Cursor control device

• US 5,448,261 A
• Filed: 06/10/1993
• Issued: 09/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yutaka, Koike, Masanobu, Tsukaune, Isao, Yamada, Teruhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/074,419
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/157, 345/156, 345/163, 345/166, 345/169, 345/179, 358/194.1, 359/142, 359/143, 359/145, 359/146, 359/148
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cursor control device for controlling the display position of a cursor displayed on a display device. The cursor displayed on the display device is remotely controlled by a remote control transmitter. The remote control transmitter is provided with, for example, a light emitting element emitting light rays having a particular wavelength, for example, infrared rays. The position of the remote control transmitter is detected by an imaging device including a CCD. The position of the cursor on a display screen of the display device is controlled on the basis of the detected position of the remote control transmitter.

Claims

1. A cursor control device comprising:

a display device having a display screen on which a cursor is displayed;

a remote control transmitter including a light emitting element for emitting light rays having a particular wavelength for providing inputs to remotely control the cursor displayed on said display device;

imaging means, having a predetermined image area, for imaging said light rays providing inputs from said light emitting element within the predetermined imaging area;

distance detecting means for determining the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means;

position detecting means for determining the position of said light emitting element on the basis of an output of said imaging means;

cursor controlling means for determining an amount of movement and a direction of movement of said light emitting element on the basis of the position of said light emitting element which is determined by said position detecting means, for determining the amount of movement of the cursor by multiplying the amount of movement of said light emitting element by a coefficient, and for determining the direction of movement of the cursor on the basis of the direction of movement of said light emitting element, to control the position of the cursor on the display screen on the basis of the determined amount of movement of the cursor and the determined direction of movement of the cursor; and

coefficient controlling means for controlling said coefficient used for calculating the amount of movement of the cursor by said cursor controlling means on the basis of the distance determined by said distance detecting means.

2. The cursor control device according to claim 1, wherein said distance detecting means determines the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means on the basis of the output of said imaging means using a predetermined relationship between the amount of the light from said light emitting element which is received by said imaging means and the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means.

3. A cursor control device comprising:

a display device having a display screen on which a cursor is displayed;

a remote control transmitter including a light emitting element for emitting light rays having a particular wavelength, an operation key for generating an operation signal and means for modulating said light rays by said operation signal, the remote control transmitter providing inputs to remotely control the cursor displayed on the display screen;

imaging means having a predetermined imaging area for imaging said light rays providing inputs from said light emitting element within the predetermined imaging area;

distance detecting means for determining the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means;

position detecting means for determining the position of said light emitting element on the basis of an output of said imaging means;

cursor controlling means for determining the amount of movement and the direction of movement of said light emitting element on the basis of the position of said light emitting element which is determined by said position detecting means, for determining the amount of movement of the cursor by multiplying the amount of movement of said light emitting element by a coefficient, and for determining the direction of movement of the cursor on the basis of the direction of movement of the cursor on the basis of the direction of movement of said light emitting element, to control the position of the cursor on the display screen on the basis of the determined amount of movement of the cursor and the determined direction of movement of the cursor;

coefficient controlling means for controlling said coefficient used for calculating the amount of movement of the cursor by said cursor controlling means on the basis of the distance determined by said distance detecting means; and

means for outputting an on-off judging signal of the inputs from said operation key by demodulating the output of said imaging means.

4. The cursor control device according to claim 3, wherein said distance detecting means determines the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means on the basis of the output of said imaging means using a predetermined relationship between the amount of the light from said light emitting element which is received by said imaging means and the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means.

5. A cursor control device comprising:

a display device having a display screen on which a cursor is displayed;

a remote control transmitter including a light emitting element for emitting light rays having a particular wavelength, an operation key and means for changing the intensity of the light outputted from said light emitting element in two stages in response to an on-off judging signal of said operation key, the remote control transmitter providing inputs to remotely control the cursor displayed on said display screen;

imaging means having a predetermined imaging area for imaging said light rays providing inputs from said light emitting element within the predetermined imaging area;

distance detecting means for determining the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means;

position detecting means for determining the position of said light emitting element on the basis of an output of said imaging means;

cursor controlling means for determining the amount of movement and the direction of movement of said light emitting element on the basis of the position of said light emitting element which is determined by said position detecting means, for determining the amount of movement of the cursor by multiplying the amount of movement of said light emitting element by a coefficient, and for determining the direction of movement of the cursor on the basis of the direction of movement of said light emitting element, to control the position of the cursor on the display screen on the basis of the determined amount of movement of the cursor and the determined direction of movement of the cursor;

coefficient controlling means for controlling said coefficient used for calculating the amount of movement of the cursor by said cursor controlling means on the basis of the distance determined by said distance detecting means; and

means for outputting the on-off judging signal of the inputs from said operation key on the basis of the output of said imaging means.

6. The cursor control device according to claim 5, wherein said distance determining means finds the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means on the basis of the output of said imaging means using a predetermined relationship between the amount of the light from said light emitting element which is received by said imaging means and the distance between said light emitting element and said imaging means.