Three-dimensional position and motion telemetry input

• US 7,188,045 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dean A. Cirielli
• Original Assignee: Dean A. Cirielli
• Inventors: Cirielli, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Bryan
• Application Number:
  US11/371,443
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 702/152, 702/159, 702/189, 702/190, 356/485, 356/492, 356/496, 340/870.11, 340/870.2, 340/870.21, 345/158, 345/165, 345/166, 345/419, 178/19, 178/19.07, 178/18.04
• US Class Current: 702/152
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form

Abstract

A three-dimensional position and motion telemetry computer input apparatus includes a wireless transmitter configured to repeatedly transmit encoded signals in at least three mutually distinct directions. A set of at least three unidimensional signal detectors are disposed in spaced relation to one another and configured to repeatedly detect in real-time, the amplitude of the encoded signals incident thereon. A controller is configured to repeatedly capture data corresponding to the signal amplitude, in real-time. A calculation engine repeatedly determines the 3-D position of the transmitter using the captured data. At least one output port coupled to the calculation engine, repeatedly transmits the 3-D position of the transmitter to a data consumer in real time.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional position and motion telemetry computer input apparatus, comprising:

a wireless transmitter configured to repeatedly transmit pulsed optical signals in at least three mutually distinct directions;

at least three uni-dimensional optical signal detectors disposed in spaced relation to one another;

a discriminator coupled to said signal detectors, configured to repeatedly distinguish said pulsed optical signals from other signals;

said signal detectors configured to detect the amplitude of the pulsed optical signals incident thereon, repeatedly in real-time;

an analog to digital converter configured to repeatedly digitize, in real-time, signal amplitude data corresponding to the amplitude detected by said signal detectors;

a controller configured to repeatedly capture, in real-time, the digitized signal amplitude data;

a calculation engine configured to repeatedly determine the 3-D position of said transmitter, in real-time, by trilaterating said captured signal amplitude data; and

at least one output port coupled to said calculation engine, said output port configured to repeatedly transmit the 3-D position of said transmitter to a computer in real-time.

2. A three-dimensional position and motion telemetry computer input apparatus, comprising:

a wireless transmitter configured to repeatedly transmit encoded signals in at least three mutually distinct directions;

at least three unidimensional signal detectors disposed in spaced relation to one another;

said signal detectors configured to repeatedly detect in real-time, the amplitude of the signals incident thereon;

a controller configured to repeatedly capture data corresponding to the signal amplitude, in real-time;

a calculation engine configured to repeatedly determine, in real-time, the 3-D position of said transmitter using said captured data; and

at least one output port coupled to said calculation engine, to repeatedly in real-time transmit the 3-D position of said transmitter to a data consumer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a discriminator coupled to said signal detectors, said discriminator configured to distinguish said signals from other signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said discriminator comprises at least one band pass filter tuned to the frequency of the transmitted signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said signal detectors generate electrical outputs corresponding to the amplitude of the transmitted signals passing through said band pass filter.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising at least one analog to digital (A/D) converter configured to digitize electrical outputs corresponding to the amplitude detected by said signal detectors.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a pulsed optical electro-magnetic (EM) signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said pulsed optical EM signal comprises an amplitude modulated signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said pulsed optical EM signal comprises a frequency modulated signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said signal detectors comprise analog signal detectors.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said signal detectors are selected from the group consisting EM and sonic detectors, and combinations thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a set of greater than 3 unidimensional wireless signal detectors, wherein said calculation engine is configured to determine the 3-D position of said transmitter using captured data from said greater than 3 unidimensional wireless signal detectors.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a multiplexer configured to multiplex outputs of said signal detectors.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said outputs travel in a downstream direction from said signal detectors to said output port, and said multiplexer is disposed upstream of said amplitude detector.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said outputs travel in a downstream direction from said signal detectors to said output port, and said multiplexer is disposed downstream of said amplitude detector.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a plurality of input apparatuses transmitting mutually distinct encoded signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said mutually distinct encoded signals comprise mutually distinct signal pulse rates.

18. A method for inputting real-time three-dimensional position and motion telemetry data to a computer, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting repeatedly in real-time, with a wireless transmitting device, an encoded wireless signal in at least three mutually distinct directions;

(b) disposing at least three unidimensional signal detectors in spaced relation to one another;

(c) detecting repeatedly in real-time, with the signal detectors, amplitude of the signals incident thereon;

(d) capturing data, repeatedly in real-time, corresponding to the signal amplitude;

(e) determining the 3-D position of said transmitter, repeatedly in real-time, using said captured data; and

(f) transmitting the 3-D position, repeatedly in real-time, of said transmitter to a data consumer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmitting (a) comprises transmitting an encoded wireless signal selected from the group consisting of EM and sonic signals, and combinations thereof.