Wand controller for aircraft marshaling

• US 8,456,329 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Tran, Nghia, Phan, Hoa, Ton, Tu-Anh, Rockway, John D., Ton, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US12/792,885
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 362/102, 362/186, 362/800
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground

Abstract

In one preferred embodiment, an aircraft marshaling wand controller displays aircraft marshaling instructions to a pilot on a video display monitor on-board an aircraft, such as an aircraft on an aircraft carrier. When an aircraft marshal uses arm motion gestures to form aircraft marshaling instructions for the pilot on the aircraft, the wand controller of the present invention senses or detects those gesture motions, and generates digitized command signals representative of those gesture motions made by the aircraft marshal. A wireless transceiver then transmits those digitized command signals to the aircraft for display on the video monitor for viewing by the pilot.

Claims

1. An aircraft marshaling wand controller comprising:

motion sensors for sensing three dimensional gesture motions of a user to form sensed gesture motion signals representing aircraft marshal commands corresponding to the gesture motions of the user for transmission to a display monitor on the aircraft;

a processor for digitizing the sensed gesture motion signals to form digitized command signals representative of the aircraft marshal commands of the sensed gesture motion signals,

a wireless transceiver for transmitting the digitized command signals for display on the display monitor on the aircraft, and

an audio indicator for indicating audio signals when a motion gesture is completed.

2. The wand controller of claim 1 wherein the motion sensors include

a gyroscope sensor for detecting the orientation of the gesture motion signals,

an accelerometer sensor for detecting the acceleration motion of the gesture motion signals, and

a magnetometer sensor for detecting the relative attitude and heading of the gesture motion signals.

3. The wand controller of claim 2 including the processor comparing the sensed gesture motion signals with stored predetermined gesture information representative of various aircraft marshaling instructions and generating command signals representative of specific aircraft marshaling commands.

4. The wand controller of claim 2 including a light indicator for indicating light signals.

5. The wand controller of claim 2 including a light indicator for indicating different colored light signals.

6. The wand controller of claim 1 including a haptic feedback circuit for indicating tactile signals when a motion gesture is competed.

7. The wand controller of claim 6 including a touch sensor for indicating input text characters.

8. A wand controller comprising

motion sensors for sensing three dimensional gesture motions of a user to form sensed gesture motion signals representing motion commands corresponding to the spatial point gesture motions of the user;

a processor for digitizing the sensed gesture motion signals to form digitized command signals representative of the sensed gesture motion signals;

a wireless transceiver for transmitting the digitized command signals and for receiving other digitized command signals; and

an audio indicator for indicating audio signals when a motion gesture is completed.

9. The wand controller of claim 8 wherein the motion sensors include

a gyroscope sensor for detecting the orientation of the gesture motion signals,

an accelerometer sensor for detecting the acceleration motion of the gesture motion signals, and

a magnetometer sensor for detecting the relative attitude and heading of the gesture motion signals.

10. The wand controller of claim 9 including the processor comparing the sensed gesture motion signals with stored predetermined gesture information representative of various instructions and generating command signals representative of specific commands.

11. The wand controller of claim 9 wherein the wand controller is an aircraft marshaling wand controller.

12. The wand controller of claim 9 wherein the wand controller is a texting device.

13. The wand controller of claim 9 wherein the wand controller is a stylus pen.

14. The wand controller of claim 9 wherein the wand controller is a music wand.

15. The wand controller of claim 9 wherein the wand controller is a surgical scalpel.

16. A method for controlling a wand controller, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing three dimensional gesture motions of a user to form sensed gesture motion signals representing motion commands corresponding to the spatial point gesture motions of the user;

digitizing the sensed gesture motion signals to form digitized command signals representative of the sensed gesture motion signals;

transmitting the digitized command signals and for receiving other digitized command signals; and

indicating audio signals when a motion gesture is completed.