Input device for using geomagnetic sensor and a method thereof for generating input signal

• US 7,337,549 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Woo-jong, Choi, Sang-on
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett; G. Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Courson; Tania C
• Application Number:
  US11/028,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20050150122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 333/56, 333/55.R, 333/51, 333/52, 333/57, 333/16, 33/1.E, 702 92- 94, 324/244, 324/260
• US Class Current: 33/356
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer

Abstract

An input device using a geomagnetic sensor includes a geomagnetic sensor outputting a voltage corresponding to geomagnetism, and a control part calculating an azimuth using the voltage output from the geomagnetic sensor and calculating the rotation angle by comparing the azimuth to a previously measured azimuth, thereby generating the input signal corresponding to the rotation angle when the input device is tilted within a certain range. Accordingly, unwanted generation of the input signal is prevented when the input device is tilted by more than a certain angle.

Claims

1. An input device generating an input signal when the input device is rotated so that a rotation angle is changed, the input signal corresponding to the rotation angle, the input device comprising:

a geomagnetic sensor outputting a voltage corresponding to geomagnetism; and

a control part calculating an azimuth using the voltage output from the geomagnetic sensor and calculating the rotation angle by comparing the calculated azimuth to a previously measured azimuth, thereby generating the input signal corresponding to the rotation angle when the input device is tilted within a certain range and ignoring the rotation angle when the device is tilted beyond a certain range.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the geomagnetic sensor comprises a bi-axis fluxgate in which two fluxgates are respectively formed in directions of an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to each other on a plane of the input device, and outputs voltages of each fluxgate corresponding to magnetism generated by a predetermined driving signal.

3. The input device of claim 2, further comprising:

a driving pulse generation circuit for outputting the driving signal to drive the geomagnetic sensor; and

an accelerometer for measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the input device.

4. The input device of claim 3, wherein the control part generates the input signal corresponding to the rotation angle only when at least one of the pitch angle and the roll angle is below a certain threshold, and ignores the azimuth if the pitch angle and the roll angle are greater than the threshold, thereby considering the input device unrotated.

5. The input device of claim 4, further comprising a memory for storing a maximum pitch angle and a maximum roll angle, which are experimentally determined, as the threshold.

6. The input device of claim 4, further comprising a key input part for inputting an external control signal for selection of a tilt compensation mode to compensate an influence of tilt of the input device while operating the azimuth.

7. The input device of claim 6, wherein, when the tilt compensation mode is selected, the control part operates the azimuth as compensated with the influence of the pitch angle and the roll angle, using a predetermined tilt compensation algorithm.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the rotation angle comprises a yaw angle.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein said previously measured azimuth is stored in a memory.

10. A method for generating an input signal in an input device when the input device is rotated so that a rotation angle is changed, the input signal corresponding to the rotation angle, the method comprising:

(a) outputting a voltage corresponding to geomagnetism;

(b) calculating an azimuth based on the voltage and calculating the rotation angle by comparing the azimuth to a previously measured azimuth; and

(c) generating the input signal corresponding to the rotation angle when the input device is tilted within a certain range and ignoring the rotation angle when the device is tilted beyond a certain range.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step (a) comprises outputting voltages of each fluxgate in a bi-axis fluxgate in which two fluxgates are respectively formed in directions of an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to each other on a plane of the input device, the fluxgate voltages corresponding to magnetism.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the input device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step (c) comprises generating the input signal only when at least one of the pitch angle and the roll angle is below a threshold, and ignoring the azimuth if the pitch angle and the roll angle are greater than the threshold, thereby considering the input device unrotated.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

inputting an external control signal for selection of a tilt compensation mode to compensate an influence of tilt of the input device while operating the azimuth; and

when the tilt compensation mode is selected, operating the azimuth as compensated with the influence of the pitch angle and the roll angle, using a predetermined tilt compensation algorithm.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step (b) comprises:

setting a predetermined sensitivity denoting a change of the input signal reacting to the rotation angle; and

compensating the rotation angle by reflecting the sensitivity.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the rotation angle comprises a yaw angle.