Pointing device and scanner, robot, mobile communication device and electronic dictionary using the same

• US 20040041798A1
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: In-Gwang Kim
• Original Assignee: In-Gwang Kim
• Inventors: Kim, In-Gwang
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03546 using a rotatable ball at the tip as position detecting member

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pointing device, which does not require a tablet, such as a digitizer, and is mechanically simplified, and a scanner, a robot, a mobile communication device and an electronic dictionary using the pointing device. The pointing device includes a light source, a ball and an optical image sensor. The light source irradiates light. The ball rotates by the movement of the entire pointing device. The optical image sensor detects the movement of the pointing device using an image. The pointing device irradiate light onto the ball through the light source, acquires an image on a surface of the ball through the optical image sensor, and outputs data on movement direction and distance by comparing and analyzing previous and current images. Preferably, the pointing device allows an image reflected from the surface of the ball to be incident onto the optical image sensor with a certain magnification using a lens. Preferably, the bearing balls are arranged to come into contact with the ball, thus facilitating the rotation of the ball. Preferably, the pointing device is a pen-type pointing device.

Claims

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a light source for irradiating light;

a ball rotating by movement of the entire pointing device; and

an optical image sensor for detecting the movement of the pointing device using an image; and

wherein the pointing device irradiates light onto the ball through the light source, acquires an image formed on a surface of the ball through the optical image sensor, and outputs data on movement direction and distance of the ball by comparing and analyzing previous and current images.

2. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing device allows an image reflected from the surface of the ball to be incident onto the optical image sensor with a certain magnification using a lens.

3. The pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising bearing balls arranged to come into contact with the ball, thus facilitating rotation of the ball.

4. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing device is a pen-type pointing device.

5. The pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising a light guide formed of an optical fiber to guide light emitted from the light source to the surface of the ball.

6. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the light source uses a chip light emitting diode.

7. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pointing device irradiates light onto two or more different regions of the surface of the ball, overlaps images reflected from the regions, respectively, through a semitransparent reflecting mirror, and acquires the overlapped image through the optical image sensor, thus detecting a movement of the ball.

8. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pointing device irradiates light onto two or more different regions of the surface of the ball, acquires images reflected from the regions through corresponding image sensors, respectively, and detects a movement of the ball depending on an image with a largest displacement width of the images.

9. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball is designed so that an area of a surface of the ball corresponding to data required for image processing executed by the optical image sensor is equal to or less than 1 mm×

1 mm.

10. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball has a pattern formed on the surface thereof to allow the optical image sensor to definitely discriminate regions of the surface of the ball, thus precisely detecting the movement of the ball.

11. The pointing device according to claim 10, wherein the pattern is one of a geodesic pattern based on regular triangles, a pattern including a dot or a line, and an arbitrary pattern.

12. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball is formed so that impurities are included in the ball to form an arbitrary pattern.

13. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball is formed so that a luminous material or fluorescent material is added to the ball.

14. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball is formed so that the surface thereof is corroded to form an arbitrary pattern thereon.

15. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball is made of urethane or plastic.

16. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bearing balls are made of a ceramic material, zirconia or plastic.

17. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a support for supporting the bearing balls to form a space in which the bearing balls move between the bearing ball support and the ball.

18. The pointing device according to claim 17, wherein the space is designed so that a ring-shaped groove is formed in a lower portion of the space to allow the bearing balls to be movable along the ring-shaped groove when the ball rotates.

19. The pointing device according to claim 18, wherein the ring-shaped groove is formed to accommodate at least one bearing ball when viewed from a section of the ring-shaped groove.

20. The pointing device according to claim 17, wherein the space is designed so that a ring-shaped projection is formed at an uppermost portion of the space to prevent the bearing balls from moving upward.

21. The pointing device according to claim 17, wherein the space is designed so that a ring-shaped groove is formed in an upper portion of the space to allow the bearing balls to be movable along the ring-shaped groove when the ball rotates.

22. The pointing device according to claim 21, wherein the ring-shaped groove is formed to accommodate at least one bearing ball when viewed from a section of the ring-shaped groove.

23. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball has a diameter of 7 mm or less.

24. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lens receives data with a resolution above 400 dpi to compare and analyze images of the ball.

25. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

the pointing device is divided into an internal device and an external device, the ball, the light source and the optical image sensor are fixed to a front portion of the internal device, and remaining parts are fixed to the external device; and

the entire internal device moves when the ball is vertically pressed, thus maintaining a regular distance between the surface of the ball and the optical image sensor.

26. The pointing device according to claim 25, further comprising a spring for absorbing pressure applied to the ball when the pointing device is operated.

27. The pointing device according to claim 25, wherein when the ball is projected from the pointing device by the spring, and is retracted into the pointing device against an elastic force of the spring when a force is applied to the ball, thus turning on a button switch.

28. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a scroll button;

and

wherein a movement of the pointing device is recognized as a typical pointing function while the scroll button is not pressed, and a movement of the pointing device is processed as data related to a scroll function while the scroll button is pressed.

29. A scanner comprising the pointing device of any of claims 1 to 28, the pointing device being used as an encoder that detects a direction and a speed of an image scan device and utilizes the detected direction and speed as reference data when a scanned image is matched.

30. A robot comprising the pointing device of any of claims 1 to 28, the pointing device being used as a ball caster to be capable of measuring movement direction and distance of the robot when the robot moves.

31. The pointing device according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a laser pointing device.

32. A mobile communication device comprising the pointing device of any of claims 1 to 28.

33. A mobile communication device, comprising:

an input unit including the pointing device of any of claims 1 to 28;

a storage unit for representing a character by relative coordinate values of respective strokes of the character to start points and storing the relative coordinate values; and

a control unit including a recognizing unit for recognizing input data according to data stored in the storage unit; and

wherein the control unit recognizes and processes data input to the input unit by obtaining data on respective strokes of the character as relative coordinate values of end points to start points of the respective strokes of the character, and sequentially finds corresponding strokes by searching the storage unit for the corresponding strokes, thereby recognizing the character.

34. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein the storage unit has a phonebook stored therein, and a key word for the phonebook is comprised of initial letters.

35. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein the storage unit has a phonebook stored therein, and a key word for the phonebook is comprised of initial letters and letters just next to thereto.

36. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein the input unit is located at a position of an antenna.

37. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein the input unit, exposed to outside of the mobile communication device, is connected to a main body of the mobile communication device through a hinge, so that the input unit is able to be bent at a certain angle to perform a pointing function.

38. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein the input unit is placed at a lower end of the mobile communication device to be operated while a cover of the mobile communication device is opened.

39. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein:

the input unit is disposed on an outside of the mobile communication device;

an input button, a search button, a send button and up/down selection buttons are disposed on the outside of the mobile communication device; and

a display window is provided to display an input character and execution results of the buttons.

40. The mobile communication device according to claim 33, wherein the mobile communication device executes input, search, up/down selection and calling operations by inputting gesture commands.

41. An electronic dictionary, comprising:

an input unit including the pointing device of any of claims 1 to 28 to receive data on character;

a storage unit for storing reference data indicating characteristics of the respective characters, and data corresponding to dictionary contents;

an output unit for displaying recognized characters and dictionary contents; and

a control unit for controlling the electronic dictionary; and

wherein the electronic dictionary analyzes track data of a handwriting operation, received from the input unit, recognizes characters corresponding to the input data with reference to the reference data on the respective characters stored in the storage unit, searches the electronic dictionary for a word comprised of the recognized characters, and displays contents corresponding to the word on the display unit.