INPUT INTERFACE DEVICE WITH TRANSFORMABLE FORM FACTOR

• US 20090040175A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Waikato
• Original Assignee: University of Waikato
• Inventors: Xu, Rex Fang, MacGregor, Carolyn Gail
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

Various implementations of an interface device, along with associated methods and systems, are described in which the interface device has a housing with a transformable form factor, and a transformation assembly that can change the form factor of the housing. At least one of the form factors of the housing has a shape that corresponds to data associated with the interface device.

Claims

1. An interface device for allowing a user to interact with a computer application, wherein the interface device comprises:

a) a housing having a transformable form factor; and

,

b) a transformation assembly coupled to the housing for transforming the form factor of the housing between more than one form factor,

wherein at least one form factor of the housing has a shape corresponding to data associated with the interface device.

2. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the interface device further comprises:

c) at least one sensor coupled to the housing for providing movement data associated with the movement of the device; and

,

e) at least one actuation member coupled to the transformation assembly for initiating the transformation of the form factor of the housing when actuated by a user.

3. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the data associated with the interface device includes the movement data.

4. The interface device of claims 1 or 2, wherein the interface device further comprises a feedback module including at least two feedback elements, the at least two feedback elements being adapted to providing different feedback modality output signals to the user based on feedback data received by the interface device, wherein the data associated with the interface device includes the feedback data.

5. The interface device of claim 3, wherein the at least one form factor of the housing has a shape according to the type of movement data provided in an input mode.

6. The interface device of claim 5, wherein the at least one form factor of the housing includes a flat surface when the user moves the interface device along a flat surface to provide translational movement data.

7. The interface device of claim 5, wherein the at least one form factor of the housing includes a spherical surface when the user rotates the interface device to provide rotational movement data.

8. The interface device of claim 5, wherein the at least one form factor of the housing includes an ellipsoidal surface when the user rotates the interface device to provide rotational movement data.

9. The interface device of claim 5, wherein the at least one form factor of the housing includes a conical surface when the user rotates the interface device to provide rotational movement data.

10. The interface device of claim 5, wherein the at least one form factor of the housing includes a cylindrical surface when the user rotates the interface device to provide rotational movement data.

11. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the at least one form factor includes a pyramidal surface when the user rotates the interface device to provide rotational movement data.

12. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the interface device operates in first and second input modes, and wherein the housing has a corresponding first form factor when the interface device operates in the first input mode, and the housing has a corresponding second form factor when the interface device operates in the second input mode.

13. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the interface device operates in additional input modes, wherein for each of the additional input modes, the housing has a corresponding form factor.

14. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the interface device provides a first type of movement data when operating in the first input mode and a second different type of movement data when operating in the second input mode.

15. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the interface device provides translational movement data in the first input mode and rotational movement data in the second input mode.

16. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor includes a three-dimensional tracker to track the rotation of the interface device to provide the rotational movement data.

17. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the interface device is useable in combination with an additional input device to provide the translational movement data, the interface device further comprising a two-dimensional marker and the additional input device tracks the movement of the two dimensional marker to generate the two-dimensional data.

18. The interface device of claim 16, wherein the interface device further comprises a two-dimensional tracker to track the translation of the interface device in relation to a flat surface to provide the translational movement data.

19. The interface device of claim 2, wherein when the user transforms the form factor of the housing, the interface device is adapted to automatically switch to a corresponding input mode.

20. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the interface device is further adapted to automatically enable the at least one sensor that provides movement data associated with the corresponding input mode.

21. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the housing has an additional form factor for which there is no corresponding input mode.

22. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the interface device further provide additional types of data in addition to movement data.

23. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the at least one actuation member provides an output signal that can be used to provide additional functionality in the computer application.

24. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises first and second housing portions, and the transformation assembly is adapted to move the first and second housing portions with respect to one another to transform the form factor of the housing.

25. The interface device of claim 24, wherein the first housing portion has a truncated sphere shape and the second housing portion has a bowl shape, and wherein the transformation assembly is adapted to move the second housing portion within the first housing portion to provide a truncated spherical form factor.

