Switching apparatus

• US 5,606,494 A
• Filed: 11/21/1994
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Morooka, Emiko, Yoshida, Kaoru, Kawai, Yoshio, Oshima, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US08/342,714
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 364/167.01, 364/188, 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 364/516, 364/560, 364/561, 395/93, 395/99, 318/568.16, 901/3, 901/9, 901/47, 345/156, 345/158, 434/1, 446/175, 273/433, 273/434, 273/438, 273/439
• US Class Current: 700/59
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• 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 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A switching apparatus is operated by a non contact motion made by a user. The switching apparatus is effectively used to control a mechanism, particularly a mechanism for driving a robot, by the non contact motion or gesture made by the user without touching the switching apparatus itself. The user can control or move indications, for example views of a dog, displayed on an image displaying equipment provided with the switching apparatus by his (her) motion or gesture without touching the switching apparatus. Therefore, the user can enjoy feeling as if he actually orders his dog.

Claims

1. A switching apparatus for controlling a mechanism, comprising:

driving means for driving said mechanism;

non-contact switching means for performing a switching operation in response to non-contact motion of a user;

position detecting means for obtaining position data from a state of the switching operation of said non-contact switching means, the position data representing a position of the non contact motion by the user relative to said non-contact switching means; and

control means for controlling said driving means to drive said mechanism based on the position data obtained by said position detecting means,

wherein said non-contact switching means includes;

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to the non contact motion made by the user; and

switching means for performing switching operation when said signal receiving means receives the reflected infrared light signal,

and wherein said position detecting means includes;

time counting means for counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to the non contact motion made by the user, and for obtaining position data from the counted time lapse.

2. A switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mechanism is mounted on a robot of a human shape.

3. A switching apparatus controlled with a non contact medium operated by a user, comprising:

image-data storing means for storing a plurality of image data;

non-contact switching means for executing a switching operation in response to the non contact medium operated by the user;

position detecting means for obtaining position data based on the switching operation executed by said non-contact switching means, the position data representing a position of the non contact medium operated by the user relative to said non-contact switching means;

image-data selecting means for selecting at least one image data from among the plurality of image data stored in said image-data storing means, depending on the position data obtained by said position detecting means; and

display means for displaying the image data selected by said image-data selecting means.

4. A switching means according to claim 3, wherein said image-data storing means stores a plurality of image data, each image data representing a view of an animal.

5. A switching apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said non-contact switching means comprises:

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user; and

switching means for performing a switching operation when said signal receiving means receives the reflected infrared light signal.

6. A switching apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said position detecting means comprises:

time counting means for counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user, and for obtaining position data from the counted time lapse.

7. A switching apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said position detecting means comprises:

time counting means for counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user; and

distance detecting means for obtaining position data from the time lapse counted by said time counting means, the position data representing a distance between said non contact switching means and a position of the non contact medium operated by the user.

8. A switching apparatus comprising:

data storing means for storing a plurality of image data and a plurality of sound data, the plurality of sound data corresponding respectively to the plurality of image data;

non-contact switching means for executing a switching operation in response to non contact motion made by a user;

position detecting means for obtaining position data representing a position where the non contact motion is performed by the user, based on the switching operation executed by said non-contact switching means;

image-data selecting means for selecting at least one image data from among the plurality of image data stored in said data storing means depending on the position data obtained by said position detecting means;

display means for displaying the image data selected by said image-data selecting means; and

sound generating means for generating a sound based on sound data stored in said data storing means and corresponding to the image data selected by said image-data selecting means, when the selected image data is displayed on said display means.

9. A switching means according to claim 8, wherein

said image-data storing means stores a plurality of image data, each image data representing a view of an animal, a plurality of sound data, each sound data for generating a voice of the animal.

10. A switching apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said non-contact switching means comprises:

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to the non contact motion made by the user; and

switching means for performing a switching operation when said signal receiving means receives the reflected infrared light signal.

11. A switching apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said position detecting means comprises:

time counting means for counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to the non contact motion made by the user, and for obtaining position data from the counted time lapse.

