A remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system is provided. The wand may be operative to control the movement of a cursor displayed on screen by the position and orientation at which the wand is held. As the user moves the wand, the on-screen cursor may move. The user may use the wand to control a plurality of operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application.
Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "Some existing media systems may be controlled using a variety of different input mechanisms. For example, some media systems may be controlled by a user providing inputs directly on an interface of the media system (e.g., by pressing buttons incorporated on the media system, or by touching a touch-screen of the media system).

"As another example, some media systems may be controlled by a user providing inputs remotely from the media system (e.g., using a remote controller). Some remote controllers may include one or more buttons that the user can press to direct the media system to perform one or more operations. The buttons may be operative to automatically perform one or more media system operations, or the buttons may be operative to select options displayed on-screen. In some embodiments, some remote controllers may provide the user inputs associated with the one or more buttons to the media system using a short-range communications protocol, such as, for example, infrared or radio frequency protocols. To ensure that the user input is properly received, the user may point the remote controller to a receiver of the media system to transmit the user input.

"Although such existing remote controllers may be sufficient to control many media system operations, it would be desirable to provide additional mechanisms by which a user can control media system displays. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism by which the user's movements of a wand may be operative to remotely provide instructions for the media system to perform one or more operations.

"The media system may include an electronic device, a screen, and a wand. The electronic device may be operative to provide a media application to the user. The electronic device may direct the screen to display the interface of the media application so that the user may interact with the with the media application.

"The user may interact with the media application using the wand. In some embodiments, the movements of the wand may be operative to control operations of the media application. For example, the wand may transmit information identifying the movements of the wand to the electronic device. In some embodiments, the user may provide instructions on an input interface of the wand to control operations of the media application.

"The media system may identify the movements of the wand using any suitable approach. For example, at least one motion detection component (e.g., an accelerometer or a gyroscope) may be incorporated in the wand. When the user moves the wand, the at least one motion detection component may detect the motion, and identify information related to the output. The wand may then transmit the identified information to the electronic device. For example, the wand may transmit the output of the at least one motion detection component to the electronic device. As another example, the wand may determine, based on the output of the at least one motion detection component, the amount and orientation of the movement of the wand, and transmit the determined amount and orientation. In some embodiments, the wand may provide movement information to the electronic device each time the user moves the wand (e.g., transmit as soon as the output of the at least one motion detection component exceeds a threshold), the wand may continuously transmit the output of the at least one motion detection component, or the wand may only transmit the output of the at least one motion detection component in response to first receiving an input on an input mechanism of the wand (e.g., press a button and move the wand).

"As an example of another approach for identifying the movements of the wand, the wand or the electronic device may determine the absolute position of the wand relative to one or more infrared modules positioned adjacent the screen. The wand may include an optical component for capturing images of the infrared modules, and may calculate its orientation and distance from the modules based on the captured images. In some embodiments, the electronic device may direct the infrared modules to identify the position of an infrared emitter incorporated on the wand (e.g., by sequentially capturing images of the wand), and may calculate the absolute position of the wand relative to the infrared modules (e.g., using triangulation algorithms).

"The media system may be operative to receive a transmission from the wand indicating that the wand was moved. The media system may identify, based on the received transmission from the wand, a media application operation to perform. For example, the media system may change the position of a cursor on the screen based on the movement of the wand (e.g., to follow the movement of the wand). As another example, the media system may perform an operation with a media playback application, image application, or illustration application. As still another example, the media system pay provide a keyboard application by which the user may select and enter characters (e.g., to login to the media system).

"In some embodiments, the media system may provide a flashlight application by which only a portion of the screen is illuminated. The user may control the illuminated portion of the screen by moving the wand. For example, as the user moves the wand, the wand may transmit information identifying the movement of the wand. In response to receiving the information identifying the movement of the wand, the media system may change the portion of the screen that is illuminated to follow movement of the wand.

"In some embodiments, the media system may change the size of the content displayed on the screen (e.g., zoom the content) in response to receiving an instruction from the wand. For example, in some embodiments the user may provide an input on an input mechanism of the wand (e.g., a touchpad or a button) to direct the content displayed on the screen to be zoomed. As another example, the media system may determine whether the user has moved the wand towards the screen (e.g., using the output of a motion detection component, or by determining the position of the wand relative the screen using infrared modules). In some embodiments, only specific media application displays may be zoomed."

The inventors are Duncan R. Kerr and Nicholas V. King. The graphic below is a schematic view of an illustrative media system by which a user may control the display of a screen based on the orientation of a remote wand in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

An accompanying patent (20090066647) by the same inventors involves applications for use with the 3D remote control. According to the patent, the user may use the wand to control a plurality of operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application.

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