Input device for shifting a marker on a monitor screen

• US 6,304,246 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Koch, Harald, Kuth, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Francis
• Application Number:
  US09/134,932
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-158, 345/163-166, 341/20, 250/237.G, 250/380, 607/31, 607/51, 744/71.XY, 200/6.A, 200/5.A, 600/411, 600/447, 600/432, 600/410, 348/61, 128/903-904, 324/318, 324/322, 361/683-687, 320/101
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

An input device for shifting a marker on a monitor has a completely closed, hermetically sealed and sterilizeable housing with an electrical shield, at least one sensor arrangement for detecting movement of the housing, an evaluation unit connected with the sensor arrangement, and a conversion unit connected to the evaluation unit downstream for converting the signals emitted by the evaluation unit into corresponding modulated signals. The sensor arrangement, the evaluation unit and the conversion unit are arranged entirely within the shield as is a transmitting unit for radiating the modulated signals into the environment, where they are detected by a receiver positioned in the environment and are converted into signals for shifting the marker on the monitor.

Claims

1. An input device for shifting a marker on a monitor screen, comprising:

a completely closed, hermetically sealed and sterilizeable housing containing an electrical shield;

at least one sensor means for detecting movement of said housing and for generating a sensor means output signal dependent on the movement;

an evaluation unit supplied with said sensor means output signal which evaluates said sensor means output signal and generates a control signal for use in shifting a position of a marker on a monitor screen;

a conversion unit supplied with said control signal for converting said control signal into a modulated signal, said sensor means, said evaluation unit and said conversion unit being disposed completely within said shield; and

transmitting means for broadcasting said modulated signal by radiating said modulated signal into the environment to a location remote from said transmitting means; and

a non-magnetic energy source in said housing, connected to said evaluation unit, said conversion unit and said transmitting means, for supplying power to each of said evaluation unit, said conversion unit and said transmitting means, said non-magnetic energy source being selected from the group consisting of a non-magnetic battery, a non-magnetic accumulator and a non-magnetic electrolytic capacitor.

2. An input device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising detector means, disposed at said location remote from said transmitting means, for receiving the modulated signal broadcast by said transmitting means, said detector means including means for demodulating said control signal and said detector means being adapted for supplying said control signal to a monitor for shifting a position of a marker on a screen of the monitor.

3. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensor means comprises:

a first optical transmitter and a second optical transmitter disposed at an underside of said housing, said first optical transmitter radiating light at a first frequency onto a movement base on which said housing is movable, and said second optical transmitter radiating light at a second frequency, different from said first frequency, onto said movement base;

a first optical detector disposed for receiving said light from said first optical transmitter after reflection from said movement base, and a second optical detector disposed for receiving said light from said second optical transmitter after reflection off said movement base, said first optical detector generating first detector signals dependent on the light radiated from said first optical transmitted and, reflected from said movement base, and said second optical detector generating second detector signals dependent on the light radiated by said second optical transmitter and reflected from said movement base and said first and second detectors respectively supplying said first and second detector signals, as said sensor means output signal, to said evaluation unit; and

said movement base comprising a grid of elements disposed in an x-direction and a y-direction, with a spacing between elements in the x-direction being tuned to the frequency of said first optical transmitter and the spacing between said elements in the y-direction being tuned to said second frequency.

4. An input device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said grid of elements on said movement base exhibits light and dark variations, said variations altering said light reflected from said movement base from said first and second optical transmitters, and said light and dark variations thereby being detectable by said first detector and said second detector, respectively.

5. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensor means comprises four microswitches disposed at right angles relative to each other at a top side of said housing and an actuating element disposed at said top side of said housing and in mechanical contact with each of said four microswitches.

6. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensor means comprises four pressure-dependent resistors disposed at right angles relative to each other at a top side of said housing and an actuating element disposed at said top side of said housing and in mechanical contact with each of said four pressure-dependent resistors.

7. An input device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one manually operable button for entering commands disposed at said housing and being connected to said transmitting means, said button causing said transmitting means to broadcast optical signals having respectively different optical characteristics dependent on an actuation position of said button.

8. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting optical signals.

9. An input device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said transmitting means comprises an infrared light-emitting diode contained in a hollow light waveguide, said hollow light waveguide being contained in said housing and extending to said conversion unit.

10. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting radio signals.

11. An input device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting radio signals at a frequency above a nuclear magnetic resonance frequency of a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus.

12. An input device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said means for transmitting radio signals comprises means for transmitting radio signals at a frequency over 100 MHZ.

13. An input device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one solar cell mounted at an exterior of said housing, and wherein said non-magnetic energy source is means connected to said solar cell for storing energy produced by said solar cell.

14. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises two housing parts welded together, each of said housing parts being comprised of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrol-polymerisate.

15. An input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises two housing parts welded together, each of said housing parts being comprised of polycarbonate.