POINTING DEVICE, DATA PROCESSING DEVICE, AND DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20100141577A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Moritaku, Toshimitsu
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A data processing device includes a cursor position decision unit, a display control unit, a switch operation signal detection unit, a storage unit, an event generation unit and an event execution unit. The storage unit is configured to store, for a predetermined period, at least one of cursor position information outputted from the cursor position decision unit and event information according to one of a plurality of selection options located in a displayed image at a position corresponding to the cursor position decided by the cursor position decision unit. The event generation unit is configured to generate an execution event when a first switch operation signal is detected at a first timing by the switch operation signal detection unit based on the at least one of the cursor position information and the event information stored in the storage unit at a second timing prior to the first timing.

Claims

1. A data processing device comprising:

a cursor position decision unit configured to decide a cursor position based on a physical quantity signal generated in accordance with movement of a pointing device in space and transmitted from the pointing device to the data processing device, and to output cursor position information;

a display control unit configured to display an image having a plurality of selection options and to display a cursor on the image based on the cursor position information outputted from the cursor position decision unit;

a switch operation signal detection unit configured to detect a switch operation signal generated by operation of an operation switch of the pointing device and transmitted from the pointing device to the data processing device;

a storage unit configured to store, for a predetermined period, at least one of the cursor position information outputted from the cursor position decision unit and event information according to one of the selection options located in the image at a position corresponding to the cursor position detected by the cursor position decision unit;

an event generation unit configured to generate an execution event when a first switch operation signal is detected at a first timing by the switch operation signal detection unit indicating that a state of the operation switch has been changed from a first state to a second state, the event generation unit being configured to generate the execution event based on the at least one of the cursor position information and the event information stored in the storage unit at a second timing that is prior to the first timing; and

an event execution unit configured to execute the execution event.

2. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the storage unit is configured to store the at least one of the cursor position information and the event information for the predetermined period that is equal to or longer than a delay period from a start timing of operation of the operation switch to a timing at which the state of the operation switch changes from the first state to the second state.

3. The data processing device according to claim 1, further comprising

a reading unit configured to readout the at least one of the cursor position information and the event information stored in the storage unit and to output the at least one of the cursor position information and the event information to the event generation unit.

4. The data processing device according to claim 2, wherein

the storage unit includes a delay line having a delay amount corresponding to the delay period, and the storage unit is configured to output the at least one of the cursor position information and the event information to the event generation unit.

7. A data processing system comprising:

the data processing device according to claim 1; and

the pointing device configured and arranged to transmit to the data processing device the physical quantity signal generated in accordance with movement of a housing in space, and the switch operation signal generated by operation of the operation switch provided to the housing.

5. A pointing device adapted to send a physical quantity signal and a switch operation signal to a data processing device so that the data processing device generates an event corresponding to one of a plurality of selection options displayed in a display unit and executes the generated event based on the physical quantity signal and the switch operation signal received, the pointing device comprising:

an operation switch;

a delay circuit configured to delay the physical quantity signal generated in accordance with movement of the pointing device in space; and

a transmission interface configured to transmit the physical quantity signal delayed by the delay circuit and the switch operation signal generated by operation of the operation switch to the data processing device.

6. The pointing device according to claim 5, wherein

the delay circuit is configured to delay the physical quantity signal by a predetermined period that corresponds to a delay period from a start timing of operation of the operation switch to a timing at which a state of the operation switch changes from a first state to a second state.

8. A data processing system comprising:

the pointing device according to claim 5; and

the data processing device configured to receive the physical quantity signal and the switch operation signal that are transmitted from the pointing device, to generate the execution event corresponding to one of the selection options displayed in the display unit by data processing based on the physical quantity signal and the switch operation signal received, and to execute the generated execution event.