Gyroscopic pointer and method
First Claim
1. A method for moving effecting movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display having vertical and horizontal Cartesian coordinate axes in response to one of pitch and yaw rotations of an input device, the method comprising:
- the steps of;
detecting the pitch or yaw rotation of the device;
sensing an inertial response to provide pitch or yaw rotation of the input device to produce a signal indicative of proportional to the at least one of the pitch and yaw rotations of the input device; and
in response to the signal indicating the detected pitch or yaw movement of the input device, moving the displayeddisplayable object a distance in a plane defined by the vertical and horizontal axes on the computer graphic display, the displayed object being movedin substantially continuous proportionality to the signal and translationally along one of the vertical and horizontal axes in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vertical gyroscope is adapted for use as a pointing device for controlling the position of a cursor on the display of a computer. A motor at the core of the gyroscope is suspended by two pairs of orthogonal gimbals from a hand-held controller device and nominally oriented with its spin axis vertical by a pendulous device. Electro-optical shaft angle encoders sense the orientation of a hand-held controller device as it is manipulated by a user and the resulting electrical output is converted into a format usable by a computer to control the movement of a cursor on the screen of the computer display. For additional ease of use, the bottom of the controller is rounded so that the controller can be pointing while sitting on a surface. A third input is provided by providing a horizontal gyroscope within the pointing device. The third rotational signal can be used to either rotate a displayed object or to display or simulate a third dimension.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method for moving effecting movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display having vertical and horizontal Cartesian coordinate axes in response to one of pitch and yaw rotations of an input device, the method comprising:
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the steps of;
detecting the pitch or yaw rotation of the device; sensing an inertial response to provide pitch or yaw rotation of the input device to produce a signal indicative of proportional to the at least one of the pitch and yaw rotations of the input device; and
in response to the signal indicating the detected pitch or yaw movement of the input device, moving the displayeddisplayable object a distance in a plane defined by the vertical and horizontal axes on the computer graphic display, the displayed object being movedin substantially continuous proportionality to the signal and translationally along one of the vertical and horizontal axes in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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the steps of;
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3. A method for providing a signal to effect effecting translational movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display using an input device including an inertial gyroscopic element that is manually movable in free space, the method comprising:
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the steps of;
supporting the inertial gyroscopic element with respect to the input device;
actuating the gyroscopic element to exhibit inertia relative to an inertial axis;
detecting rotational movement of the input device relative to the inertial axis of the gyroscopic element; and
providingproducing a signal responsivesubstantially proportional to the rotation of the input device relative to the inertial axis for effecting translational movements of the displayeddisplayable object on the computer graphic display in substantially continuous proportionality to the signal and in a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated.
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the steps of;
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4. A method for providing a signal to effect effecting translational movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display using an inertial input device that is manually movable in free space, the method comprising:
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the steps of;
detecting, by inertial means, rotational movement of the input device about one axis; and
providingproducing a first signal responsivesubstantially proportional to the rotation of the input device about the one axis for effecting translational movements of the displayeddisplayable object on the computer graphic display in substantially continuous proportionality to the first signal and in a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (5, 31)
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the steps of;
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6. A graphical An input device for providing a signal to effect translational movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display, comprising:
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a hand-held housing adapted for manual movement in free space; and
an inertial gyroscopic element mounted with respect to said housing, for providing a signal, in response and responsive to rotation of the housing about an axis, to effect for producing a signal substantially proportional to said rotation for effecting translational movements of the displayed displayable object on an interactive the computer graphic display in substantially continuous proportionality to the signal and in a single direction for each direction in which the device housing is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 16, 32)
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9. A graphical input device for providing a signal to effect the translational movement of a cursor on an interactive computer graphic display comprising:
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a housing adapted for manual movement in free space;
an inertial gyroscopic element disposed to spin about one spin axis;
a gimbal supporting the gyroscopic element with respect to the housing; and
a sensor disposed with respect to the gimbal and the housing for producing a signal, in response to rotation of the housing relative to one spin axis, to effect translational movement of the cursor in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the housing is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for controlling translational movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display having vertical and horizontal Cartesian coordinate axes in response to one of pitch and yaw rotations of an input device, the method comprising:
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the steps of;
detecting the pitch or yaw rotation of the input device;
sensing an inertial response to provide produce a signal indicative of substantially proportional to at least one of the pitch and yaw rotations of the input device; and
in response to detecting pitch or yaw movement of the input device, the signal, moving the displayed displayable object a substantially continuously proportional distance in a plane defined by the vertical and horizontal axes on the computer graphic display without rotating the displayed displayable object.
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the steps of;
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14. A graphical An input device for providing a signal to manipulate translational movements of a displayed displayable object on an a computer graphic display, comprising:
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a hand-held housing adapted for manual movement in free space; and
an inertial gyroscopic element mounted with respect to said housing, for providing a signal, in response and responsive to rotation of the housing about an axis, to manipulate for producing a signal substantially proportional to said rotation for manipulating translational movements of the displayed displayable object on an interactive the computer graphic display in substantially continuous proportionality to the signal without causing the displayed displayable object to be rotated.
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15. A method for providing producing a signal to control translational movements of a displayed displayable object on an interactive a computer graphic display using an input device including an inertial gyroscopic element that is manually movable in free space, the method comprising:
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the steps of;
supporting the inertial gyroscopic element with respect to the input device;
actuating the gyroscopic element to exhibit inertia relative to an inertial axis;
detecting rotational movement of the input device relative to the inertial axis of the gyroscopic element; and
providingproducing a signal responsivesubstantially proportional to the rotation of the input device relative to the inertial axis for controlling translational movements of the displayeddisplayable object in substantially continuous proportionality to the signal without causing the displayeddisplayable object to be rotated.
