INPUT APPARATUS, CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM, AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20090295721A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuyuki, Sawai, Kunihito
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,188 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

An input apparatus is provided, and includes: a main body operated by a user in a first operation form of pointing a predetermined position on a screen using a pointer on the screen and a second operation form different from the first operation form. The input apparatus includes an operation form detection section to detect which of the first operation form and the second operation form an operation form of the main body is; a movement detection section to detect a movement of the mail body. The input apparatus includes an operational section to switch a first operational mode corresponding to the first operation form and a second operational mode corresponding to the second operation form therebetween according to the operation form of the main body, and calculating a corresponding movement value corresponding to the movement of the pointer on the screen that corresponds to the detected movement of the main body.

Claims

1. An input apparatus, comprising:

a main body operated by a user in a first operation form of pointing a predetermined position on a screen using a pointer on the screen and a second operation form different from the first operation form;

an operation form detection means for detecting which of the first operation form and the second operation form an operation form of the main body is;

a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body; and

an operation means for selectively switching a first operational mode corresponding to the first operation form to a second operational mode corresponding to the second operation form and vice versa according to the operation form of the main body detected by the operation form detection means, and calculating a corresponding movement value corresponding to the movement of the pointer on the screen, the movement of the pointer corresponding to the detected movement of the main body.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation means calculates a velocity-related value corresponding to the movement of the main body, attenuates an output value of a predetermined frequency range out of an output value as the calculated velocity-related value by a scale factor of a first scale profile set in accordance with the velocity-related value, and calculates the attenuated output value as the corresponding movement value, and

wherein the first scale profile is different between a case where the first operational mode is used and a case where the second operational mode is used.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first operation form is an operation form in which the user points the predetermined position on the screen by moving the main body three-dimensionally.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second operation form is an operation form for a manual input.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation means calculates a velocity-related value corresponding to the movement of the main body and multiplies, in both cases where the first operational mode is used and the second operational mode is used, the velocity-related value that has been output by a scale factor of a second scale profile set in accordance with the velocity-related value, to thus calculate the corresponding movement value, and

wherein the second scale profile is different between the case where the first operational mode is used and the case where the second operational mode is used.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation form detection means is a mechanical switch provided to the main body.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation means calculates, as the corresponding movement value, a first corresponding movement value along a first axis on the screen and a second corresponding movement value along a second axis different from the first axis,

wherein the movement detection means includes an acceleration sensor to detect a first acceleration value in a first direction of the main body corresponding to the first axis, a second acceleration value in a second direction of the main body different from the first direction, the second direction corresponding to the second axis, and a third acceleration value in a third direction of the main body different from both the first direction and the second direction, and

wherein the operation form detection means detects that the first operation form has been switched to the second operation form as the operation form for a manual input when an absolute value of the detected third acceleration value exceeds a threshold value.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the main body includes an enter button that is pressed by the user for inputting an enter code, and

wherein the operation form detection means detects that the first operation form has been switched to the second operation form as the operation form for a manual input when the enter button is pressed and the enter code is thus input.

9. A control apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer on a screen based on information on a velocity-related value output from an input apparatus including a main body operated by a user in a first operation form of pointing a predetermined position on the screen using the pointer on the screen and a second operation form different from the first operation form, an operation form detection means for detecting which of the first operation form and the second operation form an operation form of the main body is, a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body, and a velocity-related value calculation means for calculating the velocity-related value that is related to a velocity of the detected movement of the main body, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception means for receiving the information on the velocity-related value; and

an operation means for switching a first operational mode corresponding to the first operation form to a second operational mode corresponding to the second operation form and vice versa according to the operation form of the main body detected by the operation form detection means, and calculating, based on the received information on the velocity-related value, a corresponding movement value corresponding to the movement of the pointer on the screen, the movement of the pointer corresponding to the movement of the main body.

10. A control apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer on a screen based on information on a detection value output from an input apparatus including a main body operated by a user in a first operation form of pointing a predetermined position on the screen using the pointer on the screen and a second operation form different from the first operation form, an operation form detection means for detecting which of the first operation form and the second operation form an operation form of the main body is, a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body, and an output means for outputting the detection value that has been detected, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception means for receiving the information on the detection value; and

an operation means for calculating a velocity-related value that is related to a velocity of the movement of the main body based on the received detection value, switching a first operational mode corresponding to the first operation form to a second operational mode corresponding to the second operation form and vice versa according to the operation form of the main body detected by the operation form detection means, and calculating, based on information on the calculated velocity-related value, a corresponding movement value corresponding to the movement of the pointer on the screen, the movement of the pointer corresponding to the movement of the main body.

11. A control apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer on a screen based on information on a velocity-related value output from an input apparatus including a main body operated by a user in a first operation form of pointing a predetermined position on the screen using the pointer on the screen and a second operation form different from the first operation form, a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body, and a velocity-related value calculation means for calculating the velocity-related value that is related to a velocity of the detected movement of the main body, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception means for receiving the information on the velocity-related value;

an operation form detection means for detecting which of the first operation form and the second operation form an operation form of the main body is; and

an operation means for switching a first operational mode corresponding to the first operation form to a second operational mode corresponding to the second operation form and vice versa according to the operation form of the main body detected by the operation form detection means, and calculating, based on the received information on the velocity-related value, a corresponding movement value corresponding to the movement of the pointer on the screen, the movement of the pointer corresponding to the movement of the main body.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the operation form detection means includes means for outputting screen data including a first area and a second area, and means for judging that the main body is operated in the first operation form when the pointer is positioned inside the first area and judging that the main body is operated in the second operation form when the pointer is positioned inside the second area.

