Method of controlling a calculation device via a mobile element and control system implementing this method

• US 10,388,148 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales, Vega France (E. M. Group Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales
• Inventors: Desplats, Romain, Lopez, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/569,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20180301023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of controlling a calculation device via a mobile element to generate at least one control command associated with its vectorial orientation. The mobile element includes sensors able to provide relative measurements and absolute measurements. The method includes the following steps: provision of an initial vectorial orientation; taking of measurements by the set of sensors; determination of a first elementary vectorial orientation from relative measurements and the prior vectorial orientation; determination of a second elementary vectorial orientation from absolute measurements; determination of the current vectorial orientation from the first and second elementary vectorial orientations; and association of a control command.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a calculation device via a mobile element able to be manipulated by a user for generating at least one control command associated with the vectorial orientation of the mobile element, the method being implemented by a control system including a processing unit able to communicate with the mobile element and the calculation device, the mobile element including a set of sensors able to provide the processing unit with first measurements, called relative measurements, and second measurements, called absolute measurements, characterizing the vectorial orientation of the mobile element,

the relative measurements comprise an angular variation of the mobile element around at least one predetermined axis fixed relative to the mobile element between a previous vectorial orientation and a current vectorial orientation,

the absolute measurements comprise the acceleration of the mobile element at least along the predetermined axis and the intensity of a magnetic field around the mobile element along at least the predetermined axis,

the method including the following steps:

providing of an initial vectorial orientation;

taking of measurements by the set of sensors upon each movement of the mobile element driven by the user;

determination of a first elementary vectorial orientation of the mobile element on the basis of the relative measurements and of the previous vectorial orientation;

determination of a second elementary vectorial orientation of the mobile element (20) on the basis of the absolute measurements;

determination of the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element from the first elementary vectorial orientation and the second elementary vectorial orientation; and

association of a control command with the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including a step for determination of the movement state of the mobile element, the state being chosen from a group consisting of:

a quasi-stationary state and non-quasi-stationary state.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step for determination of the movement state comprises comparing a value corresponding to the speed of change of the orientation of the mobile element with a predetermined threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element is further determined on the basis of a stabilization parameter comprised between 0 and 1, and characterizing the stabilization time from the non-quasi-stationary state toward the quasi-stationary state.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

when the stabilization parameter is comprised between 0.9 and 1, the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element is equal to the first elementary vectorial orientation; and

when the stabilization parameter is comprised between 0 and 0.1, the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element is equal to the second elementary vectorial orientation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the absolute measurements further comprise the influence of the Earth'"'"'s gravitational field on at least the predetermined axis of the mobile element and the influence of the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field on at least the predetermined axis of the mobile element.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step for determining the absolute position of the mobile element from the acceleration measured along at least the predetermined axis of the mobile element.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step for initial configuration of the control system making it possible to determine a correspondence between each vectorial orientation of the mobile element and a viewing device.

9. A system for controlling a calculation device, including:

a mobile element able to be manipulated by a user to generate at least one control command associated with the vectorial orientation of the mobile element and intended for the calculation device;

a processing unit able to communicate with the mobile element and the calculation device;

the mobile element including a set of sensors able to provide the processing unit with relative measurements and absolute measurements characterizing the vectorial orientation of the mobile element;

the relative measurements comprising an angular variation of the mobile element around at least one predetermined axis fixed relative to the mobile element between a previous vectorial orientation and a current vectorial orientation;

the absolute measurements comprising the acceleration of the mobile element at least along the predetermined axis and the intensity of a magnetic field around the mobile element along at least the predetermined axis;

the mobile element being able to;

take measurements via the set of sensors upon each movement of the mobile element driven by the user; and

transmit the obtained measurements to the processing unit;

the processing unit being able to;

provide an initial vectorial orientation;

determine a first elementary vectorial orientation of the mobile element on the basis of the relative measurements and of the previous vectorial orientation;

determine a second elementary vectorial orientation of the mobile element on the basis of the absolute measurements;

determine the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element from the first elementary vectorial orientation and the second elementary vectorial orientation; and

associate a control command with the current vectorial orientation of the mobile element.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the set of sensors comprises a gyroscope to measure the angular variation of the mobile element around at least the predetermined axis, an accelerometer to measure the acceleration of the mobile element along at least the predetermined axis, and a magnetometer to measure the influence of a magnetic field on the mobile element along at least the predetermined axis.

11. The system according to claim 9, further including a magnetic element separate from the mobile element and able to generate a magnetic field near the mobile element.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the set of sensors comprises several magnetometers.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the set of sensors comprises several magnetometers.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the set of sensors comprises several magnetometers.

15. The system according to claim 10, further including a magnetic element separate from the mobile element and able to generate a magnetic field near the mobile element.