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the steps of;
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17. A method for effecting movements of a displayable object on a graphic display having vertical and horizontal Cartesian coordinate axes in response to one of pitch and yaw rotations of an input device, the method comprising:
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sensing gravitational orientation;
sensing an inertial response to pitch or yaw rotation of the input device relative to the gravitational orientation to produce a signal indicative of at least one of the pitch and yaw rotations of the input device relative to the gravitational orientation; and
moving the displayable object a distance in a plane defined by the vertical and horizontal axes on the computer graphic display translationally along one of the vertical and horizontal axes in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for effecting movements of a displayable object on a graphic display having vertical and horizontal Cartesian coordinate axes in response to one of pitch and yaw rotations of an input device including an inertial element, the method comprising:
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sensing gravitational orientation;
sensing an inertial response to pitch or yaw rotation of the inertial element relative to the gravitational orientation to produce a signal indicative of at least one of the pitch and yaw rotations of the device relative to the gravitational orientation; and
moving the displayable object a distance in a plane defined by the vertical and horizontal axes on the computer graphic display translationally along one of the vertical and horizontal axes in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method for effecting translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display using an input device including an inertial gyroscopic element that is manually movable in free space, the method comprising:
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supporting the inertial gyroscopic element with respect to the input device;
actuating the gyroscopic element to exhibit inertia relative to an inertial axis;
sensing gravitational orientation;
detecting rotational movement of the input device about the inertial axis of the gyroscopic element relative to the gravitational orientation; and
producing a signal responsive to the rotation of the input device about the inertial axis relative to the gravitational orientation for effecting translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated.
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22. A method for effecting translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display using an inertial input device that is manually movable in free space, the method comprising:
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sensing gravitational orientation;
detecting rotational movement of the input device about one axis relative to the gravitational orientation; and
producing a first signal substantially proportional to the rotation of the input device about the one axis for effecting translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display in substantially continuous proportionality to the first signal and in a single direction for each direction in which the input device is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (23, 34)
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24. An input device for producing a signal to effect translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display, comprising:
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a hand-held housing adapted for manual movement in free space;
sensing apparatus in the housing to detect gravitational orientation; and
an inertial gyroscopic element mounted with respect to said housing and responsive to rotation of the housing about an axis relative to the gravitational orientation to produce a signal indicative of said rotation for effecting translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display in substantially a single direction for each direction in which the housing is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 28, 35)
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27. An input device for producing a signal to effect translational movement of a displayable object on a graphic display, the input device comprising:
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a hand-held housing adapted for manual movement in free space;
an inertial gyroscopic element disposed to spin about one spin axis;
a gimbal supporting the gyroscopic element with respect to the housing and including a center of mass eccentric the spin axis;
a first sensor disposed with respect to the gimbal and the housing and responsive to rotation of the housing relative to one spin axis for producing a signal substantially proportional to said rotation for effecting translational movement of the displayable object in substantially continuous proportionality to the signal and in a single direction for each direction in which the housing is rotated; and
a second sensor in communication with the gimbal for producing an output indicative of gravitational orientation, independent of the orientation of the housing in free space.
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29. An input device for manipulating translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display, comprising:
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a hand-held housing adapted for manual movement in free space;
sensing apparatus in the housing to detect gravitational orientation; and
an inertial element mounted with respect to said housing and responsive to rotation of the housing about an axis relative to gravitational orientation for producing a signal indicative of said rotation for manipulating translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display without causing the displayable object to be rotated. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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30. A method for producing a signal to control translational movements of a displayable object on a computer display using an input device including an inertial element that is manually movable in free space, the method comprising:
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supporting the inertial element with respect to the input device;
sensing gravitational orientation of the input device in free space;
sensing inertia of the input device relative to the sensed gravitational orientation;
detecting rotational movement of the input device with respect to an inertial axis of the inertial element relative to the gravitational orientation; and
producing a signal substantially proportional to the rotation of the input device about the inertial axis relative to the gravitational orientation for controlling translational movements of the displayable object in response to the signal without causing the displayable object to be rotated. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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33. An input device for producing a signal to manipulate translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display, comprising:
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a hand-held housing adapted for manual movement in free space;
an inertial element mounted with respect to the said housing and responsive to rotation of the housing with respect to an inertial axis of the inertial element for producing a signal indicative of said rotation for manipulating translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display; and
a switch mounted on the housing for manual actuation to one operating state for selectively inhibiting producing said signal, and for actuation to another operating state for enabling producing said signal in response to said rotation.
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38. An input device for producing a signal to effect translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display, comprising:
an inertial gyroscopic means adapted for manual movement in free space for producing a signal substantially proportional to rotation of the housing about an axis to effect translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display in substantially continuous proportionality to the signal and in a single direction for each direction in which the inertial gyroscopic means is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46)
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44. An input device for manipulating translational movements of a displayable object on a computer graphic display, comprising:
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hand-held housing means adapted for manual movement in free space;
sensing means in the housing means for detecting gravitational orientation; and
inertial means mounted with respect to said housing means and responsive to rotation of the housing means about an axis relative to gravitational orientation for producing a signal indicative of said rotation for manipulating translational movements of the displayable object on the computer graphic display without causing the displayable object to be rotated. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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Specification