Method and system for control of a device

1. A method for control of a device comprising:

visually presenting a number of user options for the device to be controlled;

aiming a pointing device comprising a camera at the visual presentation of the user options to choose a desired option;

generating an image of a target area aimed at by the pointing device;

comparing the target area image with a pre-defined template of the visual presentation to determine the chosen option.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a source of a concentrated beam of light attached to the pointing device shows the user a light point in the visual presentation at which the pointing device is aimed.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the chosen option is determined by locating a point in the template corresponding to a target point in the visual presentation at which the user has aimed the pointing device.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the light point is located in the target area image and is taken to be the target point.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a fixed point in the target area image is taken to be the target point.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a desired option is selected by the user by aiming the pointing device at the desired option in the visual presentation and pressing a button on the pointing device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the desired option is selected by the user by moving the pointing device over the visual presentation in a pre-defined pattern.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target point is determined using computer vision algorithms.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target point is determined by a method comprising the following steps:

detecting distinctive points in the target image of the visual presentation;

determining corresponding points in the template of the visual presentation;

developing a transformation for mapping the points in the target image to the corresponding points in the template;

using the transformation to determine the position and aspect of the pointing device relative to the visual presentation;

locating the intersection point of a certain axis of the pointing device with the visual presentation.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the visual presentation of the device options is presented in static form.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the visual presentation of the device options is presented dynamically.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more target area images of user options for a plurality of devices to be controlled are generated and compared to pre-defined templates and, depending on the option chosen, one or more of the plurality of devices are controlled accordingly.

13. A user interface for control of a device, said user interface comprising:

an accessing unit for accessing pre-defined templates associated with visual presentations of user options for the device to be controlled;

a pointing device for aiming at a desired option in a visual presentation of the user options, comprising a camera for generating an image of a target area of at least part of the visual presentation;

an image interpreter for locating the target area or a point of the target area in a pre-defined template in order to determine the chosen option.

14. The user interface according to claim 13 , further comprising a transmission interface for transmitting the images to a control unit assigned to a device.

15. The user interface according to claim 13 , further comprising a display unit for dynamically displaying a visual presentation of the user options for the device to be controlled.

16. The user interface according to claim 13 , further comprising a hardcopy output unit/module for generating a static visual presentation of the user options for the device to be controlled.

17. The user interface according to claim 13 , wherein the pointing device includes a camera for generating an image of a target area in the direction in which the pointing device is aimed.

18. The user interface according to claim 17 , further comprising a light source for illuminating the target area at which the pointing device is aimed.

19. A control unit comprising a receiver for receiving target area images from a pointing device, an accessing unit for accessing predefined templates associated with visual presentations of user options for a device to be controlled, and an image interpreter for locating the target area or a point of the target area in a pre-defined template in order to determine a chosen option.