Pointing and control device and method for a computer system
First Claim
1. A device, comprising:
- a body configured for manual manipulation;
an inertial sensor fixed to the body and configured to supply first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to a gravitational field acting on the inertial sensor;
a magnetometer fixed to the body and configured to supply second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field acting on the magnetometer; and
a processor configured to determine an orientation of the body in an absolute reference system, fixed with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and to the gravitational field, on the basis of the first signals and of the second signals, the processor further configured to determine the relative co-ordinates of three first vectors that are parallel to three respective axes of the absolute reference system on the basis of the relations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pointing and control device for a computer system, the device having a body that can be maneuvered by a user; and an inertial sensor fixed to the body for supplying first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to a gravitational field acting on the inertial sensor. The device moreover includes a magnetometer fixed to the body for supplying second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field acting on the magnetometer and processing modules for determining an orientation of the body in an absolute reference system, fixed with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and gravitational field on the basis of the first signals and second signals.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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a body configured for manual manipulation; an inertial sensor fixed to the body and configured to supply first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to a gravitational field acting on the inertial sensor; a magnetometer fixed to the body and configured to supply second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field acting on the magnetometer; and a processor configured to determine an orientation of the body in an absolute reference system, fixed with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and to the gravitational field, on the basis of the first signals and of the second signals, the processor further configured to determine the relative co-ordinates of three first vectors that are parallel to three respective axes of the absolute reference system on the basis of the relations - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20)
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14. A method, comprising:
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determining an orientation of a body with respect to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational field; determining an orientation of the body with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field; and determining an orientation of the body in an absolute reference system, fixed with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and gravitational field, including determining relative co-ordinates of three first vectors parallel to three respective axes of the absolute reference system on the basis of the relations - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A controller, comprising:
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a hand-holdable body; a first sensor mounted on the body and configured to supply first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the gravitational field of the Earth; a second sensor mounted on the body and configured to supply second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field; and a processor configured to receive the first and second signals and to output a control signal, the processor including a first processing module configured to determine in a relative reference system fixed with respect to the body a relative gravitational field component derived from the first signal and a relative magnetic field component derived from the second signal, and a second processing module configured to determine the orientation of the body in an absolute reference system on the basis of the relative gravitational field components and the relative magnetic field components derived from the first processing module, the processor further configured to determine relative co-ordonates of three first vectors that are parallel to three respective axes of the absolute reference system on the basis of the relations - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification