Pointer control method, pointing apparatus, and host apparatus therefor

• US 7,301,530 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Sung-jin, Lee, Woo-jong, Hong, Soon-kyo, Lee, Chul-woo, Cho, Woo-jong
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio; Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US10/238,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345/163, 345/173, 345/179, 345/169, 348/734
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

A host apparatus includes an ultrasound receiving unit receiving an ultrasound signal from a pointing apparatus and outputting an electric signal. A controlling unit calculates a position of a pointer on a display screen corresponding to a position of the pointing apparatus based on the electric signal from the ultrasound receiving unit, and outputs a control signal to the display screen to position the pointer at the calculated position of the display screen.

Claims

1. A pointing apparatus, comprising:

a user input unit to generate a user command; and

an ultrasound transmitting unit to receive the user command to transmit an ultrasound signal, to generate the ultrasound signal, and to transmit the ultrasound signal continuously or exclusively when the command is given to transmit the ultrasound signal to a host apparatus;

wherein the user input unit comprises a mode selection button to set an absolute mode and an ultrasound transmission button; and

wherein the ultrasound transmitting unit generates and sends the ultrasound signal to the host apparatus, when the user command to transmit the ultrasound signal, via the ultrasound transmission button, is received and the absolute mode is selected.

2. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mode selection button is also to set a relative mode where the ultrasound transmitting unit continuously generates the ultrasound signal at predetermined intervals of time and transmits the ultrasound signal to the host apparatus.

3. A host apparatus, comprising:

a display screen;

an ultrasound receiving unit to receive an ultrasound signal from a pointing apparatus, and to output an electric signal; and

a controlling unit to calculate a position of a pointer on the display screen corresponding to a position of the pointing apparatus based on the electric signal output from the ultrasound receiving unit, and to output a control signal to the display screen to position the pointer at the calculated position on the display screen;

wherein the ultrasound receiving unit receives the ultrasound signal at least three vertices of the display screen; and

wherein the controlling unit calculates the position of the pointer on the display screen based on time differences between a time when the ultrasound receiving unit receives the ultrasound signal at one of the at least three vertices at which the ultrasound receiving unit first receives the ultrasound signal, and times when the ultrasound receiving unit receives the ultrasound signal at remaining ones of the at least three vertices.

4. The host apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a display unit to display the pointer on the display screen.

5. The host apparatus of claim 4, wherein the ultrasound receiving unit generates the electric signal from the ultrasound signal, and outputs the electric signal to the controlling unit;

and

wherein the controlling unit generates the control signal from the electric signal, and outputs the control signal to the display unit to move the pointer to the position on the display screen corresponding to the position of the pointing apparatus, which moves on a virtual plane.

6. The host apparatus of claim 4, wherein the ultrasound receiving unit comprises ultrasound sensors at the at least three vertices of the display screen to receive the ultrasound signal from the pointing apparatus, and to output electrical signals based on the ultrasound signal;

and

wherein the controlling unit comprises;

a displacement calculator to measure the time differences based on the electrical signals output from the ultrasound sensors, to determine the position of the pointer based on the time differences, and to calculate a displacement between a current position and the determined position of the pointer; and

a pointer controller to output a control signal to the display unit to position the pointer on the display screen according to the displacement calculated by the displacement calculator.

7. The host apparatus of claim 6, wherein the displacement calculator measures the time differences by calculating time differences between a time when one of the ultrasound sensors that first receives the ultrasound signal receives the ultrasound signal, and times when remaining ones of the ultrasound sensors receive the ultrasound signal.

8. The host apparatus of claim 7, wherein the displacement calculator determines the position of the pointer by setting a point on a first axis and a point on a second axis based on the time differences, and determining an intersection of a line extending from the point set on the second axis in a direction of the first axis and a line extending from the point set on the first axis in a direction of the second axis as the position of the pointer.

9. The host apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pointing apparatus comprises:

a user input unit to generate a user command; and

an ultrasound transmitting unit comprising;

an optical generator to generate a light signal, and to send the light signal to the host apparatus, and

an ultrasound generator to generate an ultrasound signal and to send the ultrasound signal to the host apparatus when receiving the command to transmit the ultrasound signal via the user input unit.

10. The host apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user input unit comprises a mode selection button, and, when a relative mode is set, the ultrasound generator and the optical generator generate and output the ultrasound signal and the light signal at predetermined intervals of time substantially at a same time to the host apparatus.

