THREE-DIMENSIONAL OPERATION INPUT APPARATUS, CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD, METHOD OF PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OPERATION INPUT APPARATUS, AND HANDHELD APPARATUS

• US 20090115724A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/256,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 three-dimensional operation input apparatus for controlling a pointer on a screen includes: a casing; a sensor for detecting a movement of the casing; a movement value calculation section for calculating, based on a detection value detected by the sensor, first and second movement values respectively corresponding to the movements of the casing in directions along first and second axes that are mutually orthogonal; and a modification section for calculating first and second modified movement values for respectively moving the pointer in first and second directions on the screen respectively corresponding to the first and second axes, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional operation input apparatus controlling a pointer on a screen, comprising:

a casing;

a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing;

a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on a detection value detected by the sensor, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient.

2. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the modification section sets, when the first direction on the screen is a lateral direction on the screen and the second direction on the screen is a longitudinal direction on the screen, the second modification coefficient to be larger than the first modification coefficient.

3. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the screen has an aspect ratio of 16:

9 or less.

4. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor detects a gravity direction in addition to the movement of the casing,

wherein the movement value calculation section calculates the second movement value while assuming that the gravity direction is the direction along the second axis, and calculates the first movement value while assuming that a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction is the direction along the first axis, and

wherein the modification section sets the second modification coefficient to be larger than the first modification coefficient.

5. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the movement value calculation section calculates the first movement value while assuming that a direction in which a width of the screen is longer is the direction along the first axis, and calculates the second movement value while assuming that a direction in which the width of the screen is shorter is the direction along the second axis, and

wherein the modification section sets the first modification coefficient to be larger than the second modification coefficient.

6. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the screen has an aspect ratio of 2:

1 or more.

7. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a first compensation section to compensate a sensitivity variation of the sensor that is related to the calculation of the first movement value and the second movement value.

8. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an adjustment section to adjust at least one of the first modification coefficient and the second modification coefficient.

9. The three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a second compensation section to compensate at least one of the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value in relation to a positional change of the casing with respect to a gravity direction.

10. A control apparatus controlling a pointer on a screen in accordance with a detection value transmitted from a three-dimensional operation input apparatus that includes a casing and a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception section to receive the detection value;

a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on the detection value, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient; and

a coordinate information generation section to generate coordinate information of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value.

11. A control apparatus controlling a pointer on a screen in accordance with a calculation value transmitted from a three-dimensional operation input apparatus that includes a casing, a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing, and a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on a detection value detected by the sensor, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception section to receive the calculation value;

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient; and

a coordinate information generation section to generate coordinate information of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising

an adjustment section to adjust at least one of the first modification coefficient and the second modification coefficient.

13. A control system controlling a pointer on a screen, the control system comprising:

a three-dimensional operation input apparatus including

a casing,

a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing,

a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on a detection value detected by the sensor, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis,

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient, and

a transmission section to transmit the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value as input information; and

a control apparatus including

a reception section to receive the input information, and

a coordinate information generation section to generate coordinate information of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value.

14. A control system controlling a pointer on a screen, the control system comprising:

a three-dimensional operation input apparatus including

a casing,

a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing, and

a transmission section to transmit a detection value detected by the sensor; and

a control apparatus including

a reception section to receive the detection value,

a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on the detection value, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis,

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient, and

a coordinate information generation section to generate coordinate information of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value.

15. A control system controlling a pointer on a screen, the control system comprising:

a three-dimensional operation input apparatus including

a casing,

a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing,

a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on a detection value detected by the sensor, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and

a transmission section to transmit the values calculated by the movement value calculation section; and

a control apparatus including

a reception section to receive the calculation values,

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient, and

a coordinate information generation section to generate coordinate information of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value.

16. A control method, comprising:

outputting a first detection value by detecting a movement of a casing of a three-dimensional operation input apparatus in a direction along a first axis;

outputting a second detection value by detecting the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

calculating, based on the first detection value and the second detection value, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in the direction along the first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in the direction along the second axis;

calculating a first modified movement value for moving a pointer in a first direction on a screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient;

calculating a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient; and

generating coordinate information of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the first modified movement value and the second modified movement value.

17. A method of producing a three-dimensional operation input apparatus, the method comprising:

storing, by a first storage section, a first modification coefficient that is multiplied by a first movement value calculated based on a detection value of a first sensor to detect a movement of a casing in a direction along a first axis, the first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in the direction along the first axis, to thus calculate a first modified movement value for moving a pointer in a first direction on a screen corresponding to the first axis;

storing, by a second storage section, a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient, that is multiplied by a second movement value calculated based on a detection value of a second sensor to detect the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in the direction along the second axis, to thus calculate a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis;

measuring a first detection sensitivity as a detection sensitivity of the first sensor and a second detection sensitivity as a detection sensitivity of the second sensor; and

storing, respectively by a third storage section and a fourth storage section, a first gain and a second gain respectively multiplied to the first movement value and the second movement value for respectively adjusting the first detection sensitivity and the second detection sensitivity so that a difference between the first detection sensitivity and the second detection sensitivity becomes a predetermined value or less.

18. The method of producing a three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

storing, by the first storage section, a value obtained by multiplying the first modification coefficient by the first gain; and

storing, by the second storage section, a value obtained by multiplying the second modification coefficient by the second gain.

19. The method of producing a three-dimensional operation input apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are incorporated to the casing,

wherein the first detection sensitivity is measured by one of rotating and oscillating the casing about the second axis, and

wherein the second detection sensitivity is measured by one of rotating and oscillating the casing about the first axis.

20. A handheld apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer displayed on a screen, the handheld apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a display section displaying the screen;

a sensor to detect a three-dimensional movement of the casing;

a movement value calculation section to calculate, based on a detection value detected by the sensor, a first movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a first axis and a second movement value corresponding to the movement of the casing in a direction along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and

a modification section to calculate a first modified movement value for moving the pointer in a first direction on the screen corresponding to the first axis, the first modified movement value obtained by multiplying the first movement value by a first modification coefficient, and a second modified movement value for moving the pointer in a second direction on the screen corresponding to the second axis, the second modified movement value obtained by multiplying the second movement value by a second modification coefficient different from the first modification coefficient.