Method of data input into a computer

• US 7,061,469 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InnaLabs Limited
• Original Assignee: InnaLabs Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Simonenko, Dmitri V., Suprun, Anton E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUN YI
• Application Number:
  US10/442,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 273/148.B, 463 37- 38, 348/734, 735/140.8, 735/143.1, 735/140.1, 735/140.2
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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

Abstract

A computer input device and method used to input coordinates and three-dimensional graphical information into a computer. The device includes an acceleration sensor that has a fixed volume vessel containing a magnetic fluid. A non-magnetic inertial body is located in the magnetic fluid. Three magnetic field sources are located on three perpendicular axes where each magnetic field source has an output for connection to a computer. Changes in Q-factors and inductance of electromagnetic coils aligned on the X, Y, and Z-axis of the sensor are used to compute linear and angular acceleration components of any movement involving the sensor which permits three-dimensional coordinates to be provided in real-time.

Claims

1. A method for inputting acceleration data into a computer comprising:

measuring differences in characteristics of electromagnetic coils over time in response to changes of a magnetic field in a magnetic fluid due to displacement of a non-magnetic inertial body suspended in the magnetic fluid, said electromagnetic coils and said magnetic fluid being a part of a sensor and said electromagnetic coils arranged as three electromagnetic coil pairs, each pair substantially mutually perpendicular to each other; and

reporting said differences in characteristics of electromagnetic coils in real-time as angular acceleration data to a computer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the measuring comprises:

registering alternating voltage components of said electromagnetic coils;

computing changes in said alternating voltage components; and

computing linear acceleration components for an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein computing the linear acceleration components for the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis comprises performing the computation according to respective formulae, a_x=p×

[(U_x1−

U_x1⁰)−

(U_x2−

U_x2⁰)], a_y=p×

[(U_y1−

U_y1⁰)−

(U_y2−

U_y2⁰)], a_z=p×

[(U_z1−

U_z1⁰)−

(U_z2−

U_z2⁰)].

4. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising computing angular acceleration of said sensor, said angular acceleration relating to rotation around any of the x-axis, the y-axis and the z-axis.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein computing the angular acceleration comprises calculating the angular acceleration according to formulae, ψ

_x=P×

[(U_y1−

U_y1⁰)+(U_y2−

U_y2⁰)], ψ

_y=P×

[(U_x1−

U_x1⁰)+(U_x2−

U_x2⁰)].

6. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising computing changes in Q-factors of said electromagnetic coils.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising computing changes in inductance of said electromagnetic coils.

8. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising initializing said sensor to establish a starting equilibrium condition.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising moving said sensor and thereby causing changes in alternating voltage components of said electromagnetic coils;

causing differences in Q-factors of said electromagnetic coils; and

causing differences in inductance of said electromagnetic coils.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reporting comprises:

packaging three components of linear acceleration and three angular acceleration components for transmission as a data packet to the computer; and

transmitting said data packet to the computer.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the differences in characteristics of said electromagnetic coils comprise differences in Q-factors.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the differences in characteristics of said electromagnetic coils comprise differences in inductance.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer comprises a plurality of computers.

15. An input device for detecting acceleration of a sensor comprising:

a vessel containing fluid;

a non-magnetic inertial body in the vessel;

means to create magnetic fields within said vessel;

means for detecting changes in magnetic fields caused by movement of said inertial body relative to the vessel; and

means for computing angular acceleration based on said changes in the magnetic fields.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

means for computing linear acceleration based on said changes; and

a means for reporting said linear acceleration and said angular acceleration in real-time to a computer.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein multiple sensors communicate to said computer by a wired connection.

18. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein multiple sensors communicate to said computer by a wireless connection.

19. The device as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for detecting and computing inductance changes.

20. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein said means to create magnetic fields comprises one or more constant magnets.

21. The device as recited in claim 15, further comprising a means for detecting and computing Q-factor changes.

22. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the fluid comprises magnetic fluid.

