Postitioning system using infrared radiation

• US 6,567,071 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jay Smith III, Kenneth J. Curran
• Original Assignee: Jay Smith III, Kenneth J. Curran
• Inventors: Smith, Jay III, Curran, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/134,585
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/169, 345/157, 345/161, 345/156, 348/734, 273/348, 273/317, 463/37, 463/39
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/1005 for angles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A positioning controller having a receiving side for receiving light from a light source is disclosed. The receiving side includes an axis extending perpendicularly therefrom, and a vertical plane and a horizontal plane intersecting at the axis. The positioning controller includes three sensors. The reference sensor is positioned between the other two sensors, and is masked to receive light within a predetermined range of acute angles measured from the axis. One of the other two sensors is a vertical angle sensor that is masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the horizontal plane and from a second side of the horizontal plane. The third sensor is a horizontal angle sensor that is masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the vertical plane than from a second side of the vertical plane. The positioning controller further includes circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller using the amounts of light received by the reference sensor, the vertical angle sensor, and the horizontal angle sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source, comprising:

a first photodiode located on the positioning controller for receiving a first portion of infrared light from the external infrared light source;

a second photodiode located on the positioning controller for receiving a second portion of infrared light from the external light source equal to or less than the first portion of infrared light received by the first photodiode; and

circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller using the first and second portions of received infrared light and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the first photodiode having a parameter thereof masked to limit detection of light beyond a certain angle of orientation of the pointing device measured from a perpendicular axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the second photodiode having a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a third photodiode for receiving a third portion of infrared light from the infrared light source.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the circuitry using the first, second, and third portions of received light for determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the infrared light source.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, the circuitry determining the pitch and the yaw of the pointing device relative to the infrared light source.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the second photodiode having a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a first plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the first plane.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, the third photodiode having a portion thereof masked to limit reception of light on a first side of a second plane bisecting the second photodiode, and to promote reception of light on a second side of the second plane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the upper half of the second photodiode is masked so that reception of light into the second photodiode is limited when the second photodiode is pointed below the infrared light source and the reception of light into the second photodiode is promoted when the second photodiode is pointed above the infrared light source.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the left half of the third photodiode is masked so that reception of light into the third photodiode is limited when the third photodiode is pointed to the right of the infrared light source and the reception of light into the third photodiode is promoted when the third photodiode is pointed to the left of the infrared light source.

11. A positioning controller having a receiving side for receiving light from a light source, the receiving side including an axis extending perpendicularly therefrom, and a vertical plane and a horizontal plane intersecting at the axis, the positioning controller comprising:

a reference sensor for receiving light from the source, the reference sensor being masked to receive light within a predetermined range of acute angles measured from the axis; and

an angle sensor for receiving light from the source, the angle sensor being masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of one of the horizontal plane and the vertical plane than from a second side of the same plane, wherein the light received by the angle sensor is equal to or less than the light received by the reference sensor.

12. The positioning controller of claim 11, wherein the angle sensor is a vertical angle sensor that is masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the horizontal plane than from a second side of the horizontal plane.

13. The positioning controller of claim 11, wherein the angle sensor is a horizontal angle sensor that is masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the vertical plane than from a second side of the vertical plane.

14. The positioning controller of claim 12, further including a horizontal angle sensor for receiving light from the source, the horizontal angle sensor being masked to receive a larger quantity of light from a first side of the vertical plane than from a second side of the vertical plane.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further including circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller using amounts of light received by the reference sensor, the vertical angle sensor, and the horizontal angle sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the circuitry determines the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the light source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the light source is an infrared light source.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the circuitry determining the pitch and the yaw of the pointing device relative to the light source.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the lower half of the vertical angle sensor is masked so that reception of light into the vertical angle sensor is limited when the vertical angle sensor is pointed above the light source and the reception of light into the vertical angle sensor is promoted when the vertical angle sensor is pointed below the light source.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the right half of the horizontal angle sensor is masked so that reception of light into the horizontal angle sensor is limited when the horizontal angle sensor is pointed to the left of the light source and the reception of light into the horizontal angle sensor is promoted when the horizontal angle sensor is pointed to the right of the light source.

