Virtual pointing devices for displays

• US 7,872,636 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Hassen, Alarabi Omar, Gopi, Paramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holton; Steven E
• Application Number:
  US11/590,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer programs comprises: an accelerometer adapted to be worn by a user, wherein the accelerometer, when worn by the user, generates an acceleration signal representing acceleration of the user along a plurality of axes; a display device to generate a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor; and a controller to move the cursor in the display in accordance with the acceleration signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer to be worn by a user, wherein the accelerometer, when worn by the user, generates an acceleration signal representing acceleration of the user along a plurality of axes;

a display device to generate a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

a controller to move the cursor in the display in accordance with the acceleration signal; and

a vehicle comprising;

the display device; and

a further accelerometer to generate a further acceleration signal representing acceleration of the vehicle along a further plurality of axes,

wherein the controller isolates the acceleration signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle using the further acceleration signal, and

wherein the controller moves the cursor in the display in accordance with the isolated acceleration signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the controller selects one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the controller moves the cursor in the display in accordance with acceleration of the user along a first set of the axes; and

wherein the controller selects one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user along a second set of the axes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises:

a heads-up display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle controller to control the vehicle in accordance with the acceleration signal and the further acceleration signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acceleration signal comprises:

a wireless signal.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6:

wherein the wireless signal is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

8. An apparatus comprising:

accelerometer means, to be worn by a user, for generating an acceleration signal representing acceleration of the user along a plurality of axes when worn by the user;

display means for generating a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

controller means for moving the cursor in the display in accordance with the acceleration signal; and

vehicle means for moving the user, the vehicle means comprising;

the display means; and

further accelerometer means for generating a further acceleration signal representing acceleration of the vehicle means along a further plurality of axes,

wherein the controller means isolates the acceleration signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle means using the further acceleration signal, and

wherein the controller means moves the cursor in the display in accordance with the isolated acceleration signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8:

wherein the controller means selects one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 8:

wherein the controller means moves the cursor in the display in accordance with acceleration of the user along a first set of the axes; and

wherein the controller means selects one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user along a second set of the axes.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the display means comprises:

means for displaying a heads-up display.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

vehicle controller means for controlling the vehicle means in accordance with the acceleration signal and the further acceleration signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the acceleration signal comprises:

a wireless signal that is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

14. A method comprising:

receiving an acceleration signal from an accelerometer worn by a user, wherein the acceleration signal represents acceleration of the user along a plurality of axes;

generating a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

receiving a further acceleration signal from a further accelerometer representing acceleration of a vehicle along a further plurality of axes;

isolating the acceleration signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle using the further acceleration signal; and

moving the cursor in the display in accordance with the isolated acceleration signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

moving the cursor in the display in accordance with acceleration of the user along a first set of the axes; and

selecting one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user along a second set of the axes.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling the vehicle in accordance with the acceleration signal and the further acceleration signal.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the acceleration signal comprises:

a wireless signal.

19. The method according to claim 18:

wherein the wireless signal is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

20. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium storing a computer program executable on a processor, the computer program comprising:

instructions for generating a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor; and

instructions for moving the cursor in the display in accordance with an acceleration signal from a first accelerometer representing acceleration of a user along a plurality of axes and a further acceleration signal from a second accelerometer representing acceleration of a vehicle along a further plurality of axes; and

instructions for isolating the acceleration signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle using the further acceleration signal.

21. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for selecting one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user.

22. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for moving the cursor in the display in accordance with acceleration of the user along a first set of the axes; and

instructions for selecting one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and acceleration of the user along a second set of the axes.

23. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for controlling the vehicle in accordance with the acceleration signal and the further acceleration signal.

24. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the acceleration signal comprises:

a wireless signal.

25. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 24:

wherein the wireless signal is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a remote motion sensor to remotely sense motion of a user along a plurality of axes, and to generate a motion signal representing the motion of the user;

a display device to generate a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

a controller to move the cursor in the display in accordance with the motion signal; and

a vehicle comprising;

the display device; and

an accelerometer to generate an acceleration signal representing acceleration of the vehicle along a further plurality of axes,

wherein the controller isolates the motion signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle using the acceleration signal, and

wherein the controller moves the cursor in the display in accordance with the isolated motion signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26:

wherein the controller moves the cursor in the display in accordance with motion of the user along a first set of the axes; and

wherein the controller selects one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and motion of the user along a second set of the axes.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the display device comprises:

a heads-up display.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

a vehicle controller to control the vehicle in accordance with the motion signal and the acceleration signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the motion signal comprises:

a wireless signal.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30:

wherein the wireless signal is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

32. An apparatus comprising:

remote motion sensor means for remotely sensing motion of a user along a plurality of axes, and for generating a motion signal representing the motion of the user;

display means for generating a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

controller means for moving the cursor in the display in accordance with the motion signal; and

vehicle means for moving the user, the vehicle means comprising;

the display; and

accelerometer means for generating an acceleration signal representing acceleration of the vehicle means along a further plurality of axes,

wherein the controller means isolates the motion signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle means using the acceleration signal, and

wherein the controller means moves the cursor in the display in accordance with the isolated motion signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 32:

wherein the controller means moves the cursor in the display in accordance with motion of the user along a first set of the axes; and

wherein the controller means selects one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and motion of the user along a second set of the axes.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the display means comprises:

means for displaying a heads-up display.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

vehicle controller means for controlling the vehicle means in accordance with the motion signal and the acceleration signal.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the motion signal comprises:

a wireless signal that is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

37. A method comprising:

remotely detecting motion of a user;

generating a motion signal representing motion of the user along a plurality of axes;

generating a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

receiving an acceleration signal representing acceleration of a vehicle along a further plurality of axes;

isolating the motion signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle using the acceleration signal; and

moving the cursor in the display in accordance with the isolated motion signal.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

moving the cursor in the display in accordance with motion of the user along a first set of the axes; and

selecting one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and motion of the user along a second set of the axes.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

controlling the vehicle in accordance with the motion signal and the acceleration signal.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the motion signal comprises:

a wireless signal.

41. The method according to claim 40:

wherein the wireless signal is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.

42. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium storing a computer program executable on a processor, the computer program comprising:

instructions for generating a display comprising one or more objects and a cursor;

instructions for moving the cursor in the display in accordance with a motion signal representing remotely-detected motion of a user along a plurality of axes and in accordance with an acceleration signal received from an accelerometer representing acceleration of a vehicle along a further plurality of axes; and

instructions for isolating the motion signal within a frame of reference of the vehicle using the acceleration signal.

43. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 42, further comprising:

instructions for moving the cursor in the display in accordance with motion of the user along a first set of the axes; and

instructions for selecting one or more of the objects according to a position of the cursor and motion of the user along a second set of the axes.

44. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 42, further comprising:

instructions for controlling the vehicle in accordance with the motion signal.

45. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the motion signal comprises:

a wireless signal.

46. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 45:

wherein the wireless signal is compliant with at least one of a plurality of standards including IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.16, and 802.20.