13. A control method comprising:

detecting a movement of a main body of an input apparatus;

detecting which of a first operation form in which a user points a predetermined position on a screen using a pointer on the screen and a second operation form different from the first operation form an operation form of the main body is; and

switching a first operational mode corresponding to the first operation form to a second operational mode corresponding to the second operation form and vice versa according to the detected operation form of the main body, and calculating a corresponding movement value corresponding to a movement of the pointer on the screen, the movement of the pointer corresponding to the detected movement of the main body.

14. An input apparatus, comprising:

a main body;

a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body;

a velocity-related value calculation means for calculating a velocity-related value that is related to a velocity of the detected movement of the main body;

an output means for attenuating an output value of a predetermined frequency range out of an output value as the calculated velocity-related value by a scale factor of a scale profile set in accordance with the velocity-related value, and outputting the attenuated output value as a corresponding movement value that corresponds to a movement of a pointer on a screen;

a storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of identification information for identifying a plurality of users and information on the scale profile set for each of the plurality of pieces of identification information in association with each other; and

an output control means for controlling the output means to output, when one of the plurality of pieces of identification information is selected by one of the plurality of users, the corresponding movement value based on the information on the scale profile that corresponds to the selected identification information out of the plurality of pieces of information on the scale profile.

15. The input apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the storage means stores, as information on a gesture operation that corresponds to the movement of the main body, at least one piece of identification information out of the plurality of pieces of identification information.

16. A control apparatus controlling a movement of a pointer on a screen based on an output value as a velocity-related value output from an input apparatus including a main body, a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body, and a velocity-related value calculation means for calculating the velocity-related value that is related to a velocity of the detected movement of the main body, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception means for receiving the output value that has been output;

an output means for attenuating an output value of a predetermined frequency range out of the received output value as the velocity-related value by a scale factor of a scale profile set in accordance with the velocity-related value, and outputting the attenuated output value as a corresponding movement value that corresponds to the movement of the pointer on the screen;

a storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of identification information for identifying a plurality of users and information on the scale profile set for each of the plurality of pieces of identification information in association with each other; and

an output control means for controlling the output means to output, when one of the plurality of pieces of identification information is selected by one of the plurality of users, the corresponding movement value based on the information on the scale profile corresponding to the selected identification information out of the plurality of pieces of information on the scale profile.

17. A control method, comprising:

detecting a movement of a main body of an input apparatus;

calculating a velocity-related value that is related to a velocity of the detected movement of the main body;

attenuating, by an output means, an output value of a predetermined frequency range out of an output value as the calculated velocity-related value by a scale factor of a scale profile set in accordance with the velocity-related value, and outputting the attenuated output value as a corresponding movement value that corresponds to a movement of a pointer on a screen;

storing a plurality of pieces of identification information for identifying a plurality of users and information on the scale profile set for each of the plurality of pieces of identification information in association with each other; and

controlling the output means to output, when one of the plurality of pieces of identification information is selected by one of the plurality of users, the corresponding movement value based on the information on the scale profile corresponding to the selected identification information out of the plurality of pieces of information on the scale profile.

18. An input apparatus, comprising:

a main body;

a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body;

an operation section operated by a user;

an output means for outputting a movement command for moving a pointer on a screen, that corresponds to the detected movement of the main body, and outputting, when input with an operation signal that is unrelated to the movement of the main body by an operation to the operation section, an operation command corresponding to the input operation signal;

a stop means for stopping the movement of the pointer on the screen during a predetermined stop time period since one of the input of the operation signal and a cancel of the input of the operation signal;

a storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of identification information for identifying a plurality of users and information on the stop time period set for each of the plurality of pieces of identification information in association with each other; and

a time control means for controlling, when one of the plurality of pieces of identification information is selected by one of the plurality of users, a time period during which the stop means stops the movement of the pointer, based on the information on the stop time period corresponding to the selected identification information out of the plurality of pieces of information on the stop time period.

19. A control apparatus for controlling a movement of a pointer on a screen based on at least a movement command and an operation signal, the control apparatus comprising:

a reception means for receiving at least the movement command and the operation signal output from an input apparatus including a main body, a movement detection means for detecting a movement of the main body, an operation section operated by a user, and an output means for outputting a movement command for moving the pointer on the screen, that corresponds to the detected movement of the main body, an operation command when input with an operation signal that is unrelated to the movement of the main body by an operation to the operation section, the operation command corresponding to the input operation signal, and the operation signal;

a coordinate value generation means for generating coordinate values of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the received movement command;

a stop means for stopping the movement of the pointer on the screen during a predetermined stop time period since one of the reception of the operation signal and a cancel of the reception of the operation signal;

a storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of identification information for identifying a plurality of users and information on the stop time period set for each of the plurality of pieces of identification information in association with each other; and

a time control means for controlling, when one of the plurality of pieces of identification information is selected by one of the plurality of users, a time period during which the stop means stops the movement of the pointer, based on the information on the stop time period corresponding to the selected identification information out of the plurality of pieces of information on the stop time period.

20. A control method, comprising:

detecting a movement of a main body of an input apparatus;

outputting, by the input apparatus, a movement command for moving a pointer on a screen, that corresponds to the detected movement of the main body;

outputting, when the input apparatus is input with an operation signal that is unrelated to the movement of the main body by an operation to an operation section that is provided to the input apparatus and operated by a user, an operation command corresponding to the input operation signal;

stopping the movement of the pointer on the screen during a predetermined stop time period since one of the input of the operation signal and a cancel of the input of the operation signal;

storing a plurality of pieces of identification information for identifying a plurality of users and information on the stop time period set for each of the plurality of pieces of identification information in association with each other; and

controlling, when one of the plurality of pieces of identification information is selected by one of the plurality of users, a time period during which the movement of the pointer is stopped, based on the information on the stop time period corresponding to the selected identification information out of the plurality of pieces of information on the stop time period.