Pointing device and motion value calculating method thereof

• US 8,126,211 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Bang-Won, Lee, Woo-Seok, Kwak, Jong-Taek, Jeong, Wan-Gyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORADIA, SHEFALI DINESH
• Application Number:
  US12/128,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/107
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface

Abstract

A pointing device is provided. A sensor generates a motion detection signal by sensing motion. A calculator receives the motion detection signal, calculates a motion value based on the motion detection signal, calculates a conversion motion value base on an angle of the motion value, and outputs the conversion motion value. An interface outputs the motion conversion value inputted from the calculator. By limiting a motion angle, the pointing device can provide a positioning operation suitable for a motion intended by a user. The user can optionally use a motion control method in all directions according to need.

Claims

1. A pointing device comprising:

a sensor that generates a motion detection signal by sensing motion;

a calculator that receives the motion detection signal, calculates a motion value based on the motion detection signal, calculates a conversion motion value based on an angle of the motion value, and outputs the conversion motion value; and

an interface that outputs the conversion motion value inputted from the calculator,

wherein the calculator comprises;

a motion value calculator that receives the motion detection signal, calculates the motion value by comparing a current motion detection signal with a previous motion detection signal, and outputs the motion value; and

a conversion motion value calculator that receives the motion value, calculates the conversion motion value based on the angle of the motion value, and outputs the conversion motion value,

wherein the conversion motion value calculator comprises;

a motion-direction calculating module that divides an angle of 360 degrees into a plurality of angle regions, sets a representative angle of each region, calculates a conversion motion-direction value based on the representative angle by computing the angle of the motion value, and outputs the conversion motion-direction value;

a motion-magnitude calculating module that receives the motion value, computes a horizontal component and a vertical component of the motion value, calculates a conversion motion-magnitude value by modifying the horizontal component and/or the vertical component, and outputs the conversion motion-magnitude value; and

an output control module that outputs the conversion motion value by combining the conversion motion-direction value and the conversion motion-magnitude value.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises:

an image sensor that receives light reflected from an object and outputs the motion detection signal corresponding to an amount of light received.

3. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises:

lower electrodes arranged on a lower side;

a movable upper electrode arranged on an upper side and having a capacitance value with respect to the lower electrodes; and

a capacitance sensor that outputs the capacitance value, which varies when the upper electrode is moved in response to a control motion of a user, as the motion detection signal.

4. The pointing device of claim 3, wherein the capacitance sensor is connected to a bar handle that is movable by the user and is connected to an elastic material,

wherein the upper electrode is located at a center position of the lower electrodes when no force is applied.

5. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the motion value calculator comprises:

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter that receives the motion detection signal and converts it into a digital signal;

a memory that receives and stores a current digital signal and a previous digital signal output from the A/D converter; and

an image processor that receives the current digital signal and the previous digital signal from the memory, calculates the motion value by comparing the current digital signal with the previous digital signal, and outputs the motion value.

6. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein when the angle of the motion value is located in a hysteresis angle region, the motion-direction calculating module sets a previous conversion motion-direction value to the conversion motion-direction value.

7. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the motion-magnitude calculating module additionally receives the conversion motion-direction value, computes a magnitude of the motion value, and modifies the horizontal component and/or the vertical component to components of coordinates that has the closest magnitude to the magnitude of the motion value among coordinates of the conversion motion-direction value, respectively.

8. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the motion-magnitude calculating module additionally receives the conversion motion-direction value, and modifies the horizontal component and/or the vertical component to components of the closest coordinates to coordinates corresponding to the motion value among coordinates of the conversion motion-direction value, respectively.

9. The pointing device of claim 8, wherein when the closest coordinates to coordinates corresponding to the motion value is two, the motion-magnitude calculating module selects coordinates close to coordinates corresponding to previous conversion motion value, and modifies the horizontal component and/or the vertical component to components of selected coordinates, respectively.

10. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the motion-magnitude calculating module calculates the conversion motion-magnitude value by reducing the horizontal component and/or increasing the vertical component.

11. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion-magnitude calculating module that receives the conversion motion value from the calculator and outputs the conversion motion value to the interface after performing at least one of an operation for adjusting a horizontal component of the conversion motion value to be smaller than a vertical component and an operation for adjusting the vertical component to be smaller than the horizontal component.

12. A pointing device comprising:

an interface that receives a motion value from a device that outputs the motion value, and outputs the motion value;

an application program unit that receives the motion value from the interface, computes an angle of the motion value, computes a conversion motion value based on the angle of the motion value, and outputs the conversion motion value; and

an output unit that receives the conversion motion value from the application program unit and outputs a video signal corresponding thereto,

wherein the application program unit divides an angle of 360 degrees into a plurality of angle regions, sets a representative angle of each region, calculates a conversion motion-direction value based on the representative angle by computing the angle of the motion value, computes a horizontal component and a vertical component of the motion value, calculates a conversion motion-magnitude value by modifying the horizontal component and/or the vertical component referring to the conversion motion-direction value, and outputs the conversion motion value by combining the conversion motion-direction value and the conversion motion-magnitude value.

13. The pointing device of claim 12, wherein the application program unit outputs the conversion motion value after reducing a horizontal component of the conversion motion value and/or increasing a vertical component of the conversion motion value.