Wireless pointing system

• US 6,504,526 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mauritz, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/185,722
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 345/167, 345/168-169, 345/158, 345/156, 345/157, 348/734, 250/200, 250/206.1, 250/559.2, 250/559.39
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device

Abstract

A wireless pointing device may have a motion circuit to indicate when the wireless pointing device is in motion, and a transmitter to transmit a unique signal indicative of the wireless pointing device'"'"'s motion is described. A wireless receiver may have a control circuit to generate control signals based on a classification of signals received from the wireless pointing device, and an analysis circuit to determine a characteristic of the received signals is also described. Signal classification may include determination of whether the received signal indicate motion of the wireless pointing device and/or whether a wireless pointing device control (a button or switch, for example) has been activated. Signal characteristics may include motion and/or the speed of motion of the wireless pointing device.

Claims

1. A wireless pointing device receiver, comprising:

a receiver to receive signals from at least two wireless pointing devices; and

a control circuit to detect movement of each of said devices relative to said receiver, said control circuit including at least two detectors, said control circuit to compare inputs from said wireless devices to the detectors to detect movement of each device relative to said receiver.

2. The wireless pointing device receiver of claim 1, further comprising an output circuit, operatively coupled to the circuit, to generate a signal to a programmable control device indicative of operation of the wireless pointing device.

3. The wireless pointing device receiver of claim 1, wherein the circuit also detects the direction of relative movement of said device.

4. The wireless pointing device receiver of claim 1, wherein the signals are infrared signals.

5. The wireless pointing device receiver of claim 4, wherein the receiver comprises two infrared detectors.

6. The wireless pointing device receiver of claim 4, wherein the receiver comprises two infrared detector arrays.

7. The wireless pointing device receiver of claim 4, wherein the receiver comprises a two-dimensional array of infrared detectors.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a bus;

a host processor operatively coupled to the bus; and

a first wireless unit operatively coupled to the bus, the first wireless unit including a receiver to receive signals from at least two wireless pointing devices, a control circuit to detect movement of each device relative to said receiver, said control circuit including at least two detectors to detect wireless signals from said wireless unit and to compare said signals to detect movement of each device relative to said receiver.

9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising a second wireless unit operatively coupled to the bus.

10. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising an output circuit, operatively coupled to the first wireless unit and the second wireless unit, to generate a signal to the host processor indicative of operation of the wireless pointing device.

11. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising a wireless pointing device adapted to communicate with the first wireless unit.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein, the control circuit detects the direction of said device relative to said receiver.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the characteristic is activation of a user operable control of the wireless pointing device.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the signals are radio frequency signals.

15. A wireless pointing device receiver, comprising:

a receiver to receive signals from at least two wireless pointing devices; and

a control circuit to detect movement of each of said devices relative to said receiver, said control circuit including at least two detectors, said control circuit to compare inputs from said wireless devices to the detectors to detect movement of each device relative to said receiver and generate a signal indicative of each device'"'"'s motion.