Control system, apparatus compatible with the system, and remote controller

A control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus capable of being controlled by the remote controller,

• wherein said remote controller comprises:
• a housing formed separately from said apparatus;
• an image pickup section provided in the housing and adapted to be capable of generating image information including information contributing to recognition of a relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller when imaging is performed toward the side of said apparatus;
• a communication section communicating with an external information processing apparatus;
• and
• an information acquiring and transmitting section transferring image information generated by said image pickup section to the image processing apparatus through said communication section, acquiring relevant information related to said apparatus, supplied from said information processing apparatus as a response to the transfer, and transmitting the relevant information to the side of said apparatus, and
• said apparatus comprises:
• an information receiving section adapted to be capable of receiving the relevant information transmitted from the information acquiring and transmitting section of said remote controller;
• a relative position recognizing section recognizing a relative position of the apparatus to said remote controller using the relevant information received by said information receiving section;
• and
• an adjustment section performing a predetermined adjustment operation based on the recognition by said relative position recognizing section.

An apparatus configured to be capable of being controlled from a predetermined remote controller formed separately from the apparatus, comprising:

• an information receiving section adapted to be capable of transferring image information generated by said remote controller with its image pickup section to an external image processing apparatus through its own communication section and receiving relevant information related to said apparatus, acquired from the information processing apparatus as a response to the transfer;
• a relative position recognizing section recognizing a relative position of the apparatus to said remote controller using the relevant information received by said information receiving section;
• and
• an adjustment section performing a predetermined adjustment operation based on recognition by said relative position recognizing section.

A remote controller adapted to be capable of performing predetermined control of an apparatus and formed separately from said apparatus, comprising:

• an image pickup section provided in its own housing to be capable of generating image information including information contributing to recognition of a relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller when imaging is performed toward the side of said apparatus;
• a communication section communicating with an external information processing apparatus;
• and
• an information acquiring and transmitting section transferring image information generated by said image pickup section to the information processing apparatus through said communication section, acquiring relevant information related to said apparatus, supplied from said information processing apparatus as a response to the transfer, and transmitting the relevant information to the side of said apparatus.

A control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus capable of being controlled by the remote controller,

• wherein said remote controller comprises:
• a housing formed separately from said apparatus;
• an image pickup section provided in the housing and adapted to be capable of generating image information including information contributing to recognition of a relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller when imaging is performed toward the side of said apparatus;
• an outer shape information holding section holding information related to the outer shape of one or more apparatus destined to be a control object;
• a control object discriminating section discriminating an apparatus to be controlled based on correlation between image information acquired by said image pickup section and information held by said outer shape information holding section;
• a relative position calculating section calculating a relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller using information related to an outer shape of an apparatus discriminated as an apparatus by said control object discriminating section and held by said outer shape information holding section and image information acquired by said image pickup section;
• and
• an information transmitting section transmitting information representing the relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller calculated by said relative position calculating section to said apparatus, and
• said apparatus comprises:
• an information receiving section adapted to be capable of receiving information representing the relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller transmitted from the information transmitting section of said remote controller;
• and
• an adjustment section performing a predetermined adjustment operation based on information received by said information receiving section.

A remote controller adapted to be capable of performing predetermined control of an apparatus and formed separately from said apparatus, comprising:

• an image pickup section provided in its own housing to be capable of generating image information including information contributing to recognition of a relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller when imaging is performed toward the side of said apparatus;
• an outer shape information holding section holding information related to the outer shape of one or more apparatus destined to be a control object;
• a control object discriminating section discriminating an apparatus to be controlled based on correlation between image information acquired by said image pickup section and information held by said outer shape information holding section;
• a relative position calculating section calculating a relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller using information related to an outer shape of an apparatus discriminated as an apparatus by said control object discriminating section and held by said outer shape information holding section and image information acquired by said image pickup section;
• and
• an information transmitting section transmitting information representing the relative position of said apparatus to the remote controller calculated by said relative position calculating section to said apparatus.

A control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus capable of being controlled by the remote controller,

• wherein said remote controller comprises:
• a housing formed separately from said apparatus;
• a relative position detecting section provided in the housing and detecting in a noncontact manner a relative change in the position of itself;
• a current position calculating section calculating a current position of the remote controller in relation to a position of said apparatus based on a detection output of said relative position detecting section, and generating current position information representing the current position;
• and
• an information transmitting section transmitting to outside the current position information generated by said current position calculating section, and
• said apparatus comprises:
• an information receiving section receiving the current position information transmitted from the information transmitting section of said remote controller;
• and
• an operation mode selecting section selecting an operation mode based on the current position information received by said information receiving section.

A remote controller adapted to be capable of performing predetermined control of an apparatus and having a housing separate from said apparatus, comprising:

• a relative position detecting section provided in said housing and detecting in a noncontact manner a relative change in the position of itself;
• a current position calculating section calculating a current position of the remote controller in relation to a position of said apparatus based on a detection output of said relative position detecting section, and generating current position information representing the current position;
• and
• an information transmitting section transmitting to outside the current position information generated by said current position calculating section.