Apparatus and method for controlling a cursor on a viewing screen

• US 20040148174A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xytech AB
• Original Assignee: Ulf Parke
• Inventors: Ullman, Erik, Brusell, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,259,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a cursor (10) on an electronic viewing screen (102) connected to a computer (104) without using hands. The apparatus comprises a detecting unit (108), intended to be carried by a user (106). The detecting unit (108) is provided with at least one ultrasonic device (110), which emits ultrasonic signals mainly in a direction towards the user'"'"'s (106) mouth cavity and registers reflected ultrasonic signals. The apparatus further comprises a processing unit (116) for transforming the reflected ultrasonic signals into control signals intended to control the cursor (100). Thereby, the control signals create movement or activation of the cursor on the viewing screen such that different conditions in the mouth cavity are associated with specific cursor commands.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a cursor (100) on an electronic viewing screen (102) connected to a computer (104), characterised in that the apparatus comprises:

a detecting unit (108), intended to be carried by a user (106), and being provided with at least one ultrasonic device (110) for emitting ultrasonic signals mainly in a direction towards the user'"'"'s (106) mouth cavity and for registering reflected ultrasonic signals, and

a processing unit (116) for transforming the reflected ultrasonic signals into control signals intended to control the cursor (100).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the detecting unit (108) is adapted to be carried on a user'"'"'s (106) head, and comprises at least one arm to which the ultrasonic device (110) is attached.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the detecting unit (108) comprises at least one arm arranged on either side of a user'"'"'s face, wherein each arm is provided with at least one ultrasonic device (110).

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that a plurality of ultrasonic devices (110) are attached along the arm.

5. An apparatus according to any of claims 1-4, characterised in that the ultrasonic device (110) lies close to a user'"'"'s cheek.

6. An apparatus according to any of claims 1-5, characterised in that the detecting unit (108) is provided with a transmitter (112) for wireless transmission of the reflected ultrasonic signals to the processing unit (116).

7. An apparatus according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the processing unit (116) is integrated with the detecting unit (108).

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that the detecting unit (108) is provided with a transmitter (112) for wireless transmission of the control signals to the computer (104).

9. A method of transforming reflected signals from an ultrasonic device (110) into control signals for controlling a cursor (100) on an electronic viewing screen (102) connected to a computer (104), characterised by the following steps:

receiving signals from the ultrasonic device (110) reflected in a user'"'"'s mouth cavity,

transforming the received signals into data representing different conditions in the mouth cavity, and

analysing and translating transformed data into control signals intended to create movement or activation of the cursor on the viewing screen such that different conditions in the mouth cavity are associated with specific cursor commands.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that associations between different conditions in the mouth and specific cursor commands are created by means of a training process.