Providing a user-input device

• US 6,862,020 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Clapper, Edward O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/871,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 179 1801- 1907, 178 1801- 1907
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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 3/0346 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

An improved method and user-input device are provided. The user-input device comprises a housing having a first end and an opposite end. The user-input device further comprises a controller to indicate a position of the first end and the opposite end and to cause one or more pixels of a display device to activate based on the indicated position of at least the first end of the housing.

Claims

1. A user-input device, comprising:

a housing having a first end and an opposite end;

a controller to indicate a position of the first end and the opposite end and to cause one or more pixels of a display device to activate based on the indicated position of at least the first end of the housing; and

an activatable element disposed between the first and opposite ends, the controller to cause the one or more pixels to activate in response to an activation of the activatable element.

2. The user-input device of claim 1, further comprising a first sensor substantially at the first end and a second sensor substantially at the opposite end, the controller to indicate the position of the user-input device based on the signals sensed by the first and second sensors.

3. The user-input device of claim 2, wherein the first and the second sensors are transducers.

4. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to transmit the position of the first end of the housing to a processor-based system.

5. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to indicate the orientation of the housing to a processor-based system.

6. The user-input device of claim 5, wherein the controller is coupled to cause the one or more pixels to be activated based on the orientation of the housing.

7. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to allow a selection of a color and wherein the controller is coupled to cause the one or more pixels to be activated with the selected color in response to the activation of the activatable element.

8. The user-input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to cause the one or more pixels to be activated in an airbrush-like manner based on the position of the first end.

9. A method, comprising:

determining, in a user-input device, a distance of a first end and a second end of the user-input device relative to a display device; and

activating one or more pixels of the display device based on the distance of the first and second ends of the user-input device relative to the display device.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising receiving information regarding an angle of the first end of the user-input device relative to the display device.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising determining the distance of the user-input device relative to the display device using triangulation.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining an orientation of the user-input device relative to the display device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating the one or more pixels based on the orientation of the user-input device.

14. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

determine a position of a first end and a second end of a user-input device via a controller in the user-input device;

detect an activation of an activatable element; and

illuminate one or more pixels of a display device based on the position of the user-input device and the activation of the activatable element.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine an orientation of the user-input device.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine the speed of the user-input device as it is moved.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to illuminate the one or more pixels based on at least one of the orientation and speed of the user-input device.

18. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to provide at least one of sound, air and light in response to the activation of the activatable element.

19. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to control the intensity of the illumination based on the amount of depression of the activatable element.

20. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine the position of the user-input device using triangulation.

21. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine the position of the user-input device based on an identifiable marking on the display device.

22. A system, comprising:

a user-input device comprising a controller to receive one or more signals from a plurality of sensors located on a display device of a processor-based system, transmit information to the processor-based system regarding a position of the user-input device, and cause one or more pixels of the display device to activate based on the transmitted information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein tile controller is coupled to transmit information to the processor-based system regarding at least one of orientation and speed of the user-input device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the controller is coupled to cause the one or more pixels to activate based on at least the transmitted information regarding the orientation and speed of the user-input device.

25. A digital airbrush peripheral, comprising:

a housing;

a display coupled to the housing, to indicate a currently active digital paint color;

an activatable element coupled to the housing, to activate the digital airbrush peripheral;

a control unit to cause air to be generated in response to an activation of the activatable element;

an interface coupled to the activatable element, to communicate information regarding the activatable element to a data processing device; and

a processor to generate one or more sounds in response to a selection of the activatable element.

26. The digital airbrush peripheral of claim 25, comprising an air generator to generate air in response to a selection of the activatable element.

27. The digital airbrush peripheral of claim 25, comprising one or more sensors to sense information regarding the position of the digital airbrush peripheral.

28. The digital airbrush peripheral of claim 25, wherein the processor to cause a light to be emitted from the digital airbrush peripheral, wherein the light indicates the color of digital paint.

29. The digital airbrush peripheral of claim 25, wherein the activatable element is coupled to control an intensity of a digital spray on the display.