Wireless control device, position calibrator and accessory

• US 10,162,414 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Ying-Chieh, Shih, Wen-Hsiung, Tseng, Hsi-Yu, Chen, Chih-Ting, Chang, Chun-Wei, Tsai, Sung-Chi, Lin, Yen-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Leon-Viet Q
• Application Number:
  US15/394,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A wireless control device adapted to detect a signal from a signal source for generating a corresponding first sensing signal and wirelessly transmit the first sensing signal to a host is provided. The wireless control device includes a position calibrator and an accessory. The position calibrator includes a first main body, a first coupling structure disposed on the first main body, at least one position sensing element adapted to detect the signal, a first microprocessor electrically connected to the position sensing element and a wireless transmitting module electrically connected to the first microprocessor and wirelessly transmitting the first sensing signal to the host. The accessory includes a second main body and a second coupling structure disposed on the second main body. A position calibrator and an accessory detachably assembled with the position calibrator to form a wireless control device are also provided.

Claims

1. A wireless control device, adapted to detect a signal from a signal source to generate a corresponding first sensing signal and wirelessly transmit the first sensing signal to a host, the wireless control device comprising:

a position calibrator, comprising;

a first main body;

a first coupling structure, disposed on the first main body;

at least one position sensing element, adapted to detect the signal from the signal source, the at least one position sensing element comprising a plurality of light sensors fixed to the first main body with fixed relative position;

a first microprocessor, electrically connected to the at least one position sensing element, wherein the first microprocessor generates the first sensing signal based on the signal detected by the at least one position sensing element; and

a wireless transmitting module, electrically connected to the first microprocessor and wirelessly transmitting first sensing signal to the host, wherein a three-dimensional coordinate position of the at least one position sensing element in a space is calculated based on a frequency of the signal transmitted from the signal source and the first sensing signal, wherein the first main body carries the at least one position sensing element, the first microprocessor and the wireless transmitting module;

an accessory, detachably assembled with the position calibrator and comprising;

a second main body; and

a second coupling structure, disposed on the second main body, wherein the position calibrator is detachably assembled to the second coupling structure of the accessory through the first coupling structure.

2. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein the position calibrator or the accessory further comprises an actuation button coupled to the first coupling structure and/or the second coupling structure and configured to release the binding between the position calibrator and the accessory.

3. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein the second main body further comprises a wearable part or a handheld part, the wearable part is adapted to be worn on a body portion of a user, and the wearable part comprises a strap, an arm sleeve, a headgear, a shoe or a wristband.

4. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein the position calibrator further comprises a first electrical port, the accessory further comprises an electronic module and a second electrical port operated with the first electrical port, the electronic module is electrically connected to the second electrical port, and the first electrical port is adapted to be electrically connected to the second electrical port in a wireless or a wired manner.

5. The wireless control device according to claim 4, wherein the accessory further comprises a second microprocessor, and the electronic module and the second electrical port are electrically connected to second microprocessor, respectively.

6. The wireless control device according to claim 4, wherein the electronic module comprises a feedback module adapted to be electrically connected to the first microprocessor through the second electrical port and the first electrical port.

7. The wireless control device according to claim 6, wherein the feedback module comprises at least one of a vibration element, a heating element, a light-emitting element and a sound-generating element.

8. The wireless control device according to claim 4, wherein the second main body further comprises a wearable part adapted to be worn on a body portion of a user, and the electronic module comprises a motion sensing module disposed on the wearable part and configured to detect a motion of a movable portion of the body portion to generate a corresponding second sensing signal, and the second sensing signal is transmitted to the first microprocessor through the second electrical port and the first electrical port.

9. The wireless control device according to claim 8, wherein the motion sensing module comprises at least one bending sensor corresponding to the movable portion of the body portion to sense a bending amount of the movable portion, and the wearable part comprises a glove, an elbow sleeve or a knee sleeve.

10. The wireless control device according to claim 9, wherein the glove comprises:

an inner liner, adapted to contact a hand of the user; and

a cover layer, detachably disposed outside the inner liner and carrying the electronic module and the second electrical port.

11. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein the light sensors are infrared light sensors.

