Free-standing input device

• US 7,976,387 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Venkatesh, Shalini, Machida, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter Dungba
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, WEI
• Application Number:
  US11/402,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 463/37, 463/1, 463/36, 463/38, 359/516, 359/517, 345/156, 345/166
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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

A controller apparatus for manipulating objects in an electronic application. The controller apparatus comprises a free-standing graspable controller. The controller apparatus comprises a first optical component and a second optical component to determine the rotation direction and speed of the controller. The direction and speed data are relayed to the electronic device to produce an object manipulation in the electronic application.

Claims

1. A controller system for manipulating objects associated with an application executed on an electronic device, the system comprising:

a handheld controller operable to manipulate at least one of a position and an orientation of an object of the application;

a first optical component communicatively coupled to the electronic device, the first optical component comprising an illuminating device configured to emit light having at least two different wavelengths and, further comprising an imaging sensor that incorporates a checkerboard patterned filter having a first portion configured to block a lower wavelength of the at least two different wavelengths, and a second portion configured to propagate the lower wavelength and an additional wavelength that is a higher wavelength of the at least two different wavelengths; and

a second optical component comprising;

a first reflector attached to the handheld controller; and

a blocking filter configured to block the higher wavelength of the at least two wavelengths from impacting upon the first reflector, whereby the first reflector redirects towards the imaging sensor, the lower wavelength of the at least two different wavelengths while eliminating redirection of the higher wavelength from the first reflector towards the imaging sensor.

7. The controller system of claim 1, wherein the size of the first retroreflector is selected to provide distance information of the handheld controller from the first optical component, based on detecting a change in size of the first retroreflector between at least two images captured by the imaging sensor.

8. The controller system of claim 1, wherein the handheld controller further comprises a second retroreflector, and wherein the first optical component is configured to capture an image of the first and the second retroreflectors located on the handheld controller and derive therefrom, rotational position information of the handheld controller.

9. The controller system of claim 1, wherein the handheld controller further comprises a second retroreflector, and wherein the first optical component is configured to capture an image of the first and the second retroreflectors located on the handheld controller and detect a separation distance between the first and second retroreflectors for deriving distance information of the handheld controller from the first optical component.

10. The controller system of claim 1, wherein the handheld controller further comprises a second retroreflector, and the first optical component is configured to capture a second image of the second retroreflector for verifying validity of positional information derived from a first image of the first retroreflector.

11. The controller system of claim 10, wherein the first image is the same as the second image.

2. A controller system for controlling an electronic device containing a computer that is operable to execute an application, the controller system comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image of an object generated by the application;

a light emitting unit communicatively coupled to the electronic device, the light emitting unit configured to emit a first beam of light at a first wavelength and a second beam of light at a second wavelength, wherein the first wavelength is lower than the second wavelength;

a handheld steering device operable by a user to control at least one of a position and an orientation of the object displayed on the display unit, the steering device comprising a) a first retroreflector attached to a surface of the steering device, and b) a blocking filter configured to block the second wavelength from impacting upon the reflector, whereby the reflector is configured to reflect the first wavelength while eliminating reflection of the second wavelength; and

a light sensor unit configured to generate a light pattern that provides positional information of the first retroreflector, the light sensor unit comprising a checkerboard filter and a light sensor, the checkerboard filter having a first portion configured to block the second wavelength and to propagate into a first part of the light sensor, the first wavelength reflected by the first retroreflector, and a second portion configured to propagate into a second part of the light sensor, the first and the second wavelengths.

3. The controller system of claim 2, wherein the first part of the light sensor provides darkness information and the second part of the light sensor provides brightness information.

4. The controller system of claim 2, wherein the light sensor incorporates an image capture parameter that is selected based upon a reflectivity factor of the first retroreflector, whereby the light sensor is operative to generating a unique image of the first retroreflector by excluding other objects during image capture.

5. The controller system of claim 2, wherein the steering device is an unpowered steering device.

6. The controller system of claim 2, wherein the steering device is an unpowered steering wheel comprising a second retroreflector that is configured to operate as a redundant retroreflector when the first retroreflector is inoperable, the first and second retroreflectors attached to the surface of a circumferential portion of the steering wheel and separated from each other by a distance.