Virtual workstation

• US 7,337,410 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Julius Lin
• Original Assignee: Julius Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Julius
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US10/703,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/700, 715/771, 715/764, 700/17, 700/83
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention there is provided devices and methods for controlling a microprocessor controlled device in a virtual environment through the use of at least one sensor disposed at least one user'"'"'s finger and a scanner, said sensor and scanner being utilized to input position data, the method comprising the steps of: loading an operating system in a computing environment; displaying a virtual keyboard and a virtual pointing device on a display device; initializing coordinates defining individual keys of said keyboard; initializing coordinates defining a location of said pointing device in relation to the keyboard; monitoring the position of at least one sensor disposed on a user'"'"'s finger; determining if sensor movement correlates to depression of a key on the keyboard and providing feedback to the user to indicate that a key was depressed on the keyboard; transmitting data correlating to the depression of the key; and returning to the monitoring step.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a microprocessor based system in a virtual environment, said method comprising:

loading a computer program into a memory space;

transmitting at least one signal from at least one transmitter;

displaying virtual input devices on a head-mounted display device;

wherein said virtual input devices initially have predetermined coordinates;

receiving data generated from movement of at least one sensor;

calculating x, y and z coordinates of said sensor movement;

comparing calculated coordinates to the pre-determined coordinates of each virtual input device;

calculating desired input from coordinates generated by said sensor movement; and

displaying input on said display device and transmitting said input to said operating system;

changing the location of said virtual input devices by grabbing the virtual input devices in the virtual environment; and

dragging the virtual devices to a new location;

wherein

said virtual input devices are a virtual keyboard and a virtual pointing device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter transmits at least two different signals, one signal being electromagnetic, the second being chosen from the group consisting of electromagnetic, optical, acoustical, and inertial.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sensor movement is translated to define key presses on said virtual keyboard or movement of said virtual pointing device.

4. A method for controlling a microprocessor controlled device in a virtual environment, said method comprising:

loading a computer program into a memory space;

loading an operating system into a memory space;

transmitting at least one signal from a transmitting device displaying a virtual keyboard and a virtual input device on a display device;

initializing coordinates defining individual keys of said keyboard;

initializing coordinates defining a location of said input device in relation to said keyboard;

receiving data at least one sensor wherein said data received is converted into coordinate information and stored in a memory space;

determining if coordinates derived from movement correlate to a key location of the virtual keyboard or movement of the virtual input device; and

displaying sensor movement on said display device.

5. The method according to claim 4, further including the step of;

determining if sensor movement correlates to movement of said virtual input device, and

providing feedback to the user to indicate movement of said virtual input device on said display device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a transmission rate of said transmitter is reduced by certain percent proportion to the distance between sensor and virtual object when it is determined that at least one sensor moves beyond a predetermined coordinate location in said virtual environment.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said display device is configured to be wearable by the user.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein determining step further comprises:

adding a time stamp and sensor identification tag to each data set;

placing said coordinate date, time stamp data and sensor identification data into a memory location;

comparing transmitted sensor data to the known coordinates of the virtual keyboard and virtual input device and determining if the sensor date correlates to a location on the virtual keyboard or a location on the virtual input device; and

using known threshold values to determine if data from sensor movement correlates to a desired input chosen from the group consisting of;

a key press, a key release, a keyhold, movement of the virtual input device, a button press on the virtual input device or a double button press, or a button release.

9. The method according to claim 4, further including the step of providing said feedback in relation to sensor movement.