User interface devices and methods employing accelerometers

• US 20050174324A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Communications, Inc. (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liberty, Matthew G., Simpkins, Daniel S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/0346 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: 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 address these needs and others by providing a free space pointing device and methods for free space pointing which provide accurate translation of movement of the free space pointing device into user interface commands, e.g., cursor movement. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a free space pointing device includes a plurality of accelerometers.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising:

at least four accelerometer devices arranged in a non-coplanar configuration, each of said at least four accelerometer devices outputting respective accelerometer data; and

an algorithm that translates said accelerometer data from each of said at least four accelerometer devices into two dimensional pointer movement.

2. The user interface device in claim 1 wherein each accelerometer device contains two accelerometers.

3. The user interface device in claim 1 wherein each accelerometer device contains three accelerometers.

4. The user interface device of claim 1 wherein said algorithm reduces error by bounding device movement based on user movement characteristics.

5. The user interface device of claim 4 wherein bounding is performed using an extent of user movement for at least one of user'"'"'s fingers, wrist, arm, and shoulder.

6. The user interface device of claim 4 wherein bounding is performed using user tremor.

7. The user interface device of claim 1 wherein said algorithm further interprets gestures to produce mouse buttons clicks.

8. The user interface device of claim 1 wherein said algorithm further interprets gestures to produce keystrokes or operating system messages.

9. A user interface device comprising:

a plurality of accelerometers for measuring acceleration associated with said user interface device; and

an algorithm that utilizes gravity to stabilize orientation measurements over time.

10. A handheld, user interface device comprising:

a plurality of accelerometers for measuring acceleration associated with said user interface device; and

an algorithm that detects when the handheld, user interface device is stationary and that performs calibration of the plurality of accelerometers when stationary conditions are detected.

11. A handheld, user interface device comprising:

a plurality of accelerometers, each of which provide acceleration data associated with movement of said handheld, user interface device;

a processing unit for transforming said acceleration data into data from which two dimensional cursor movement data can be generated;

wherein said processing unit further processes said acceleration data to determine when said handheld, user interface device is stationary and recalibrates said handheld, user interface device when said handheld, user interface device is stationary.