Method of data input into a computer

• US 20040017353A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnaLabs Limited
• Original Assignee: InnaLabs Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Anton, Suprun E., Simonenko, Dmitri V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,061,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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

Abstract

A computer input device and method used to input coordinates and three-dimensional graphical information into a computer. The device includes an acceleration sensor that has a fixed volume vessel containing a magnetic fluid. A non-magnetic inertial body is located in the magnetic fluid. Three magnetic field sources are located on three perpendicular axes where each magnetic field source has an output for connection to a computer. Changes in Q-factors and inductance of electromagnetic coils aligned on the X, Y, and Z-axis of the sensor are used to compute linear and angular acceleration components of any movement involving the sensor which permits three-dimensional coordinates to be provided in real-time.

Claims

1. A method for detecting linear and angular acceleration within a sensor and reporting said linear and angular acceleration as data to a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring differences in characteristics of electromagnetic coils over time, said electromagnetic coils being a part of said sensor and said electromagnetic coils arranged as three electromagnetic coil pairs, each electromagnetic coil pair located at the ends of an axis of said sensor and each pair substantially mutually perpendicular to each other; and

reporting said differences in characteristics of electromagnetic coils in real-time as linear and angular acceleration data to a computer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the measuring differences in characteristics of said electromagnetic coils over time step comprises the following:

registering alternating voltage components of said electromagnetic coils;

computing changes in said alternating voltage components; and

computing linear acceleration components for an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of computing angular acceleration coordinates of said sensor, said angular acceleration coordinates describing rotation around the x-axis and the y-axis.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the computing linear acceleration components for the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis step comprises performing the computation according to the respective formulae, a_x=p×

[(U_x1−

U_x1⁰)−

(U_x2−

U_x2⁰)], a_y=p×

[(U_y1−

U_y1⁰)−

(U_y2−

U_y2⁰)], and, a_z=p×

[(U_z1−

U_z1⁰)−

(U_z2−

U_z2⁰)].

5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the computing angular acceleration coordinates of said sensor comprises performing the step according to the formulae, ψ

_x=P×

[(U_y1−

U_y1⁰)−

(U_y2−

U_y2⁰)] and ψ

_y=P×

[(U_x1−

U_x1⁰)−

(U_x2−

U_x2⁰)].

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of:

moving said sensor thereby causing changes in alternating voltage components of said electromagnetic coils;

causing differences in Q-factors of said electromagnetic coils; and

causing differences in inductance of said electromagnetic coils.

7. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of computing changes in Q-factors of said electromagnetic coils.

8. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of computing changes in inductance of said electromagnetic coils.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the reporting step comprises the following:

packaging three components of linear acceleration, a={a_x, a_y, a_z}, and two angular acceleration components, ψ

={ψ

_x, ψ

_y for transmission as a data packet to a computer; and

transmitting said data packet to a computer.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the differences in characteristics of said electromagnetic coils comprise differences in Q-factors.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the differences in characteristics of said electromagnetic coils comprise differences in inductance.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensors comprises a plurality of sensors.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said computer comprises a plurality of computers.

14. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of initializing said sensor to establish a starting equilibrium condition.

15. A device for detecting linear and angular acceleration data of a sensor and reporting the linear and angular acceleration data to a computer, the device comprising:

a closed vessel containing fluid;

an inertial body contained in the vessel;

a means to create magnetic fields within said closed vessel;

a means for detecting changes in magnetic fields within said closed vessel, said changes in magnetic fields within said closed vessel caused by movement of said inertial body within said closed vessel; and

a means for computing angular acceleration components based on said changes in magnetic fields within said closed vessel;

16. The device as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

a means for computing linear acceleration components based on said changes in magnetic fields; and

a means for reporting said linear acceleration components and said angular acceleration components in real-time to a computer.

17. The device as recited in claim 15 wherein said means to create magnetic fields comprises one or more constant magnets.

18. The device as recited in claim 15 further comprising a means for detecting and computing Q-factor changes.

19. The device as recited in claim 15 further comprising a means for detecting and computing inductance changes.

20. The device as recited in claim 15 wherein multiple sensors communicate to said computer by a wired connection.

21. The device as recited in claim 15 wherein multiple sensors communicate to said computer by a wireless connection.

22. The device as recited in claim 15 wherein the fluid comprises magnetic fluid.