Control Device Including a Ball that Stores Data

• US 20090240350A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yi-Ming Tseng
• Original Assignee: Yi-Ming Tseng
• Inventors: TSENG, YI-MING
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03544 having dual sensing arrangement, e.g. two balls or two coils used to track rotation of the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

A device for controlling movement of an object relative to an environment is disclosed. The device may include a ball configured to store data for determining at least an orientation of the object relative to the environment. The data may pertain to a plurality of possible orientations of the object. The device may also include a speed control unit configured to determine at least a speed of the object relative to the environment.

Claims

1. A device for controlling movement of an object relative to an environment, the device comprising:

a ball including data or representations of the data, the data or the representations of the data being distributed at at least one of a spherical layer of the ball and an outer spherical surface of the ball, the data or the representations of the data being configured for determining at least a movement direction of the object relative to the environment, the data pertaining to a plurality of movement directions of the object, wherein rotation of the ball controls at least a movement direction change of the object without causing translation of the object; and

a first sensor for reading at least a portion of the data or at least a portion of the representations of the data from the at least one of the spherical layer of the ball and the outer spherical surface of the ball.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the data or the representation of the data are distributed at the spherical layer of the ball.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the data are encoded in at least one of an optical storage format and a magnetic storage format.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the data are encoded in a plurality of barcodes.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the data include coordinate data of points on a spherical surface, the coordinate data being three-dimensional coordinate data.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional sensors for reading at least part of the data.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor configure to read at least part of the data or at least part of the representations of the data, wherein when a first reading provided by the first sensor is not used in determining the movement direction of the object, a second reading provided by the second sensor is used in determining the movement direction of the object.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processing unit configured to decode the data or the representations of the data.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the ball includes at least one of a tip mark corresponding to a tip of the object and a tail mark corresponding to a tail of the object.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a speed control unit for determining at least a speed of the object relative to the environment, wherein the speed control unit includes a first part and a second part, wherein a displacement of the first part relative to the second part is converted to at least one of the speed of the object and a translation direction of the object relative to the environment.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the speed control unit includes a hook-and-loop fastener.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cruise control mechanism configured to maintain the speed of the object at a certain level.

13. The device of claim 1 further comprising an alignment mechanism configured to rotate the ball to cause an axis of the object to be parallel to an X, Y, or Z-axis of a reference coordinate system.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the alignment mechanism comprises at least one of an magnetic mechanism and a roller mechanism.

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising a feedback mechanism configured to provide a haptic feedback when an axis of the object is parallel to an X, Y, or Z-axis of a reference coordinate system.

16. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second ball, wherein rotation of the second ball controls rotation of the object relative to the environment.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotation of the ball further controls rotation of the object relative to the environment.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is at least one of a barcode reader and an image sensor.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is at least one of a magnetic sensor and an optical sensor.

20. The device of claim 1 further comprising a reverse function configured to reverse a direction of the movement of the object.