
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`According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the
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`present invention, a 3D, handheld device includes at least
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`one sensor for detecting movement of the 3D pointing
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`device and a processing unit for compensating the detected
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`movementby transforming the detected movement from a
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`body frame of reference associated with the 3D pointing
`device into an inertial frame of reference.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`Also, the following detailed description does not limit the
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`invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by
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`the appendedclaims.
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`In order to provide some context for this discussion, an
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`exemplary aggregated media system 200 in which the
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`present invention can be implementedwill first be described
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`with respect to FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will appre-
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`ciate, however, that the present invention is notrestricted to
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`implementation in this type of media system and that more
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`or fewer components can be included therein. Therein, an
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`input/output (1/O) bus 210 connects the system components
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`in the media system 200 together. The I/O bus 210 represents
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`any of a numberofdifferent of mechanisms and techniques
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`for routing signals between the media system components.
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`For example, the I/O bus 210 may include an appropriate
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`numberof independentaudio “patch”cables that route audio
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`signals, coaxial cables that route video signals, two-wire
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`serial lines or infrared or radio frequency transceivers that
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`route control signals, optical fiber or any other routing
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`mechanisms that route other types of signals.
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`In this exemplary embodiment, the media system 200
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`includes a television/monitor 212, a video cassette recorder
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`(VCR) 214, digital video disk (DVD) recorder/playback
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`device 216, audio/video tuner 218 and compact disk player
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`220 coupledto the I/O bus 210. The VCR 214, DVD 216 and
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`compact disk player 220 may be single disk or single
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`cassette devices, or alternatively may be multiple disk or
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`multiple cassette devices. They may be independentunits or
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`integrated together.
`In addition,
`the media system 200
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`includes a microphone/speaker system 222, video camera
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`224 and a wireless I/O control device 226. According to
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`exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the wire-
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`less I/O control device 226 is a 3D pointing device according
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`to one of the exemplary embodiments described below. The
`wireless I/O control device 226 can communicate with the
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`entertainment system 200 using, e.g., an IR or RF transmit-
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`ter or transceiver. Alternatively, the I/O control device can be
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`connected to the entertainment system 200 via a wire.
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`The entertainment system 200 also includes a system
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`controller 228. According to one exemplary embodimentof
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`the present invention, the system controller 228 operates to
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`store and display entertainment system data available from
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`a plurality of entertainment system data sources and to
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`control a wide variety of features associated with each of the
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`system components. As shown in FIG. 2, system controller
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`228 is coupled, either directly or indirectly, to each of the
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`system components, as necessary, through I/O bus 210. In
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`one exemplary embodiment, in additionto or in place of I/O
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`bus 210, system controller 228 is configured with a wireless
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`communication transmitter
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`transceiver), which is
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`capable of communicating with the system components via
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`IR signals or RF signals. Regardless of the control medium,
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`the system controller 228 is configured to control the media
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`components of the media system 200 via a graphical user
`interface described below.
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`Asfurtherillustrated in FIG. 2, media system 200 may be
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`configured to receive media items from various media
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`sources and service providers. In this exemplary embodi-
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`ment, media system 200 receives media input from and,
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`optionally, sends information to, any orall of the following
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`sources: cable broadcast 230, satellite broadcast 232 (e.g.,
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`via a satellite dish), very high frequency (VHF)orultra high
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`frequency (UHF) radio frequency communication of the
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`broadcast
`television networks 234 (e.g., via an aerial
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`antenna), telephone network 236 and cable modem 238 (or
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`another source of Internet content). Those skilled in the art
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`will appreciate that
`the media components and media
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`The
`exemplary
`illustrate
`drawings
`accompanying
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`embodiments of the present invention, wherein:
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`FIG. 1 depicts a conventional remote control unit for an
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`entertainment system;
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`FIG. 2 depicts an exempla