3D pointing devices with orientation compensation and improved usability

• US 7,158,118 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liberty, Matthew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US11/119,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20050243062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1906
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention describe 3D pointing devices which enhance usability by transforming sensed motion data from a first frame of reference (e.g., the body of the 3D pointing device) into a second frame of reference (e.g., a user'"'"'s frame of reference). One exemplary embodiment of the present invention removes effects associated with a tilt orientation in which the 3D pointing device is held by a user.

Claims

1. A method for using a 3D pointing device comprising the steps of:

detecting movement of said 3D pointing device; and

compensating said detected movement by transforming said detected movement from a body frame of reference associated with said 3D pointing device into an inertial frame of reference by determining a tilt associated with an orientation in which said 3D pointing device is held; and

compensating said detected movement to correct for said tilt;

wherein said step of compensating said detected movement to correct for tilt further comprises the step of;

rotating first and second rotational outputs into said inertial frame of reference by calculating;

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing information associated with said compensated, detected movement as input to a user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining said tilt based upon output from an accelerometer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of detecting movement of said 3D pointing device further comprises the step of:

detecting said movement using at least one of;

a rotational sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an optical sensor, a magnetometer and a camera.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of;

calculating at least one intermediate frames of reference between the body frame of reference and the inertial frame of reference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transforming includes transforming in x, y, and z dimensions and for both translational and rotational motion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transforming Includes transforming in a subset of x, y, and z dimensions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transforming includes transforming only one of translational motion and rotational motion.

9. A handheld, pointing device comprising:

a first rotational sensor for determining rotation of said pointing device about a first axis and generating a first rotational output associated therewith;

a second rotational sensor for determining rotation of said pointing device about a second axis and generating a second rotational output associated therewith;

an accelerometer for determining an acceleration of said pointing device and outputting an acceleration output associated therewith; and

a processing unit for receiving said first and second rotational outputs and said acceleration output and for;

(a) converting said first and second rotational outputs and said acceleration output from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld pointing device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of tilt associated with the manner in which a user is holding said handheld, pointing device; and

(b) determining data associated with x and y coordinates which are in turn associated with movement of a screen cursor, said data based on said converted first and second rotational outputs and said converted acceleration output, wherein said step of converting renders said movement of said screen cursor substantially independent of an orientation in which a user holds said handheld device.

10. The handheld, pointing device of claim 9, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

11. The handheld, pointing device of claim 9, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of;

rotating said first and second rotational outputs into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

12. A 3D, pointing device comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting movement of said 3D pointing device; and

a processing unit for compensating said detected movement by transforming said detected movement from a body frame of reference associated with said 3D pointing device into an inertial frame of reference by determining a tilt associated with an orientation in which said 3D pointing device is held; and

compensating said detected movement to correct for said tilt;

wherein said processing unit compensates said detected movement to correct for tilt further by rotating first and second rotational outputs into said Inertial frame of reference by calculating;

13. The 3D pointing device of claim 12, further comprising:

an accelerometer for detecting acceleration of said 3D pointing device, wherein an output of said accelerometer is used by said processing unit to determine said tilt.

14. The 3D pointing device of claim 13, wherein said detected acceleration of said 3D pointing device at a center of rotation is used by said processing unit to estimate gravity.

15. The 3D pointing device of claim 13, wherein the processing unit computes an acceleration due to angular motion by taking a difference between two accelerometers.

16. The 3D pointing device of claim 13, wherein the processing unit computes an acceleration due to angular motion by directly measuring an angular velocity of a body of the 3D pointing device.

17. The 3D pointing device of claim 12, wherein said at least one sensor includes at least one of:

a rotational sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an optical sensor, a magnetometer and a camera.