Input device

• US 6,130,664 A
• Filed: 02/25/1998
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/030,634
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/156, 345/163, 345/165, 345/166, 345/157, 345/158
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

According to the present invention there is provided an input device not requiring a flat operating surface, easy to operate, and capable of being used with a feeling more accurately matching the human sense.

The input device indicated at 1 comprises a case having a bottom a bottom surface having the shape of a cubic curve, two angular velocity sensors housed within the case, a signal processing section for converting sensor output into control signals, and selecting switches. The first angular velocity sensor, whose central axis is fixed along Z axis, detects rotation in a horizontal plane of the input device. The second angular velocity sensor, whose central axis is fixed along X axis, detects rotation in a vertical plane in the longitudinal direction of the input device.

Claims

1. An input device for inputting two-dimensional information to an information processor, comprising:

a case having a bottom, said bottom being selected from one of a group consisting of a quadric bottom surface, a bottom surface having the shape of a cubic curve, and a bottom with a protuberance formed thereon;

sensors housed within said case and adapted to detect directions and amounts of rotations of a body of the input device centered on two axes orthogonal to each other;

a signal processing section adapted to convert output from said sensors into control signals associated with said information processor; and

selecting switches adapted to input various selection signals;

wherein one of said two axes orthogonal to each other is a vertical axis extending in a vertical direction and the other is a horizontal axis extending in a transverse direction of the device body;

sensor output in rotation around said vertical axis is converted into information in a horizontal direction of a display of said information processor, and sensor output in rotation around said horizontal axis is converted into information in a vertical direction of said display; and

a support member abuts the bottom of the case during operation and provides a surface for rotation of the input device, rotation occurs around one of a group consisting of the quadric bottom surface, the cubic curved bottom surface, and the protuberance, and the amounts of rotation are converted into information for the display.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein said selecting switches are disposed so that their operating directions pass through a central axis of any of said sensors.

3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the bottom of said case or the position and size of said protuberance of the case are optimized.

4. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of said device body is positioned on a rear side relative to the central point.

5. An input device for inputting three-dimensional information to an information processor, comprising:

a case having a bottom, said bottom being selected from one of a group consisting of a quadric bottom surface, a bottom surface having the shape of a cubic curve, and a bottom with a protuberance formed thereon;

sensors housed within said case and adapted to detect directions and amounts of rotations of a body of the input device centered on three axes orthogonal to one another;

a signal processing section adapted to convert output from said sensors into control signals associated with said information processor; and

selecting switches adapted to input various selection signals;

wherein said three orthogonal axes are a vertical axis extending in a vertical direction, a first horizontal axis extending in a transverse direction of the device body, and a second horizontal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the device body; and

sensor output in rotation around said vertical axis is converted into information in a horizontal direction of a display of said information processor, sensor output in rotation around said first horizontal axis is converted into information in a vertical direction of said display, and sensor output in rotation around said second horizontal axis is converted into information in a direction extending through said display.

6. An input device according to claim 5, wherein said selecting switches are disposed so that their operating directions pass through a central axis of any of said sensors.

7. An input device according to claim 5, wherein the center of gravity of the device body is positioned on a rear side relative to the central point.