11. The host apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user input unit comprises a mode selection button and an ultrasound transmission button, and when an absolute mode is set using the mode selection button, and the ultrasound transmission button outputs the command to transmit the ultrasound signal, the ultrasound generator and the optical generator generate and output the ultrasound signal and the light signal substantially at a same time to the host apparatus.

12. A host apparatus, comprising:

a rectangular display screen;

an ultrasound receiving unit to receive an ultrasound signal and a light signal from a pointing apparatus, and to output electric signals; and

a controlling unit to calculate a position of a pointer on the rectangular display screen corresponding to a position of the pointing apparatus based on an intersection of at least three spheres, the intersection of the least three spheres being determined using the electric signals from the ultrasound receiving unit, and to output a control signal to the rectangular display screen to move the pointer to the calculated position;

wherein the ultrasound receiving unit comprises ultrasound sensors at least three vertices of the rectangular display screen.

13. The host apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display unit to display the pointer on the rectangular display screen.

14. The host apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound sensors receive the ultrasound signal from the pointing apparatus, and output electric signals based on the ultrasound signal;

wherein the ultrasound receiving apparatus further comprises an optical sensor to receive the light signal from the pointing apparatus, and to output an electric signal based on the light signal; and

wherein the controlling unit comprises;

a displacement calculator to determine the intersection of the least three spheres using the electric signals from the ultrasound sensors and the optical sensor, to determine an absolute position of the pointing apparatus based on the intersection of the at least three spheres, to determine the position of the pointer based on the absolute position of the pointing apparatus, and to calculate a displacement between a current position of the pointer and the determined position of the pointer; and

a pointer controller to output a control signal to the display unit to position the pointer on the rectangular display screen according to the displacement calculated by the displacement calculator.

15. The host apparatus of claim 14, wherein the displacement calculator measures times when the light signal and the ultrasound signal are received, calculates distances between the pointing apparatus and the at least three vertices based on the measured times, calculates the intersection of the at least three spheres based on the calculated distances, determines the absolute position of the pointing apparatus as the intersection of the at least three spheres, and calculates the position of the pointer on the rectangular display screen based on the absolute position of the pointing apparatus.

16. A pointer control method, comprising:

receiving an ultrasound signal from a pointing apparatus;

determining a point on a display screen at which a pointer is to be positioned based on a time when the ultrasound signal is received; and

displaying the pointer at the determined point on the display screen;

wherein the receiving of an ultrasound signal from a pointing apparatus comprises receiving the ultrasound signal from at least three vertices of the display screen; and

wherein the determining of a point on a display screen comprises determining the point on the display screen based on time differences between a time when the ultrasound signal is received at one of the at least three vertices at which the ultrasound signal is first received, and times when the ultrasound signal is received at remaining ones of the at least three vertices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining of the point on the display screen based on time differences comprises:

determining a position of the pointing apparatus, which moves on a virtual plane parallel to the display screen, based on the time differences; and

calculating a position of the point on the display screen to correspond to the determined position of the pointing apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the calculating of a position of the point on the display screen comprises:

setting a point on a first axis of the display screen and a point on a second axis of the display screen based on the time differences; and

determining an intersection of a line extending from the point set on the second axis in a direction of the first axis and a line extending from the point set on the first axis in a direction of the second axis as the position of the point on the display screen.

19. A pointer control method, comprising:

receiving an ultrasound signal and a light signal from a pointing apparatus;

determining a point on a display screen at which a pointer is to be positioned based on an intersection of at least three spheres, the intersection of the at least three spheres being determined based on times when the ultrasound signal and the light signal are received; and

displaying the pointer at the determined point on the display screen;

wherein the receiving of an ultrasound signal and a light signal from a pointing apparatus comprises receiving the ultrasound signal from the pointing apparatus at least three vertices of the display screen.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of a point on the display screen comprises:

determining an absolute position of the pointing apparatus as the intersection of the at least three spheres; and

calculating a position of the point on the display screen to correspond to the absolute position of the pointing apparatus.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining of an absolute position of the pointing apparatus comprises:

calculating distances between the pointing apparatus and the at least three vertices of the display screen based on the times when the ultrasound signal and the light signal are received; and

determining the intersection of the at least three spheres as an intersection of at least three spheres having the at least three vertices of the display screen as centers and the calculated distances as radii.