21. An apparatus for changing a position of a displayed object on a screen in response to a change in orientation of a positioning controller, comprising:

means for transmitting a reference signal to the positioning controller;

means operatively connected to the positioning controller for receiving the reference signal;

means operatively connected to the positioning controller for separately receiving a portion of the reference signal;

means operatively connected to the positioning controller for determining a direction from which the reference signal and the portion of the reference signal were received and for outputting data indicative of an orientation of the positioning controller; and

means for receiving the orientation data and for displaying the object on the screen, the position of the object corresponding to the orientation of the positioning controller.

22. A system for monitoring the roll orientation of a positioning controller, comprising:

a source of polarized light;

a receiver located on the positioning controller having a polarized filter, the receiver receiving the polarized light through the polarized filter;

a single photodiode within the receiver for receiving the light from the polarized filter; and

circuitry for determining the roll orientation of the positioning controller by determining the relative amount of light received by the single photodiode.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the source of polarized light has a first polarized filter and the polarized filter of the receiver is a second polarized filter.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first and second polarized filters are polarized lenses.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the orientation of the first polarized filter is different than the orientation of the second polarized filter.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first polarized filter passes polarized light from the source at a different angle relative to the second polarized filter.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the circuitry determines the roll orientation of the positioning controller by determining the percentage of light that passes through the first and second polarized filters.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the circuitry determines that the positioning controller is positioned in a horizontal plane when 50% of light from the source is received by the photodiode, determines that the positioning controller is positioned at a first predetermined degree roll in a first direction from the horizontal plane when the photodiode receives a predetermined maximum amount of light, and determines that the positioning controller is positioned at a second predetermined degree roll in a second direction from the horizontal plane when the photodiode receives a predetermined minimum amount of light.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first predetermined degree roll is 45 degrees in the first direction from the horizontal plane and the second predetermined degree roll is 45 degrees in the second direction from the horizontal plane.

30. A method of obtaining a large range of operable distances between a positioning controller and a display, the positioning controller including a reference sensor and an angle-detecting sensor, the method comprising the following steps:

transmitting infrared light from a beacon located near the display;

receiving the transmitted light into the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, each of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor generating an output proportional to the amount of light received therein;

integrating the output of the reference sensor and the output of the angle-detecting sensor for a predetermined amount of time, each of the two integrals representing respective accumulations of output over the predetermined amount of time;

comparing the two accumulations; and

determining an orientation of the positioning controller based on the comparison.

31. The method of obtaining a large range of operable distances of claim 30, the step of integrating the output of the reference sensor and the output of the angle-detecting sensor comprising the following steps:

(a) making a first determination of whether a predetermined maximum amount of light has been received into the reference sensor, the first determination being made by comparing the accumulation of the reference sensor output with a predetermined threshold;

(1) discontinuing integration of the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of light has been received; and

(2) continuing to integrate the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of light has not been received; and

(b) making a second determination of whether a predetermined amount of time has passed from a time that the integrations began, if the predetermined maximum amount of light has not been received;

(1) discontinuing integration of the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of time has passed; and

(2) continuing to integrate the outputs of the reference sensor and the angle-detecting sensor, if the predetermined maximum amount of time has not passed.

32. The method of obtaining a large range of operable distances of claim 30, the step of transmitting infrared light from a beacon including transmitting infrared light from a beacon within a gaming device located near the display.

33. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to an external infrared light source, comprising:

a first photodiode located on the positioning controller for receiving a reference signal of infrared light from the external infrared light source;

a second photodiode located on the positioning controller for receiving a first portion the reference signal received by the first photodiode;

a third photodiode located on the positioning controller for receiving a second portion the reference signal received by the first photodiode; and

circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller using the received reference signal, the received first portion of the reference signal, and the received second portion of the reference signal and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source.

34. An apparatus for monitoring an orientation of a positioning controller relative to a remote infrared light source located externally from the positioning controller, comprising:

a plurality of sensors located on the positioning controller for each receiving a respective portion of infrared light transmitted in the direction of the positioning controller from a single external infrared light source;

wherein said plurality of sensors includes;

a first sensor for receiving a reference signal of infrared light from the external infrared light source,

a second sensor for receiving a first portion the reference signal received by the first sensor, and

a third sensor for receiving a second portion the reference signal received by the first sensor; and

circuitry for determining an orientation of the positioning controller using the received reference signal, the received first portion of the reference signal, and the received second portion of the reference signal and for thereby determining the orientation of the positioning controller relative to the external infrared light source.