12. A position calibrator, detachably assembled to a second coupling structure of a second main body of an accessory to form a wireless control device, comprising:

a first main body;

a first coupling structure, disposed on a first main body;

at least one position sensing element, adapted to detect a signal from a signal source, the at least one position sensing element comprising a plurality of light sensors fixed to the first main body with fixed relative position;

a first microprocessor, electrically connected to the at least one position sensing element, wherein the first microprocessor generates a first sensing signal based on the signal detected by the at least one position sensing element; and

a wireless transmitting module, electrically connected to the first microprocessor and wirelessly transmitting the first sensing signal to a host, wherein a three-dimensional coordinate postition of the at least one position sensing element in a space is calculated based on a frequency of the signal transmitted from the signal source and the first sensing signal, wherein the first main body carries the at least one position sensing element, the first microprocessor and the wireless transmitting module.

13. The position calibrator according to claim 12, wherein the position calibrator or the accessory further comprises an actuation button coupled to the first coupling structure and/or the second coupling structure and configured to release the biding between the position calibrator and the accessory.

14. The position calibrator according to claim 12, wherein the position calibrator further comprises a first electrical port, the accessory further comprises an electronic module and a second electrical port operated with the first electrical port, the electronic module is electrically connected to the second electrical port, and the first electrical port is adapted to be electrically connected to second electrical port in a wireless or a wired manner.

15. An accessory, detachably assembled with a position calibrator to form a wireless control device, wherein the position calibrator comprises a first main body, a first coupling structure disposed on the first main body, at least one position sensing element, a first microprocessor and a wireless transmitting module, wherein the at least one position sensing element is adapted to detect a signal from a signal source and comprises a plurality of light sensors fixed to the first main body with fixed relative position, the first microprocessor is electrically connected to the at least one position sensing element and generates a first sensing signal based on the signal detected by the at least one position sensing element, and the wireless transmitting module is electrically connected to the first microprocessor and wirelessly transmits the first sensing signal to a host, wherein a three-dimensional coordinate position of the at least one position sensing element in a space is calculated based on a frequency of the signal transmitted from the signal source and the first sensing signal, the accessory comprising:

a second main body; and

a second coupling structure, disposed on the second main body, wherein the position calibrator is detachably assembled to the second coupling structure of the accessory through the first coupling structure.

16. The accessory according to claim 15, wherein the position calibrator or the accessory further comprises an actuation button coupled to the first coupling structure and/or the second coupling structure and configured to release the binding between the position calibrator and the accessory.

17. The accessory according to claim 15, wherein the second main body further comprises a wearable part or a handheld part, the wearable part is adapted to be worn on a body portion of a user, and the wearable part comprises a strap, an arm sleeve, a headgear, a shoe or a wristband.

18. The accessory according to claim 15, wherein the position calibrator further comprises a first electrical port, the accessory further comprises an electronic module and a second electrical port operated with the first electrical port, the electronic module is electrically connected to the second electrical port, and the first electrical port is adapted to be electrically connected to the second electrical port in a wireless or a wired manner.

19. The accessory according to claim 18, further comprising a second microprocessor, and the electronic module and the second electrical port being electrically connected to the second microprocessor, respectively.

20. The accessory according to claim 18, wherein the electronic module comprises a feedback module adapted to be electrically connected to the first microprocessor through the second electrical port and the first electrical port.

21. The accessory according to claim 20, wherein the feedback module comprises at least one of a vibration element, a heating element, a light-emitting element and a sound-generating element.

22. The accessory according to claim 18, wherein the second main body further comprises a wearable part adapted to be worn on a body portion of a user, and the electronic module comprises a motion sensing module disposed on the wearable part and configured to detect a motion of a movable portion of the body portion to generate a corresponding second sensing signal, and the second sensing signal is transmitted to the first microprocessor through the second electrical port and the first electrical port.

23. The accessory according to claim 22, wherein the motion sensing module comprises at least one bending sensor corresponding to the movable portion of the body portion to sense a bending amount of the movable portion, and the wearable part comprises a glove, an elbow sleeve or a knee sleeve.

24. The accessory according to claim 23, wherein the glove comprises:

an inner liner, adapted to contact a hand of the user; and

a cover layer, detachably disposed outside the inner liner and carrying the electronic module and the second electrical port.