Operation input system, control apparatus, handheld apparatus, and operation input method

• US 8,686,942 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US12/823,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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

An operation input system includes a casing and a motion sensor for detecting a movement of the casing inside the casing and calculates a position of the casing in a predetermined space based on an output of the motion sensor. The operation input system includes a position sensor and a correction section. The position sensor directly detects the position of the casing in the predetermined space. The correction section corrects the output of the motion sensor using an output of the position sensor.

Claims

1. An operation input system that includes a casing and a motion sensor for detecting a movement of the casing inside the casing and calculates a position of the casing in a predetermined space based on an output of the motion sensor, the operation input system comprising:

a position sensor configured to directly detect the position of the casing in the predetermined space;

correction circuitry configured to correct the output of the motion sensor using an output of the position sensor;

switch circuitry configured to switch on/off the output of the motion sensor; and

coordinate reference change circuitry configured to change one of a reference of spatial coordinates of the position sensor and a reference of spatial coordinates of the motion sensor using a difference between a first position of the casing calculated right before the output of the motion sensor is switched off by the switch circuitry and a second position of the casing calculated right after the output of the motion sensor is switched on by the switch circuitry.

2. The operation input system according to claim 1,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on a relationship between the output of the motion sensor within a predetermined time and the output of the position sensor within the predetermined time.

3. The operation input system according to claim 2,

wherein the motion sensor detects the movement of the casing in a space of a two or more dimension,

wherein the position sensor directly detects the position of the casing in the space of a two or more dimension, and

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on a relationship between the movement of the casing obtained from the output of the motion sensor and a positional change of the casing detected by the position sensor.

4. The operation input system according to claim 3,

wherein the motion sensor outputs a potential fluctuation with respect to a set reference potential as a detection signal, and

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate a calibration value of the reference potential as the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor.

5. The operation input system according to claim 4,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on a relationship between an integration value of the output of the motion sensor and a displacement amount of the output of the position sensor.

6. The operation input system according to claim 5,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on the integration value of the output of the motion sensor at a time the displacement amount of the output of the position sensor becomes a predetermined value or less.

7. The operation input system according to claim 6,

wherein the motion sensor is an angular velocity sensor, and

wherein the position sensor is an image sensor.

8. The operation input system according to claim 2,

wherein the motion sensor detects the movement of the casing in a space of a two or more dimension,

wherein the position sensor directly detects the position of the casing in the space of a two or more dimension, and

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on a relationship between a first trajectory of the movement of the casing obtained from the output of the motion sensor and a second trajectory of a positional change of the casing detected by the position sensor.

9. The operation input system according to claim 8,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate a difference between a rotational angle of the first trajectory and that of the second trajectory as the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor.

10. The operation input system according to claim 2,

wherein the motion sensor detects the movement of the casing in a space of a two or more dimension,

wherein the position sensor directly detects the position of the casing in the space of a two or more dimension, and

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on a relationship between a first displacement amount of the movement of the casing calculated from the output of the motion sensor and a second displacement amount of the position of the casing detected by the position sensor.

11. The operation input system according to claim 10,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate a ratio of the first displacement amount to the second displacement amount as the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor.

12. The operation input system according to claim 2,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor based on a relationship between a first position of the casing obtained from the output of the motion sensor and a second position of the casing detected by the position sensor.

13. The operation input system according to claim 12,

wherein the correction circuitry is configured to calculate a difference between the first position and the second position as the information for correcting the output of the motion sensor.

14. An operation input system, comprising:

an input apparatus including

a casing, and

a motion sensor for detecting a movement of the casing inside the casing;

a position sensor to directly detect a position of the casing in a predetermined space; and

a control apparatus to calculate the position of the casing in the predetermined space based on an output of the motion sensor, the control apparatus including

circuitry configured to;

correct the output of the motion sensor using an output of the position sensor, switch on/off the output of the motion sensor, and

change one of a reference of spatial coordinates of the position sensor and a reference of spatial coordinates of the motion sensor using a difference between a first position of the casing calculated right before the output of the motion sensor is switched off and a second position of the casing calculated right after the output of the motion sensor is switched on.

15. A control apparatus calculating, based on an output of a motion sensor transmitted from an input apparatus including a casing and the motion sensor for detecting a movement of the casing, a position of the casing in a predetermined space, the control apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

correct the output of the motion sensor using an output of a position sensor for directly detecting the position of the casing in the predetermined space, switch on/off the output of the motion sensor, and

change one of a reference of spatial coordinates of the position sensor and a reference of spatial coordinates of the motion sensor using a difference between a first position of the casing calculated right before the output of the motion sensor is switched off and a second position of the casing calculated right after the output of the motion sensor is switched on.

16. A handheld apparatus, comprising:

a casing;

a display section to display an operation screen;

a motion sensor to detect a movement of the casing;

calculation circuitry configured to calculate a position of the casing in a predetermined space based on an output of the motion sensor;

a position sensor to directly detect the position of the casing in the predetermined space;

correction circuitry configured to correct the output of the motion sensor using an output of the position sensor;

switch circuitry configured to switch on/off the output of the motion sensor; and

coordinate reference change circuitry configured to change one of a reference of spatial coordinates of the position sensor and a reference of spatial coordinates of the motion sensor using a difference between a first position of the casing calculated right before the output of the motion sensor is switched off by the switch circuitry and a second position of the casing calculated right after the output of the motion sensor is switched on by the switch circuitry.

17. An operation input method, comprising:

detecting, by a motion sensor incorporated in an input apparatus, a movement of a casing of the input apparatus;

directly detecting, by a position sensor, a position of the casing in a predetermined space;

correcting an output of the motion sensor using an output of the position sensor;

calculating the position of the casing in the predetermined space based on the output of the motion sensor;

switching on/off the output of the motion sensor;

changing one of a reference of spatial coordinates of the position sensor and a reference of spatial coordinates of the motion sensor using a difference between a first position of the casing calculated right before the output of the motion sensor is switched off and a second position of the casing calculated right after the output of the motion sensor is switched on.

18. A control apparatus calculating, based on an output of a motion sensor transmitted from an input apparatus including a casing and the motion sensor for detecting a movement of the casing, a position of the casing in a predetermined space, the control apparatus comprising:

a correction means for correcting the output of the motion sensor using an output of a position sensor for directly detecting the position of the casing in the predetermined space, a switch means for switching on/off the output of the motion sensor and

a coordinate reference change means for changing one of a reference of spatial coordinates of the position sensor and a reference of spatial coordinates of the motion sensor using a difference between a first position of the casing calculated right before the output of the motion sensor is switched off by the switch means and a second position of the casing calculated right after the output of the motion sensor is switched on by the switch means.