12. A switching apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said position detecting means comprises:

time counting means for counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to the non contact motion made by the user; and

distance detecting means for obtaining position data from the time lapse counted by said time counting means, the position data representing a distance between said non contact switching means and a position of the non contact motion made by the user.

13. An image displaying apparatus controlled with a non contact medium operated by a user, comprising:

image-data storing means for storing a plurality of image data;

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user;

first time counting means for periodically counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal which is transmitted from said first signal transmitting means and is reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user;

comparing means for comparing a time lapse counted last by said time counting means with a time lapse previously counted by said first time counting means to judge whether both the time lapses to be compared coincide with each other;

second time counting means for counting a time difference between a time lapse counted first by said fist time counting means and the time lapse counted last by said first time counting means, when said comparing means determines that the compared time lapses coincide with each other;

image-data selecting means for selecting at least one image data from among the plurality of image data stored in said image-data storing means, depending on the time difference calculated by said second time calculating means; and

,

display means for displaying the image data selected by said image-data selecting means.

14. An image displaying apparatus controlled with a non contact medium operated by a user, comprising:

image-data storing means for storing a plurality of image data;

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user;

first time counting means for periodically counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal which is transmitted from said signal transmitting means and is reflected from the non contact medium operated by the user;

comparing means for comparing a time lapse counted last by said time counting means with a time lapse previously counted by said first time counting means to judge whether both the time lapses to be compared coincide with each other;

second time counting means for counting a time difference between a time lapse counted first by said fist time counting means and the time lapse counted last by said first time counting means, when said comparing means determines that the compared time lapses coincide with each other;

distance calculating means for calculating from the time difference counted by said second time counting means a distance along which the non contact medium is operated by the user;

rapidity calculating means for calculating rapidity of the non contact medium operated by the user from the time difference counted by said second time counting means and the distance calculated by said distance calculating means;

image-data selecting means for selecting at least one image data from among the plurality of image data stored in said image-data storing means, depending on the rapidity of the non contact medium calculated by said rapidity calculating means; and

display means for displaying the image data selected by said image-data selecting means.

15. An image displaying apparatus comprising:

image-data storing means for storing a plurality of image data;

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to a non contact motion made by a user;

first time counting means for periodically counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal which is transmitted from said first signal transmitting means and is reflected in response to the non contact motion operated by the user;

comparing means for comparing a time lapse counted last by said time counting means with a time lapse previously counted by said first time counting means to judge whether both the time lapses to be compared coincide with each other;

second time counting means for counting a time difference between a time lapse counted first by said fist time counting means and the time lapse counted last by said first time counting means, when said comparing means determines that the compared time lapses coincide with each other;

image-data selecting means for selecting at least one image data from among the plurality of image data stored in said image-data storing means, depending on the time difference calculated by said second time calculating means; and

,

display means for displaying the image data selected by said image-data selecting means.

16. An image displaying apparatus comprising:

image-data storing means for storing a plurality of image data;

signal transmitting means for transmitting an infrared light signal;

signal receiving means for receiving the infrared light signal of said signal transmitting means reflected in response to a non contact motion made by a user;

first time counting means for periodically counting a time lapse from a time when said signal transmitting means transmits an infrared light signal to a time when said signal receiving means receives the infrared light signal which is transmitted from said signal transmitting means and is reflected from the non contact motion made by the user;

comparing means for comparing a time lapse counted last by said time counting means with a time lapse previously counted by said first time counting means to judge whether both the time lapses to be compared coincide with each other;

second time counting means for counting a time difference between a time lapse counted first by said fist time counting means and the time lapse counted last by said first time counting means, when said comparing means determines that the compared time lapses coincide with each other;

distance calculating means for calculating from the time difference counted by said second time counting means a distance along which the non contact motion is made by the user;

rapidity calculating means for calculating rapidity of the non contact motion made by the user from the time difference counted by said second time counting means and the distance calculated by said distance calculating means;

image-data selecting means for selecting at least one image data from among the plurality of image data stored in said image-data storing means, depending on the rapidity of the non contact motion of the user calculated by said rapidity calculating means; and

display means for displaying the image data selected by said image-data selecting means.