INPUT DEVICE AND DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20100156785A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: NAKAOKA, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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

An input device includes a main body and a motion sensor unit. The main body has a longitudinal axis. The motion sensor unit is configured and arranged to detect rotation of the main body about the longitudinal axis. The motion sensor unit has an X-axis angular velocity sensor configured and arranged to detect an angular velocity of the main body about an X-axis in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system defined by the X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis. The X-axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the main body and the Y-axis and the Z-axis being orthogonal to each other in a first plane perpendicular to the X-axis.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a main body having a longitudinal axis; and

a motion sensor unit configured and arranged to detect rotation of the main body about the longitudinal axis,

the motion sensor unit having an X-axis angular velocity sensor configured and arranged to detect an angular velocity of the main body about an X-axis in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system defined by the X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis, the X-axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the main body and the Y-axis and the Z-axis being orthogonal to each other in a first plane perpendicular to the X-axis.

2. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising

a physical quantity/control quantity conversion unit configured to convert a physical quantity signal outputted from the motion sensor unit to a control quantity signal indicative of a control quantity for controlling a control object.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the motion sensor unit further includes

a Y-axis angular velocity sensor configured and arranged to detect an angular velocity of the main body about the Y-axis, and

a Z-axis angular velocity sensor configured and arranged to detect an angular velocity of the main body about the Z-axis,

the input device further comprises

a first signal processing unit configured to execute first signal processing based on an X-axis angular velocity signal received from the X-axis angular velocity sensor, and

a second signal processing unit configured to execute second signal processing based on a Y-axis angular velocity signal received from the Y-axis angular velocity sensor and a Z-axis angular velocity signal received from the Z-axis angular velocity sensor.

4. The input device according to claim 3, further comprising

a priority selection unit including

a priority processing determination unit configured to determine which one of the first signal processing and the second signal processing is to be given priority, and

a selection unit configured to selectively output one of a first processed signal outputted from the first signal processing unit and a second processed signal outputted from the second signal processing unit based on determination by the priority processing determination unit.

5. The input device according to claim 3, wherein

the motion sensor unit further includes

a Y-axis acceleration sensor configured and arranged to detect an acceleration of the main body in a Y-axis direction, and

a Z-axis acceleration sensor configured and arranged to detect an acceleration of the main body in a Z-axis direction,

the second signal processing unit further includes

a coordinate conversion processing unit configured to perform coordinate conversion processing in which the Y-axis angular velocity detected by the Y-axis angular velocity sensor and the Z-axis angular velocity detected by the Z-axis angular velocity sensor are converted to a U-axis angular velocity and a V-axis angular velocity, respectively, in a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system defined by a U-axis that is a horizontal axis in the first plane perpendicular to the X-axis and a V-axis that is perpendicular to the U-axis in the first plane, the coordinate conversion processing unit being configured to perform the coordinate conversion processing based on the acceleration detected by the Y-axis acceleration sensor and the acceleration detected by the Z-axis acceleration sensor.

6. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising

an operating unit including an output enable switch configured and arranged to switch between enabling and disabling signal output from the input device.

7. The input device according to claim 4, further comprising

an operating unit including a switch configured and arranged to forcibly switch between executing the first signal processing by the first signal processing unit and executing the second signal processing by the second signal processing unit.

8. The input device according to claim 4, wherein

the first signal processing unit is configured to execute the first signal processing to output a first processed signal corresponding to a control quantity signal indicative of at least one of a scroll amount of a display screen and a zoom factor of a display image, and

the second signal processing unit is configured to execute the second signal processing to output a second processed signal corresponding to a control quantity signal relating to displacement of a cursor pointer on the display screen.

9. A data processing system comprising:

the input device according to claim 1; and

a data processing device configured and arranged to receive a transmission signal from the input device and to execute prescribed data processing based on the signal received from the input device.