User input for a computer

• US 6,426,741 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Goldsmith, Michael A., Cox, Cory W., Wymore, Ben S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/409,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/169, 345/157, 345/163, 345/156, 348/734, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/185 Stick input, e.g. drumsticks with position or contact sensors stick for music conducting applications, e.g. conductor baton movement detection G10H2220/206
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321

Abstract

Information is determined about acceleration of a user manipulated input device (using, for example, an accelerometer). A wireless communication element (e.g., a lamp) is controlled in response to the acceleration information. A computer presentation of video information to the user is controlled in response to signals of the wireless communication element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a user manipulated input device, determining an acceleration state based on acceleration of the device comprising determining whether or not an acceleration exceeds a threshold value set to distinguish whether or not a user has initiated computer presentation of audio or video information,

controlling a wireless communication element in the input device in response to the determined acceleration state, and

controlling computer presentation of audio or video information in response to signals of the wireless communication element.

2. The method of claim 1 in which controlling the wireless communication element comprises illuminating the wireless communication element in response to an acceleration or a deceleration of the input device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the illuminating comprises moving a mechanical shutter with request to the communication element.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the illuminating comprises turning the communication element on and off.

5. The of claim 2 wherein illuminating comprises a single illumination.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein illuminating comprises multiple illuminations.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting on/off communication from the wireless communication element, and

controlling the computer presentation in response to the detected on/off communication.

8. The method of claim 7 in which detecting the on/off communication comprises capturing an image using a camera.

9. The method of claim 7 in which controlling the computer presentation in response to the detected on/off communication comprises selecting video sequences to be displayed to the user or generating sounds or emitting synthesized speech.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises an accelerometer.

11. A method of enabling interaction between a user and a video display, the method comprising:

measuring user-controlled acceleration or deceleration of a hand-held device;

comparing the measured acceleration with a threshold value, at the hand-held device, to determine whether the user-controlled acceleration is an indication of an intended action,

flashing a radiation source in response to a determination of an indication of an intended action,

detecting the flashing of the radiation source, and

altering a presentation by a computer to the user on the video display based on the detection of the flashing of the radiation source.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the altering comprises displaying a video sequence that portrays actions that correspond to the user'"'"'s intended action.

13. The method of claim 11 in which the hand-held device is programmed to flash the radiation source in a manner that corresponds to actions that can be displayed in the video sequence.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising comparing the measured acceleration with a predetermined limit.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the radiation source is flashed when the measured acceleration passes the predetermined limit.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein flashing comprises a single irradiation.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein flashing comprises multiple irradiations.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the radiation source comprises a lamp.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein detecting comprises detecting the position of the radiation source.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein detecting comprises using a camera.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the camera comprises a digital camera.

22. An input device comprising:

an element that can be accelerated and decelerated by a user to indicate intended actions,

a controller configured to issue control signals when the element is accelerated or decelerated at a rate greater than a threshold value set to distinguish whether or not the user has indicated intended actions, and

a source of radiation that is flashed in response to the control signals to provide input to an external device.

23. The input device of claim 22 in which the source of radiation comprises a lamp.

24. The input device of claim 22 further comprising:

an accelerometer.

25. The input device of claim 22 wherein the external device comprises a detector configured to detect the radiation source.

26. The input device of claim 25 wherein the detector is configured to detect a position of the radiation source.

27. The input device of claim 25 wherein the external device further comprises a controller configured to present audio or video information in response to the input.

28. The input device of claim 26 wherein the detector comprises a camera.

29. A method comprising:

by machine, performing selectable audio or video segments as part of a user interface, the audio or video segments being associated with respective actions by a user,

enabling a user to accelerate or decelerate a mechanical device to indicate each of the actions,

at the device, comparing the acceleration or deceleration of the device to a predetermined limit to generate information corresponding to whether or not the user has indicated each of the actions,

transmitting the information from the mechanical device using a wireless communication link,

receiving the transmitted information, and

selecting the segments based on the received information.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the user actions correspond to actions portrayed in the video segments.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein transmitting the information further comprises illuminating the wireless communication link.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein illuminating comprises a single illumination.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein illuminating comprises multiple illuminations.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining a position of the wireless communication link.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein selecting the segments is based on the position of the wireless communication link.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the wireless communication link comprises a lamp.

37. The method of claim 29 wherein receiving the transmitted information comprises capturing an image using a camera.

38. The method of claim 29 wherein the mechanical device comprises an accelerometer.

39. A medium storing a machine-readable program that receives wireless information when a user'"'"'s acceleration and deceleration of a mechanical device exceeds a threshold set to distinguish whether or not the user initiated a computer presentation of audio or video information, as determined at the mechanical device, and controls the computer presentation of audio or video information to the user in response to the wireless information.

40. The machine-readable program of claim 39 wherein the wireless information comprises light.