Angle sensor-based pointer and a cursor control system with the same

• US 20100259475A1
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charg-Shi Wu, Chiung-Yau Huang, Sheng-Chih Shen
• Original Assignee: Charg-Shi Wu, Chiung-Yau Huang, Sheng-Chih Shen
• Inventors: Shen, Sheng-Chih, Huang, Chiung-Yau, Wu, Charg-Shi
• Application Number:
  US12/385,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259475A1
• 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 angle sensor-based pointer has an angle sensor, a signal processing unit and a wireless transmitting unit. The angle sensor detects rotation angles of hand movements in at least two directions and accordingly produces voltage signals in response to the rotation angles. The voltage signals are further input to the signal processing unit and transformed to a coordinate signal. The coordinate signal is modulated and transmitted wirelessly through the wireless transmitting unit to a target device for moving a cursor from an original position to a new position.

Claims

1. An angle sensor-based pointer comprising:

an angle sensor detecting rotation angles of hand movements in at least two directions and producing voltage signals in response to the rotation angles;

a signal processing unit connected to the angle sensor, receiving the voltage signals and processing the voltage signals to a coordinate signal for moving a cursor from an original position to a new position; and

a wireless transmitting unit connected to the signal processing unit, receiving the coordinate signal from the signal processing unit and transmitting the coordinate signal wirelessly to a target device.

2. The pointer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle sensor detects the rotation angles of the hand movements in an X-axis direction and a Z-axis direction while an Y-axis direction is a pointing direction of the pointer.

3. The pointer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit has a built-in mapping table indicating relationships between voltage amplitudes of the voltage signals and displacements of the cursor.

4. The pointer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the signal processing unit has a built-in mapping table indicating relationships between voltage amplitudes of the voltage signals and displacements of the cursor.

5. The pointer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the voltage signals produced by the angle sensor are analog signals and converted to digital signals by an analog to digital converter.

6. The pointer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the analog to digital converter is connected between the angle sensor and the signal processing unit.

7. The pointer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the analog to digital converter is connected between the angle sensor and the signal processing unit.

8. The pointer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the analog to digital converter is integrated in the signal processing unit.

9. The pointer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the analog to digital converter is integrated in the signal processing unit.

10. The pointer as claimed in claim 6, wherein the angle sensor is a magneto-impedance sensor or a magneto-resistive sensor.

11. The pointer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the angle sensor is a magneto-impedance sensor or a magneto-resistive sensor.

12. The pointer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the angle sensor is a magneto-impedance sensor or a magneto-resistive sensor.

13. The pointer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the angle sensor is a magneto-impedance sensor or a magneto-resistive sensor.

14. A cursor control system comprising:

an angle sensor-based pointer having

an angle sensor detecting rotation angles of hand movements in at least two directions and producing voltage signals in response to the rotation angles;

a first signal processing unit connected to the angle sensor, receiving the voltage signals and processing the voltage signals to a coordinate signal for moving a cursor from an original position to a new position; and

a wireless transmitting unit connected to the first signal processing unit, receiving the coordinate signal from the signal processing unit and transmitting the coordinate signal wirelessly;

a target device having

a wireless receiving unit receiving the coordinate signal from the pointer;

a second signal processing unit connected to the wireless receiving unit to transform the coordinate signal to a cursor control signal; and

a display receiving the cursor control signal, wherein a cursor on the display is controlled to desired positions based on the cursor control signal.

15. The cursor control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the angle sensor detects the rotation angles of the hand movements in an X-axis direction and a Z-axis direction while an Y-axis direction is a pointing direction of the pointer.

16. The cursor control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first signal processing unit has a built-in mapping table indicating relationships between voltage amplitudes of the voltage signals and displacements of the cursor.

17. The cursor control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first signal processing unit has a built-in mapping table indicating relationships between voltage amplitudes of the voltage signals and displacements of the cursor.

18. The cursor control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the voltage signals produced by the angle sensor are analog signals and converted to digital signals by an analog to digital converter in the pointer.

19. The cursor control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the angle sensor is a magneto-impedance sensor or a magneto-resistive sensor.

20. The cursor control system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the angle sensor is a magneto-impedance sensor or a magneto-resistive sensor.