23. An input device comprising:

a housing;

a magnetic fluid within the housing;

a non-magnetic inertial body within the housing; and

magnetic field sources generating magnetic fields within the magnetic fluid,

wherein angular acceleration of the housing is calculated based on changes in the magnetic fields.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the inertial body comprises at least two materials.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the at least two materials are non-magnetic.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the inertial body is hollow.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein the magnetic field sources comprise electromagnets.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the magnetic field sources comprise permanent magnets.

29. The device of claim 23, wherein each magnetic field source comprises a permanent magnet and an electromagnet.

30. The device of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of magnetic coils for sensing the changes in the magnetic flux lines.

31. The device of claim 23, wherein the housing is a closed volume.

32. The device of claim 23, wherein the housing is a centrally symmetric polygon.

33. The device of claim 23, wherein the housing is polygonal.

34. The device of claim 23, wherein the housing is spherical.

35. The device of claim 23, wherein the magnetic field sources comprise six magnetic field sources.

36. The device of claim 23, wherein the magnetic field sources are oriented along perpendicular axes relative to each other.

37. The device of claim 23, wherein the changes in magnetic flux lines are also indicative of linear acceleration of the housing.

38. The device of claim 23, wherein the magnetic fluid exerts a repulsive force on the inertial body so as to maintain the inertial body in an approximate center of the housing.

39. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

a data output from the magnetic field sources; and

a signal converter assembly; and

a plurality of switches,

wherein the data output is connected to an input of the signal converter assembly, and

wherein an output of the signal converter assembly is connected to a computer.

40. The device of claim 23, wherein each magnetic field source comprises a current generator and an inductor coil connected in series,

wherein outputs of the current generators drive corresponding magnetic field sources.

41. An input device comprising:

a housing containing a magnetic fluid;

a non-magnetic inertial body within the magnetic fluid;

magnets positioned to generate a magnetic field in the magnetic fluid; and

a data output from the magnets,

wherein angular acceleration of the housing is calculated based on the data output that represents changes in the magnetic field.

42. An input device comprising:

a magnetic fluid;

a non-magnetic inertial body suspended within the magnetic fluid; and

magnetic field sources generating magnetic fields in the magnetic fluid so that the magnetic fluid exerts a repulsive force on the inertial body to maintain the inertial body approximately in place,

wherein angular acceleration of the input device is calculated based on changes in the magnetic fields.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the inertial body comprises at least two materials.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein the at least two materials are non-magnetic.

45. The device of claim 42, wherein the inertial body is hollow.

46. The device of claim 42, wherein the magnetic field sources comprise electromagnets.

47. The device of claim 42, wherein the magnetic field sources comprise permanent magnets.

48. The device of claim 42, wherein each magnetic field source comprises a permanent magnet and an electromagnet.

49. The device of claim 42, further comprising a plurality of inductive coils for sensing the changes in the magnetic field.

50. The device of claim 42, further comprising a housing enclosing the magnetic fluid and the inertial body, wherein the housing is a closed volume.

51. The device of claim 42, further comprising a housing enclosing the magnetic fluid and the inertial body, wherein the housing is a centrally symmetric polygon.

52. The device of claim 42, further comprising a housing enclosing the magnetic fluid and the inertial body, wherein the housing is polygonal.

53. The device of claim 42, further comprising a housing enclosing the magnetic fluid and the inertial body, wherein the housing is spherical.

54. The device of claim 42, wherein the magnetic field sources comprise six magnetic field sources.

55. The device of claim 42, wherein the magnetic field sources are oriented along perpendicular axes relative to each other.

56. The device of claim 42, wherein the changes in the magnetic field are also indicative of linear acceleration of the device.

57. The device of claim 42, further comprising:

a data output from the magnetic field sources; and

a signal converter assembly;

wherein the data output is connected to the signal converter assembly, and

wherein an output of the signal converter assembly is transmitted to a computer.