Three-dimensional coordinates input apparatus

• US 5,512,919 A
• Filed: 03/30/1993
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Araki, Yoshitsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saras, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US08/040,276
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/710, 74/471, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/161, 345/162, 345/163, 345/168, 345/184, 414/1-6, 84/600
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

A three-dimensional coordinates input apparatus in which a hand detecting plate and finger detecting portions are set into contactless states for the hand and fingers and the hand detecting plate and finger detecting portions are moved or rotated in accordance with the motions of the hand and fingers, thereby obtaining graphic data. When an object of three-dimensional computer graphics is grasped by the hand of the graphics based on the three-dimensional coordinates data, the finger detecting portions are depressed to the fingers in the real space, thereby giving a tactile sensation to the fingers. Further, the motion of the hand is detected by an infrared sensor.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional coordinates input apparatus for supplying three-dimensional coordinates data, comprising:

hand detecting means for detecting a position and a posture of a hand;

finger detecting means for detecting positions and postures of fingers;

hand detection means moving means for moving said hand detecting means in horizontal and vertical directions;

rotating means for rotating said hand detecting means and said finger detecting means;

tracing means for controlling said hand detection means moving means to move said hand detecting means to approach the palm of the hand to a position of a predetermined non-zero distance and for controlling said hand detection means moving means to move said hand detecting means to trace movement of said hand when the palm of the hand is put over said hand detecting means based on the detecting by said hand detecting means;

finger detection responsive bending means, responsive to said positions and postures detected by said finger detecting means, for bending said finger detecting means in accordance with a bending state of the fingers when the fingers are detected to be bent at a position near but spaced from said finger detecting means by a predetermined non-zero distance; and

coordinate data producing output means for producing three-dimensional coordinate data of the hand and fingers based on results of the detections of said positions and postures of the hand and fingers in real space by said hand detecting means and said finger detecting means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising tactile sensation giving means for giving a tactile sensation by depressing said finger detecting means to the fingers.