3D pointing devices with orientation compensation and improved usability

• US 9,946,356 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liberty, Matthew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US15/015,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20160154470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1906
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/0346 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention describe 3D pointing devices which enhance usability by transforming sensed motion data from a first frame of reference (e.g., the body of the 3D pointing device) into a second frame of reference (e.g., a user'"'"'s frame of reference). One exemplary embodiment of the present invention removes effects associated with a tilt orientation in which the 3D pointing device is held by a user.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an object by a device comprising the steps of:

detecting movement of the device using an accelerometer and at least one other sensor in the device, the movement being in a body frame of reference;

transforming the detected movement from the body frame of reference to another frame of reference; and

using the transformed movement to generate an output of the device for controlling said object,

wherein the step of transforming is calculated by;

Pu=Rotate(Pb,Q)+Pdelta

Pu′

=Rotate(Pb′

,Q)

Pu″

=Rotate(Pb″

,Q)

Wu=Rotate(Wb,Q)

Wu′

=Rotate(Wb′

,Q)

where;

Rotate represents a quaternion rotation operator such that Rotate(A, Q) is equal to Q*A Q where Q* is a quaternion conjugate and a vector A is a quaternion with a complex component equal to A and a real component equal to 0;

Pu is a position in the another frame of reference;

Pb is a position in the body frame of reference;

′

represents a derivative;

Wu is an angular velocity of the device in body angles in the another frame of reference;

Wb is an angular velocity of the device in body angles in the body frame of the device;

Pdelta is a difference between an origin of the another frame of reference and the body frame of reference in the another frame of reference coordinate system; and

Q is the normalized rotation guaternion that represents the rotation from the body frame to the another frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

interpreting the detected movement to produce an estimate of the detected movement;

converting the detected movement from the body frame of reference to the another frame of reference; and

mapping the transformed movement to produce said output of said device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of mapping is performed to output a gesture for controlling said object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said gesture is a command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transforming is performed by a processor external to the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transforming includes transforming in x, y, and z dimensions and for both translational and rotational motion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transforming includes transforming from x, y, and z dimensions to x and y dimensions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transforming includes transforming only one of translational motion and rotational motion.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

performing a second transformation to generate the output.

10. A system for controlling an object comprising:

a device, comprising;

an accelerometer; and

at least one other sensor; and

a

a processor, external to the device, the processor configured to;

detect movement of the pointing device using the accelerometer and the at least one other sensor in the device, the movement being in a body frame of reference;

transform the detected movement from the body frame of reference to another frame of reference; and

use the transformed movement to generate an output of the device for controlling said object,

wherein the step of transforming is calculated by;

Pu=Rotate(Pb,Q)+Pdelta

Pu′

=Rotate(Pb′

,Q)

Pu″

=Rotate(Pb″

,Q)

Wu=Rotate(Wb,Q)

Wu′

=Rotate(Wb′

,Q)

where;

Rotate represents a quaternion rotation operator such that Rotate(A, Q) is equal to Q*A Q where Q* is a quaternion conjugate and a vector A is a quaternion with a complex component equal to A and a real component equal to 0;

Pu is a position in the another frame of reference;

Pb is a position in the body frame of reference;

′

represents a derivative;

Wu is an angular velocity of the device in body angles in the another frame of reference;

Wb is an angular velocity of the device in body angles in the body frame of the device;

Pdelta is a difference between an origin of the another frame of reference and the body frame of reference in the another frame of reference coordinate system; and

Q is the normalized rotation quaternion that represents the rotation from the body frame to the another frame.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

interpret the detected movement to produce an estimate of the detected movement;

convert the detected movement from the body frame of reference to the another frame of reference; and

map the transformed movement to produce said output of said device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the step of mapping is performed to output a gesture for controlling said object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said gesture is a command.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the transform step includes transforming in x, y, and z dimensions and for both translational and rotational motion.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the transform step includes transforming from x, y, and z dimensions to x and y dimensions.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the transform step includes transforming only one of translational motion and rotational motion.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform a second transformation to generate the output.