Sphere-Like Input Device

• US 20120169589A1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Albano, Gherardo, De Collibus, Francesco M., Landi, Luca, Prudenzi, Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 10,031,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a human interface device including an inner sphere, wherein the inner sphere has a center point. The human interface device can further include an outer sphere, and the outer sphere may be compressible. The human interface device may also include a plurality of pressure sensors between the inner sphere and the outer sphere for detecting localized compression of the outer sphere, a first three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere, and a second three-axis-accelerometer located within the inner sphere, wherein the first three-axis-accelerometer and the second three-axis-accelerometer-accelerometer are each located at least a predetermined distance from the center point.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method comprising:

receiving time dependent pressure sensor data;

receiving time dependent accelerometer data; and

determining a control gesture in accordance with the time dependent pressure sensor data and the time dependent accelerometer data.

19. The method according to claim 18, further including determining a rotation of the human interface device using the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the control gesture is at least partially determined by the rotation of the human interface device.

20. The method according to claim 19, further including,

determining a first acceleration vector in accordance with the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the first acceleration vector represents the acceleration measured by the first three-axis-accelerometer,

determining a second acceleration vector in accordance with the time dependent accelerometer data, wherein the second acceleration vector represents the acceleration measured by the second three-axis-accelerometer,

determining the rotation, wherein the rotation is determined at least partially by subtracting the first acceleration vector from the second acceleration vector.