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Three-dimensional movement specifying apparatus and method and observational position and orientation changing apparatus

  • US 5,561,445 A
  • Filed: 11/21/1994
  • Issued: 10/01/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A three-dimensional movement specifying apparatus for specifying translation movement and/or rotational movement of an object in a three-dimensional space to virtually move the object from a starting position and orientation (x0,y0,z0, α

  • 0,β

    0,γ

    0) to a target position and orientation (x1,y1,z1, α

    1,β

    1,γ

    1), comprising;

    displaying means for displaying a plane representing a three-dimensional position (x,y,z) and an orientation (α





    ) of the object and the object placed at the three-dimensional position and orientation (x,y,z, α





    ), an X-Y-Z coordinate system in which the plane is placed on an X-Y plane specified by Z coordinates Z=0 and the object is placed at an original point being defined, a value α

    denoting a rotational angle about an X-axis of the coordinate system, a value β

    denoting a rotational angle about a Y-axis of the coordinate system, a value γ

    denoting a rotational angle about a Z-axis of the coordinate system, and the object and the coordinate system being moved with the plane to place a fixed position of the plane at the original point of the X-Y-Z coordinate system;

    first orientation specifying means having a track ball member for specifying a first rotational movement of the plane displayed by the displaying means about the X-axis and a second rotational movement of the plane about the Y-axis at one time by rotating the track ball member, the plane which represents a three-dimensional starting position (x0,y0,z0) and a starting orientation (α

    0,β

    0,γ

    0) of the object being moved according to the first and second rotational movements to place both the three-dimensional starting position (x0,y0,z0) and a three-dimensional target position (x1,y1,z1) on the plane and being changed to the plane which represents the three-dimensional starting position (x0,y0,z0) and an intermediate orientation (α

    2,β

    2,γ

    0) of the object, and an orientation (α

    2,β

    2) represented by the plane being further changed according to the first and second rotational movements to an orientation (α

    1,β

    1) represented by the plane by rotating the track ball member by angle of α

    1-α

    2 and β

    1-β

    2 about the X-axis and Y-axis;

    position specifying means having a secondary ball member for specifying a first translation movement of the plane displayed by the displaying means along the X-axis and a second translation movement of the plane along the Y-axis at one time by rotating the secondary ball member straight, the plane which is determined by the first orientation specifying means and represents the three-dimensional starting position (x0,y0,z0) and the intermediate orientation (α

    2,β

    2,γ

    2) of the object being moved according to the first and second translation movements and changed to the plane which represent the three-dimensional target position (x1,y1,z1) and the intermediate orientation (α

    2,β

    2,γ

    0) of the object;

    second orientation specifying means for specifying a third rotational movement of the plane displayed by the displaying means about the Z-axis, an orientation γ

    0 represented by the plane being changed to an orientation γ

    1 represented by the plane to change the plane which is determined by the position specifying means and represents the three-dimensional target position (x1,y1,z1) and the intermediate orientation (α

    2,β

    2,γ

    0) of the object to the plane which represents the three-dimensional target position (x1,y1,z1) and a target orientation (α

    1,β

    1,γ

    1) of the object in cooperation with the first orientation specifying means; and

    control means for controlling the object and the plane displayed by the displaying means to place the object at the fixed position of the plane for the purpose of placing the object at the original point of the X-Y-Z coordinate system and controlling movement of the object to virtually move the object which is placed at the three-dimensional starting position (x0,y0,z0) and the starting orientation (α

    0,β

    0,γ

    0) represented by the plane to the three-dimensional target position (x1,y1,z1) and the target orientation (α

    1,β

    1,γ

    1) represented by the plane which is determined by specifying the first and second rotational movement, the first and second translation movements and the third rotational movement by the first orientation specifying means, the position specifying means and the second orientation specifying means.

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