Providing a user-input device

• US 20020180700A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Clapper, Edward O.
• Granted Patent: US 6,862,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

An improved method and user-input device are provided. The user-input device comprises a housing having a first end and an opposite end. The user-input device further comprises a controller to indicate a position of the first end and the opposite end and to cause one or more pixels of a display device to activate based on the indicated position of at least the first end of the housing.

Claims

1. A user-input device, comprising:

a housing having a first end and an opposite end; and

a controller to indicate a position of the first end and the opposite end and to cause one or more pixels of a display device to activate based on the indicated position of at least the first end of the housing.

2. The user-input device of claim 1, further comprising a first sensor substantially at the first end and a second sensor substantially at the opposite end, wherein the controller indicates the position of the user-input device based on the signals sensed by the first and second sensors.

3. The user-input device of claim 2, wherein the first and the second sensors are transducers.

4. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller transmits the position of the first end of the housing to a processor-based system.

5. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller indicates the orientation of the housing to a processor-based system.

6. The user-input device of claim 5, wherein the controller causes the one or more pixels to be activated based on the orientation of the housing.

7. The user-input device of claim 1, further comprising an activatable element disposed between the first and opposite ends, wherein the controller causes the one or more pixels to activate in response to an activation of the activatable element.

8. The user-input device of claim 7, wherein the controller provides at least one of sound or air in response to the activation of the activatable element and wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of pixels based on selection level of the activatable element.

9. The user-input device of claim 7, wherein the controller allows a selection of a color and wherein the controller causes the one or more pixels to be activated with selected color in response to the activation of the activatable element.

10. The user-input device of claim 1, further comprising an optical sensor located substantially at the first end, wherein the optical sensor indicates the position of the housing.

11. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller causes the one or more pixels to be activated in an airbrush-like manner based on the position of the first end.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving information regarding the angle of the first end of the user-input device relative to the display device.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising determining the distance of the user-input device relative to the display device relative to the display device using triangulation.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the orientation of the user-input device relative to the display device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising activating the one or more pixels based on the orientation of the user-input device.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine an orientation of the user-input device.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine the speed of the user-input device as it is moved.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to illuminate the one or more pixels based on at least one of the orientation and speed of the user-input device.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to detect an activation of an activatable element and to illuminate the one or more pixels based on the activation of the activatable element.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to provide at least one of sound, air and light in response to the activation of the activatable element.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to control the intensity of the illumination based on the amount of depression of the activatable element.

24. The article of claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine the position of the user-input device using triangulation.

25. The article of claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine the position of the user-input device based on an identifiable marking on the display device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of sensors are located on the display device and wherein the controller transmits information to the processor-based system regarding at least one of orientation and speed of the user-input device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the controller causes the one or more pixels to activate based on at least the transmitted information regarding the orientation and speed of the user-input device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the controller determines at least one or an orientation and movement of the user-input device and activates one or more pixels on the display device based on at least one of the orientation and movement of the user-input device.

12. A method, comprising:

determining a distance of a first end and a second end of a user-input device relative to a display device; and

activating one or more pixels of the display device based on the distance of the first and second ends of the user-input device relative to the display device.

17. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

determine a position of a first end and a second end of a user-input device; and

illuminate one or more pixels of a display device based on the position of the user-input device.

26. A system, comprising:

a plurality of sensors; and

a user-input device comprising a controller to receive one or more signals from the plurality of sensors, transmit information to a processor-based system regarding the position of the user-input device, and cause one or more pixels of a display device to activate based on the transmitted information.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the interface, the controller to receive information regarding the position of a first and second end of a user-input device and to activate a portion of a display area on a display device based on the position of the first and second end of the user-input device.