Sphere-like input device

• US 10,031,593 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Albano, Gherardo, De Collibus, Francesco M., Landi, Luca, Prudenzi, Claudio
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, ANDRE L
• Application Number:
  US13/328,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a human interface device including an inner sphere, wherein the inner sphere has a center point. The human interface device can further include an outer sphere, and the outer sphere may be compressible. The human interface device may also include a plurality of pressure sensors between the inner sphere and the outer sphere for detecting localized compression of the outer sphere, a first three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere, and a second three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere, wherein the first three-axis-accelerometer and the second three-axis-accelerometer-accelerometer are each located at least a predetermined distance from the center point.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an inner sphere, wherein the inner sphere has a center point;

an outer sphere, wherein the outer sphere is compressible;

a plurality of pressure sensors in contact with both the inner sphere and the outer sphere for detecting localized compression of the outer sphere and generating time dependent pressure sensor data;

a first three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere to generate first time dependent accelerometer data;

a second three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere to generate second time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the first three-axis-accelerometer and the second three-axis-accelerometer-accelerometer are each located at least a predetermined distance from the center point, and a first axis passing through an accelerometer center of the first three-axis-accelerometer and the center point is orthogonal to a second axis passing through an accelerometer center of the second three-axis accelerometer and the center point;

a memory for storing machine executable instructions; and

a processor for executing the machine executable instructions, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to;

receive the time dependent pressure sensor data, the first time dependent accelerometer data, and the second time dependent accelerometer data;

determine a control gesture in accordance with the time dependent pressure sensor data, the first time dependent accelerometer data, and the second time dependent accelerometer data;

determine a rotation of the apparatus using the first time dependent accelerometer data and the second time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the rotation of the apparatus;

determine a first acceleration vector in accordance with the first time dependent accelerometer data measured by the first three-axis-accelerometer;

determine a second acceleration vector in accordance with the second time dependent accelerometer data measured by the second three-axis-accelerometer;

determine the rotation, wherein the rotation is determined at least partially by subtracting the first acceleration vector from the second acceleration vector;

determine if the magnitude of one of the first acceleration vector or the second acceleration vector is below a predetermined threshold;

determine the rotation using the magnitude of the other of the first acceleration vector or the second acceleration vector if the magnitude of the one is below the predetermined threshold; and

determine a change in rotation of the apparatus during rotation of the apparatus by subtracting a measured centripetal force from the measured first acceleration vector and the measured the second acceleration vector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation is determined as a function of time, and wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the rotation of the apparatus as a function of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to detect a pattern in accordance with the time dependent pressure sensor data, wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to determine the acceleration of the apparatus using the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the acceleration of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to:

determine a device acceleration vector, wherein the device acceleration vector is determined by constructing a vector from the largest common vector components of the first acceleration vector and the second acceleration vector.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the acceleration is determined as a function of time, and wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the acceleration of the apparatus as a function of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication system for transmitting any one of the following to a computer system:

the time dependent pressure sensor data, the time dependent accelerometer data, the control gesture, or combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a battery for powering the apparatus, and an inductive charging system for charging the battery using an inductive charger.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first three-axis-accelerometer and the second three-axis-accelerometer are located a same distance from the center point.

10. A computer program apparatus comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium, where, if executed by a processor, the computer usable code causes a computer to;

receive time dependent pressure sensor data from a plurality of pressure sensors distributed between and in contact with both an inner sphere and the outer sphere of a human interface device, for detecting localized compression of the outer sphere, wherein the inner sphere has a center point;

receive time dependent accelerometer data from a first three-axis-accelerometer and a second three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere at least at a predetermined distance from the center point, wherein a first axis passing through an accelerometer center of the first three-axis-accelerometer and the center point is orthogonal to a second axis passing through an accelerometer center of the second three-axis accelerometer and the center point;

determine a control gesture in accordance with the time dependent pressure sensor data and the time dependent accelerometer data;

determine a rotation of a human interface device using the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the rotation of the human interface device;

determine a first acceleration vector in accordance with the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the first acceleration vector represents the acceleration measured by the first three-axis-accelerometer,

determine a second acceleration vector in accordance with the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the second acceleration vector represents the acceleration measured by the second three-axis-accelerometer,

determine the rotation, wherein the rotation is determined at least partially by subtracting the first acceleration vector from the second acceleration vector;

determine if the magnitude of one of the first acceleration vector or the second acceleration vector is below a predetermined threshold,

determine the rotation using the magnitude of the other of the first acceleration vector or the second acceleration vector if the magnitude of the one is below the predetermined threshold; and

determine a change in rotation of the apparatus during rotation of the apparatus by subtracting a measured centripetal force from the measured first acceleration vector and the measured the second acceleration vector.

11. The computer program apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first three-axis-accelerometer and the second three-axis-accelerometer are located a same distance from the center point.