Sonic positioning device
First Claim
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1. A system for indicating the position of a hand movable ultrasonic transmitter with respect to an array of detectors comprising:
- an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting a burst of ultrasonic waves;
an array of detectors responsive to the burst including three point detectors positioned such that a first axis through the first and second detectors intersects a second axis through the second and third detectors;
means responsive to the detection of the burst by the first and second detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the first axis and responsive to the detection of the burst by the second and third detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the second axis and responsive to the detection of the burst by only one of the detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to a third axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the three detectors.
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Abstract
A three-dimensional ultrasonic position control device suitable for controlling computer displays or robot movements is disclosed.
More specifically, signals from an ultrasonic transmitter are received by multiple receivers. The received signals are processed by a processing circuit which provides signals to a computer system for use in controlling a computer display or a robot. This system is particularly adapted to use inexpensive components to provide for a low cost mass producible control device.
87 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for indicating the position of a hand movable ultrasonic transmitter with respect to an array of detectors comprising:
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an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting a burst of ultrasonic waves; an array of detectors responsive to the burst including three point detectors positioned such that a first axis through the first and second detectors intersects a second axis through the second and third detectors; means responsive to the detection of the burst by the first and second detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the first axis and responsive to the detection of the burst by the second and third detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the second axis and responsive to the detection of the burst by only one of the detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to a third axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the three detectors. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. Apparatus for controlling the position of a cursor on a display screen comprising:
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means for generating a first signal; a hand movable ultrasonic transducer for transmitting a burst of ultrasonic waves in timed relationship to the first signal; an array of detectors responsive to the burst including three point detectors positioned such that a first axis through the first and second detectors intersects a second axis through the second and third detectors at substantially a right angle; means for providing a second signal proportional to the square of the period of time from the generation of first signal; means for sampling the second signal in response to the detection of the burst by each of the detectors; first means responsive to the signal sampled in response to the detection of the burst by the first and second detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the first axis; second means responsive to the signal sampled in response to the detection of the burst by the second and third detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the second axis; and display means for positioning a cursor on a display screen relative to one axis of the display screen in response to the position of the transmitter relative to the first axis and for positioning the cursor on the display screen relative to another axis of the display screen in response to the position of the transmitter relative to the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23)
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9. Apparatus for controlling the position of a cursor on a display screen comprising:
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means for generating a first signal; a hand removable ultrasonic transducer for transmitting a burst of ultrasonic waves in timed relationship to the first signal; an array of detectors responsive to the burst including three point detectors positioned such that a first axis through the first and second detectors intersects a second axis through the second and third detectors at substantially a right angle; means for providing a ramp signal proportional to the period of time from the generation of the first signal; means for integrating the ramp signal from a first detection of the burst by one detector until a subsequent detection by another detector on the same axis and for providing an integral in response to the detections by the first and second detectors and another integral in response to the detections by the second and third detectors; first means responsive to the integral provided in response to the detections by the first and second detectors for indicating the position of the transducer relative to the first axis; second means responsive to the integral provided in response to the detections by the second and third detectors for indicating the position of the transducer relative to the second axis; and display means for positioning a cursor on a display screen relative to one axis of the display screen in response to the position of the transmitter relative to the first axis and for positioning the cursor on the display screen relative to another axis of the display screen in response to the position of the transmitter relative to the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 24)
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13. A method of determining the position of an ultrasonic transmitter with respect to an axis having two point receivers positioned thereon comprising the following steps:
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transmitting a burst of ultrasonic waves from the transmitter; generating a representation proportional to the square of the period of time from the transmission; detecting the receipt of the burst at each of the receivers; sampling the representation at the time of each detection; and generating a value indicative of the position in response to the difference between the sampled representations. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of determining the position of an ultrasonic transmitter with respect to an axis having first and second point receivers positioned thereon comprising the following steps:
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transmitting a number of cycles of an ultrasonic wave from a transmitter; detecting the receipt of the burst at each of the receivers; generating a positive representation proportional to the period of time from transmission to detection by the first receiver; generating a negative representation proportional to the period of time from transmission to the detection by the second receiver; integrating the sum of the representations; and sampling the integrated sum after detection of the burst by both detectors. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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25. A system for programming movements of a robot in a first coordinate system in response to movements of a hand movable ultrasonic transmitter in a second coordinate system defined by an array of detectors comprising:
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an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting a burst of ultrasonic waves; an array of detectors responsive to the burst including three point detectors positioned such that a first axis through the first and second detectors intersects a second axis through the second and third detectors; means responsive to the detection of the burst by the first and second detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the first axis and responsive to the detection of the burst by the second and third detectors for indicating the position of the transmitter relative to the second axis and responsive to one of the detectors for indicating the distance between the transmitter and one or more detectors which provides the position of the transmitter relative to a third axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the three detectors; means for controlling the movements of a robot such that movements of the transmitter along the first, second and third axes of the second coordinate system result in movements of the robot in corresponding axes of the first coordinate system. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification