Position detection apparatus and remote control apparatus

• US 6,081,255 A
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Narabu, Tadakuni
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowers, Benjamin D.
• Application Number:
  US08/992,463
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 356/375, 356/141.1-141.5, 348/166, 348/265
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to remote control a position of a cursor displayed on a display screen of a reception unit by means of two-dimensional/three-dimensional positioning of a transmission unit. Another object of the present invention is to select a function by operating an ON/OFF switch of the transmission unit.

A light emitted from a light source block of a transmission unit 10 is injected via a first optical block 13. A reception unit 20 receives the light from the transmission unit 10 via a second optical block 21 of a sensor block 22. A detection block 28 detects a light intensity according to an output from this sensor block. A control block 26 calculates a two-dimensional/three-dimensional position of the transmission unit 10 and displays the position as the cursor position on the display screen.

Claims

1. A position detection apparatus comprising:

light receiving means consisting of only one lens in operational association with at least two one-dimensional light receiving elements arranged in different directions from each other, wherein the one lens receives a light injected from a light source and converges the light to a spot in an area of the light receiving elements whereupon the light receiving means generates a position output if the spot is directly on any one of the light receiving elements and also if the spot is not directly on any one of the light receiving elements; and

position detection processing means for detecting a two-dimensional position of said light source according to the position output from said light receiving means.

2. A position detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one-dimensional light receiving elements are arranged so as to intersect each other at a right angle.

3. A position detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said one-dimensional light receiving elements is divided into two equal portions so as to sandwich the center of the other light receiving element with a right angle, forming a cross-shaped configuration as a whole.

4. A position detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light receiving means includes three or more than three one-dimensional light-receiving elements in which at least two elements are arranged in different directions from each other;

and

said position detection processing means detects a three-dimensional position of said light source means according to an output signal of said light receiving means.

5. A position detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one-dimensional light receiving elements are made from one of CCD image pickup elements, BBD image pickup elements, and MOS image pickup elements.

6. A remote control apparatus comprising:

a transmission block having a light source for emitting a light and an ON/OFF switch for turning on and off said light source;

a light receiving block having only one lens in operational association with at least two one-dimensional light receiving elements arranged in different directions from each other, wherein the one lens receives the light emitted from said transmission block and converges the light to a spot in an area of the light receiving elements whereupon the light receiving means generates a position output if the spot is directly on any one of the light receiving elements and also if the spot is not directly on any one of the light receiving elements;

a position detection processing block for detecting a two-dimensional position of said transmission block according to the position output from said light receiving block; and

a display block for displaying on a display screen the two-dimensional position of said transmission block detected by said position detection processing block.

7. A remote control apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said light receiving block has three or more than three one-dimensional light receiving elements, at least one of which elements is arranged in a different direction from the other elements;

and

said position detection processing block detects a three-dimensional position of said transmission block according to an output signal from said light receiving block.

8. A remote control apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said position detection processing block detects a maximum point of the amplitude of the output signal from said light receiving block.