Input device for personal digital assistants
First Claim
1. An input device, cooperative with a personal digital assistant (PDA) that includes a display screen, for inputting into the PDA the positions of a movable reference point in terms of at least two dimensions, so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA and/or positions of an image element on the display screen, the device comprising:
- a stationary module, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation, and a movable module, in relation to which the reference point is defined and which is receptive to said radiation;
wherein the positions that may be input are at substantial distance from the display screen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device, communicative with a PDA and comprising a movable part, that inputs to the PDA information about all or some of the six spatial variables of the movable part within a space that may be appreciably larger that the PDA and its display screen. The device may serve to conveniently input graphical and symbolic information, in place of a touch-screen, as well as to control multi-dimensional position and orientation of virtual objects in a natural analogous-motion manner. It may also be used in conjunction with an external passive keyboard to input alphanumeric information and commands.
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Citations
92 Claims
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1. An input device, cooperative with a personal digital assistant (PDA) that includes a display screen, for inputting into the PDA the positions of a movable reference point in terms of at least two dimensions, so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA and/or positions of an image element on the display screen, the device comprising:
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a stationary module, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation, and a movable module, in relation to which the reference point is defined and which is receptive to said radiation;
wherein the positions that may be input are at substantial distance from the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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14. An input device, cooperative with a personal digital assistant (PDA) that includes a display screen, for inputting into the PDA the positions of a movable reference point in terms of at least three dimensions so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA and/or positions of an image element on the display screen, the device comprising:
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a stationary module, communicative with the PDA;
a movable module, in relation to which the reference point is defined and which is operative to generate electrical signals that are related to the position of the reference point; and
a processor, operative to process said electrical signals into position information. wherein the range of positions that may be input, along each of the axes, substantially exceeds any dimension of said stationary module.
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26. An input device, cooperative with a PDA that includes a display screen, the device comprising a stationary modules communicative with the PDA, a movable module and a processor, wherein—
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said movable module has a reference point and is operative to generate electrical signals that are related to the position of said reference point and to the orientation of said movable module, and said processor is operative to process said electrical signals into at least four corresponding digital streams of values, to be fed into the PDA so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA, each stream representing, respectively, one of the six variables associated with said movable module, which are the position of said reference point along three orthogonal axes and the orientation of said movable module about three independent axes.
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35. An input device, for enabling a user of a PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard by touching, or nearing, corresponding marked key regions on any surface external to the PDA, the device comprising:
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a stationary part, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation;
at least one movable part, each having a reference point and being operative to receive said radiation and to generate electrical signals in response to the reception of said radiation; and
a processor, operative to process said electrical signals into any code that corresponds to a symbol of the keyboard whenever the reference point of any of said movable parts is near, or within, a respective key region.
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41. A personal digital assistant (PDA) comprising a display screen and an input device for inputting into the PDA the positions of a movable reference point in terms of at least two dimensions, so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA and/or positions of an image element on the display screen, the input device including:
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a stationary module, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation, and a movable module, in relation to which the reference point is defined and which is receptive to said radiation;
wherein the positions that may be input are at substantial distance from the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A PDA comprising a display screen and an input device, for inputting into the PDA the position of a movable reference point in terms of at least three dimensions so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA and/or positions of an image element on the display screen, the input device including:
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a stationary module;
a movable module, in relation to which the reference point is defined and which is operative to generate electrical signals that are related to the position of the reference point; and
a processor, operative to process said electrical signals into position information;
wherein the range of positions that may be input, along each of the axes, substantially exceeds any dimension of said stationary module. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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68. A PDA comprising a display screen and an input device, the input device including a stationary module, a movable module and a processor;
- wherein—
said movable module has a reference point and is operative to generate electrical signals that are related to the position of said reference point and to the orientation of said movable module, and said processor is operative to process said electrical signals into at least four corresponding digital streams of values, to be fed into the PDA so as to control variables in a program operating in the PDA, each stream representing, respectively, one of the six variables associated with said movable module, which are the position of said reference point along three orthogonal axes and the orientation of said movable module about three independent axes.
- wherein—
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78. A PDA comprising a display screen and an input device, for enabling a user of the PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard by touching, or nearly touching, corresponding marked key regions on any surface, the input device including:
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a stationary part, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation;
at least one movable part, each having a reference point and being operative to receive said radiation and to generate electrical signals in response to the reception of said radiation; and
a processor, operative to process said electrical signals into any code that corresponds to a symbol of the keyboard whenever the reference point of any of said movable parts is near, or within, a respective key region.
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85. A method for enabling a user of a PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard by touching, or nearing, corresponding marked key regions on any surface external to the PDA, the method comprising:
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(i) providing an input device that includes at least one movable part, each movable part having a reference point, the device being operative to generate digital values that represent the position of each of said reference points along at least two orthogonal axes;
(ii) for any key region within which any of said reference points is positioned, converting the resultant digital values into a code signifying the corresponding key;
(iii) feeding the code obtained in step (ii) into the PDA;
(iv) feeding the code obtained in step (iii) into any program operative within the PDA. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
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Specification