3D pointer mapping

• US 10,620,726 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDHL Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liberty, Matthew G., Cook, Bryan A., Sheng, Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US16/010,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20180307334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 345158
• 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

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods and software are described for mapping movement or motion of a 3D pointing device into cursor position; e.g., for use in rendering the cursor on a display. Absolute and relative type mapping algorithms are described. Mapping algorithms can be combined to obtain beneficial characteristics from different types of mapping.

Claims

1. A method for mapping a device'"'"'s movement into cursor position, comprising:

estimating the device'"'"'s pose in any one of three to six degrees of freedom;

processing the estimated pose using (i) a first mapping algorithm to generate a velocity vector and (ii) a second mapping algorithm to generate a first cursor position;

determining an adjusted velocity vector, at least in part, by adjusting any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector to cause a second cursor position resulting from a combination of a current cursor position and the adjusted velocity vector to be closer to the first cursor position than a third cursor position resulting from a combination of the current cursor position and the velocity vector; and

combining the current cursor position with the adjusted velocity vector to generate a final cursor output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mapping algorithm comprises a relative pointing algorithm, and wherein the second mapping algorithm comprises an absolute pointing algorithm.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the relative pointing algorithm is a user-frame relative pointing algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector comprises:

adjusting any of the scale and the angle of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of (i) a limit for an acceptable deviation from a characteristic of the first mapping algorithm and (ii) a limit for an acceptable deviation from a characteristic of the second mapping algorithm.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the first mapping algorithm is that cursor responsiveness to any of linear motion and angular motion is consistent over a motion range, and wherein the characteristic of the second mapping algorithm is long-term drift avoidance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector comprises at least one of:

adjusting the scale of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of first minimum value, a first and second maximum value and a first combined minimum and maximum values; and

adjusting the angle of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of a second minimum value, a second maximum value and a second combined minimum and maximum values.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mapping algorithms maps the estimated angular position into cursor coordinates using an angular position spherical projection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mapping is performed without using an estimated linear position of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the device'"'"'s angular position is based on at least one output from at least one sensor.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor configured to generate an output associated with movement of a device; and

a processor configured to;

estimate the device'"'"'s pose in any one of three to six degrees of freedom;

process the estimated pose using (i) a first mapping algorithm to generate a velocity vector and (ii) a second mapping algorithm to generate a first cursor position;

determine an adjusted velocity vector, at least in part, by adjusting any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector to cause a second cursor position resulting from a combination of a current cursor position and the adjusted velocity vector to be closer to the first cursor position than a third cursor position resulting from a combination of the current cursor position and the velocity vector; and

combine the current cursor position with the adjusted velocity vector to generate a final cursor output.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first mapping algorithm comprises a relative pointing algorithm, and wherein the second mapping algorithm comprises an absolute pointing algorithm.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the relative pointing algorithm is a user-frame relative pointing algorithm.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to adjust any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector, at least in part, by:

adjusting any of the scale and the angle of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of (i) a limit for an acceptable deviation from a characteristic of the first mapping algorithm and (ii) a limit for an acceptable deviation from a characteristic of the second mapping algorithm.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the first mapping algorithm is that cursor responsiveness to any of linear motion and angular motion is consistent over a motion range, and wherein the characteristic of the second mapping algorithm is long-term drift avoidance.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to adjust any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector, at least in part, by at least one of:

adjusting the scale of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of first minimum value, a first and second maximum value and a first combined minimum and maximum values; and

adjusting the angle of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of a second minimum value, a second maximum value and a second combined minimum and maximum values.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second mapping algorithms maps the estimated angular position into cursor coordinates using an angular position spherical projection.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to perform the mapping without using an estimated linear position of the device.

18. An apparatus comprising:

at input configured to obtain an estimated pose of a device in any one of three to six degrees of freedom; and

a processor configured to;

process the estimated pose using (i) a first mapping algorithm to generate a velocity vector and (ii) a second mapping algorithm to generate a first cursor position;

determine an adjusted velocity vector, at least in part, by adjusting any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector to cause a second cursor position resulting from a combination of a current cursor position and the adjusted velocity vector to be closer to the first cursor position than a third cursor position resulting from a combination of the current cursor position and the velocity vector; and

combine the current cursor position with the adjusted velocity vector to generate a final cursor output.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first mapping algorithm comprises a relative pointing algorithm, and wherein the second mapping algorithm comprises an absolute pointing algorithm.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to adjust any of a scale and an angle of the velocity vector, at least in part, by at least one of:

adjusting the scale of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of first minimum value, a first and second maximum value and a first combined minimum and maximum values; and

adjusting the angle of the velocity vector so as to satisfy any of a second minimum value, a second maximum value and a second combined minimum and maximum values.