26. The interface device of claim 25, wherein the at least one actuation member includes second and third actuation members located along the surface of the housing, and when either is actuated initiates a transformation to provide a truncated spherical form factor.

27. The interface device of claim 26, wherein the second and third actuation members are curved rectangular buttons having a concave outer surface.

28. The interface device of claim 24, wherein the first housing portion has a truncated sphere shape and the second housing portion has a bowl shape, and wherein the transformation assembly is adapted to move the second housing portion downwards with respect to the first housing portion to provide a spherical form factor.

29. The interface device of claim 28, wherein the at least one actuation member includes a first actuation member located at an upper portion of the housing having a rod-like shape, and when actuated initiates a transformation to the spherical form factor.

30. The interface device of claim 4, wherein the feedback module includes a light source for emitting light when the interface device is operating in a particular input mode.

31. The interface device of claim 4, wherein the feedback module includes a light source adapted to emit light when the interface device transitions between different input modes.

32. The interface mode device of claim 4, wherein the feedback module includes a light source adapted to provide the user with visual feedback to simulate interaction with a virtual object provided by the computer application.

33. The interface device of claim 4, wherein the feedback module includes a force-feedback element adapted to provide the user with tactile feedback to simulate interaction with a virtual object provided by the computer application.

34. The interface device of claim 4, wherein the feedback module includes a sound emitting device to provide the user with auditory feedback to emphasize an event occurring in the computer application.

35. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the interface device further comprises:

a) at least one switch associated with the at least one actuation member to generate at least one actuation signal when the at least one actuation member is actuated; and

,

b) a wireless unit connected to the at least one switch and the at least one sensor to receive the at least one actuation signal and the movement data, respectively, the wireless unit being adapted to wirelessly transmit wireless data based on the movement data and the at least one actuation signal.

36. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the interface device further comprises:

a) at least one switch associated with the at least one actuation member to generate at least one actuation signal when the at least one actuation member is actuated; and

,

b) a connector port connected to the at least one switch and the at least one sensor to receive the at least one actuation signal and movement data, respectively, the connector port being adapted to connect to a corresponding port on a computing device to provide the movement data and the least one actuation signal.

39. The system of claims 36 or claim 37, wherein the housing transforms between more than one form factor, the form factor corresponding to feedback data provided to the interface device from the computer application.

37. A system comprising:

a) a host computer;

b) a display connected to the host computer;

c) a computer application being executed on the host computer; and

,

d) an interface device connected to the host computer to allow a user to interact with the computer application, the interface device having a housing with a transformable form factor.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the housing transforms between more than one form factor, the form factor corresponding to input data provided by the interface device to the computer application.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the computer application provides a computer generated representation of an object, and the user operates the interface device in a first input mode with a first form factor to provide translational movement data associated the movement of the interface device, the first form factor allowing the user to move the interface device with up to two degrees of freedom for translational manipulation of the object.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the interface device further comprises a two dimensional tracker that provides the translational movement data.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the system further comprises a graphical input tablet and the interface device comprises a two dimensional marker, wherein the graphical input tablet tracks the movement of the interface device based on the two dimensional marker to provide the translational movement data.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the user operates the interface device in a second input mode with a second form factor to provide rotational movement data associated the movement of the interface device, the second form factor allowing the user to move the interface device with a minimum of three and a maximum of six degrees of freedom for orientational manipulation of the object, wherein interface device further comprises a three dimensional tracker to provide the rotational movement data.

44. The system of claim 37, wherein the system is a robotic system.

45. A input device comprising:

a) a housing having a transformable form factor;

b) at least one sensor coupled to the housing for providing movement data related to the movement of the input device;

c) a transformation assembly coupled to the housing for transforming the form factor of the housing between more than one form factor; and

,

d) at least one actuation member coupled to the transformation assembly for initiating the transformation of the form factor of the housing when actuated by a user,

wherein, the shape of the form factor of the housing corresponds to a type of movement data provided in a given input mode.