Easily deployable interactive direct-pointing system and presentation control system and calibration method therefor

• US 8,049,729 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UltimatePointer, LLC
• Original Assignee: UltimatePointer, LLC
• Inventors: Banning, Erik Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US12/782,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-204, 178/18.03, 178/19.01
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/00 Projectors or projection-type viewers; Accessories therefor devices for changing pictures G03B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/006 using LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• 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 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A method for controlling movement of a computer display cursor based on a point-of-aim of a pointing device within an interaction region includes projecting an image of a computer display to create the interaction region. At least one calibration point having a predetermined relation to said interaction region is established. A pointing line is directed to substantially pass through the calibration point while measuring a position of and an orientation of the pointing device. The pointing line has a predetermined relationship to said pointing device. Movement of the cursor is controlled within the interaction region using measurements of the position of and the orientation of the pointing device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a feature on a computer generated image, the apparatus comprising:

a handheld device including;

an image sensor, said image sensor generating data related to the distance between a first point and a second point, the first point having a predetermined relation to the computer generated image and the second point having a predetermined relation to a handheld enclosure; and

a processor coupled to said handheld device to receive said generated data related to the distance between a first point and a second point and programmed to use the distance between the first point and the second point to control the feature on the image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is programmed to determine the distance from said generated data related to the distance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said handheld device further includes:

at least one sensor generating data related to the orientation of said handheld device, and

wherein said processor is further programmed to use the generated data related to the orientation to control the feature on the image.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein calibration points are provided in a predetermined relationship to the image,

wherein said image sensor detects the calibration points and generates data including data of the calibration points, such data being calibration data, and

wherein said processor is programmed to use said calibration data to control the feature.

5. An apparatus for controlling a feature on a computer generated image, there being calibration points provided in a predetermined relationship to the image, the apparatus comprising

a handheld device including:

an image sensor, said image sensor generating data including data of the calibration points; and

a processor coupled to said handheld device to receive said generated data including data of the calibration points and programmed to use said generated data including data of the calibration points to control the feature on the image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said handheld device further includes:

at least one sensor generating data related to the orientation of said handheld device, and

wherein said processor is further programmed to use the generated data related to the orientation to control the feature on the image.

7. An apparatus for controlling a feature on a computer image, the apparatus comprising:

a handheld pointing device having a predetermined relation to a pointing line, said pointing line passing through said handheld pointing device;

a position sensor generating data indicative of at least part of the position of said handheld pointing device along said pointing line when said pointing line is also passing through the image; and

a processor coupled to said position sensor to receive said generated data and programmed to use said generated data to determine the position of said handheld pointing device along said pointing line with relation to the image and to use said position of said handheld pointing device along said pointing line with relation to the image to control at least one aspect of the feature.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said at least one aspect controlled includes zoom level of the feature.

9. A method for controlling a feature on a computer generated image, the method comprising:

generating data related to the distance between a first point and a second point by an image sensor in a handheld device, the first point having a predetermined relation to the computer generated image and the second point having a predetermined relation to the handheld device;

determining the distance between the first point and the second point using the generated data related to the distance between the first point and the second point; and

controlling the feature on the image based on the distance between the first point and the second point.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating data related to the orientation of said handheld device using at least one sensor in the handheld device; and

controlling the feature using the generated data related to the orientation.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein calibration points are provided in a predetermined relationship to the image, the method further comprising:

detecting the calibration points by the image sensor and generating data including data of the calibration points, such data being calibration data, and

controlling the feature using said calibration data.

12. A method for controlling a feature on a computer generated image,

there being calibration points provided in a predetermined relationship to the image, the method comprising:

generating data including data of the calibration points by an image sensor in a handheld device; and

controlling the feature on the image based on the generated data including data of the calibration points;

wherein said handheld device further includes, generating data related to the orientation of the handheld device by at least one sensor in the handheld device; and

controlling the feature on the image using the generated data related to the orientation.

13. A method for controlling a feature on a computer image, the method comprising:

generating data indicative of at least part of the position of a handheld pointing device along a pointing line having a predetermined relation to the handheld pointing device, said pointing line passing through the pointing device and the pointing line also passing through the image;

determining the position of the handheld pointing device along said pointing line with relation to the image; and

controlling at least one aspect of the feature using said position of the handheld pointing device along the pointing line with relation to the image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one aspect controlled includes zoom level of the feature.