Wireless input apparatus and method using a three-dimensional pointing device

• US 20020133310A1
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amosense Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dentsukikou Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tamura, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,781,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/139
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A wireless input apparatus by which a user can input various types of information is provided. A conventional remote control of electronic equipment has many buttons or switches to perform various kinds of functions. Therefore, its operability is likely to be lost because of the complexity and the bulkiness of the remote control. The wireless input apparatus has a LCD to display a screen for operation and a 3-D mouse for a user to operate. The user can input various types of operations on the screen and remotely control the equipment. Moreover, a pressure-sensitive resistance film is applied to the 3-D mouse for sensing pressure applied by the user. Even if a very slight amount of pressure is applied to the mouse, the pressure can be effectively detected.

Claims

1. A wireless input apparatus comprising:

a pointing device which detects three-dimensional components of an externally applied pressure;

a signal process unit which defines a moving direction of a pointer based on an x-axis component and a y-axis component of the pressure, and detects whether the pointer is pressed or not based on a z-axis component of the pressure;

a pointer control unit which moves a position of the pointer based on the defined moving direction;

a process execution unit which generates a predefined command data when the pointer is pressed; and

a wireless communication unit which transmits the command data to an external device using a wireless communication means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication unit transmits the command data to the external device if said command data are data to be sent to the external device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pointing device includes:

an operational part to which a three-dimensional external pressure is applied; and

a sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member which detects the three-dimensional applied pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a mesh pattern of electrodes on its surface that detect the three-dimensional components of the pressure.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a mesh pattern of a plurality of electrodes on its surface each of which detects any one of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis components, and said signal process unit converts analog signals obtained from the electrodes in the mesh regions to digital signals in a time divisional manner.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said signal process unit performs timing control to form an output path for each of the electrodes of a signal from an i-th row of the electrode, and further performs timing control to select a j-th column of the electrode and to obtain an output value of the signal from the electrode in the (i,j) mesh region, and thereby detects a two-dimensional distribution of the output signals from the mesh pattern of the electrodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a mesh pattern of a plurality of electrodes on its surface each of which detects either the x-axis or the y-axis component, and each of the mesh has an electrode to detect the z-axis component of the pressure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said signal process unit performs timing control to form an output path for each of the electrodes of a signal obtained from an i-th row of the electrode, and further performs timing control to select a j-th column of the electrode and to obtain output values of the signals from the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis electrodes corresponding to the (i,j) mesh, and thereby detects a two-dimensional distribution of the output signals from the mesh pattern of the electrodes.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a fan-shaped pattern of electrodes on its surface that detect the three-dimensional components of the pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has an electrode to detect the z-axis component of the pressure and which is arranged at a central part of its surface, and a fan-shaped pattern of a plurality of electrodes each of which detects either the x-axis or the y-axis component of the pressure surrounding the central part.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays an operation button to direct a command, and wherein said display unit displays the pressed-down operation button when it is detected that the pointer is pressed down at the operation button, and said process execution unit generates a predefined command data corresponding to the operation button.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said pointing device includes:

an operational part to which a three-dimensional external pressure is applied; and

a sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member which detects the three-dimensional applied pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a mesh pattern of electrodes on its surface that detect the three-dimensional components of the pressure.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a mesh pattern of a plurality of electrodes on its surface each of which detects either the x-axis or the y-axis component, and each of the mesh has an electrode to detect the z-axis component of the pressure.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has a fan-shaped pattern of electrodes on its surface that detect the three-dimensional components of the pressure.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said sheet-like pressure-sensitive resistance member has an electrode to detect the z-axis component of the pressure and which is arranged at a central part of its surface, and a fan-shaped pattern of a plurality of electrodes each of which detects either the x-axis or the y-axis component of the pressure surrounding the central part.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising judging whether the command data are data to be sent to the external device, and wherein said transmitting transmits the command data that are the data be sent to the external device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a execution result of the transmitted command data from the external device, and updating the displayed screen based on the received execution result.

12. A wireless input apparatus comprising:

a pointing device which detects three-dimensional components of an externally applied pressure;

a pointer control unit which controls a pointer based on the detected three-dimensional components of the pressure;

a display unit which displays the pointer on a operational screen for a user; and

a wireless communication unit which transmits a command specified by the pointer to an external device using a wireless communication means.

18. A wireless input method comprising:

displaying a screen to prompt a user to operate;

detecting three-dimensional components of an external pressure applied to a pointing device;

defining a moving direction of a pointer based on an x-axis component and a y-axis component of the pressure and moving the pointer on the screen;

detecting whether a pointer is pressed down or not based on the z-axis component of the pressure and generating a predefined command data when the pointer is pressed down; and

transmitting the command data to an external device using a wireless communication means.