Pointing device

• US 20080122787A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Shih-Ching, Liou, Shun-Nan, Tsai, Ming-Jye, Jeng, Sheng-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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

Abstract

A pointing device is disclosed in the present invention, which comprises a planar sensing unit, an inertial sensing unit and a controller unit. The planar sensing unit is capable of detecting a movement of the point device moving on a planar surface and generating a planar sensing signal accordingly. The inertial sensing unit is capable of detecting a movement of the point device while it is moving in a free space and thus generating an inertial sensing signal accordingly. The controller unit is coupled to the planar sensing unit and the inertial sensing unit for enabling the same to receive and process the planar sensing signal and the inertial sensing signal. In a preferred aspect, the planar sensing unit is capable of detecting and determining whether the pointing device is operating on a surface or in a free space for selectively enabling the pointing device to operate in a mode of two-dimensional detection or in a mode of three-dimensional detection such that users can apply the pointing device freely without being restricted by a surface or a space, and thus not only the usage convenience of the pointing device is enhanced, but also the applications thereof are broadened.

Claims

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a planar sensing unit, capable of detecting a movement of the point device moving on a planar surface and generating a planar sensing signal accordingly;

an inertial sensing unit, capable of detecting a movement of the point device while it is moving in a free space and thus generating an inertial sensing signal accordingly; and

a controller unit, coupled to the planar sensing unit and the inertial sensing unit for enabling the same to receive and process the planar sensing signal and the inertial sensing signal.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the planar sensing unit is capable of generating a return signal used for enabling the controller unit to switch between a mode of two-dimensional detection and a mode of three-dimensional detection.

3. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the controller unit is connected to an interface unit while the interface unit is further being coupled to the planar sensing unit and the inertial sensing unit and used for converting the planar sensing signal and the inertial sensing signal received thereby into a digital signal to be processed by the controller unit and formed a displacement signal accordingly.

4. The pointing device of claim 3, wherein the controller unit is further coupled to an output unit for outputting the displacement signal therefrom to an electronic device selected from the group consisting of a game console, a computer, and a multimedia apparatus.

5. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the inertial sensing signal is a signal selected from the group consisting of an angular velocity signal and an acceleration signal.

6. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the planar sensing unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a trackball encoder and an optical sensor;

and correspondingly, the planar sensing signal is a signal selected from the group consisting of a pulse signal and an optical signal.

7. A pointing device, comprising:

a planar sensing unit, capable of detecting a movement of the point device moving on a planar surface and generating a planar sensing signal accordingly;

a gyroscopic element, capable of detecting and measuring a angular velocity of the pointing device and generating a first sensing signal accordingly;

an acceleration sensing part, capable of detecting and measuring an acceleration measured along at least an axis of a set of orthogonal axes of a space and generating a second sensing signal accordingly; and

a controller unit, coupled to the planar sensing unit, the gyroscopic element and the acceleration sensing part for enabling the same to receive and process the planar sensing signal, the first sensing signal, and the second sensing signal.

8. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the acceleration sensing part further comprises:

a first accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along a second axis of the set of orthogonal axes while the pointing device is being held to move in the space defined by the set of orthogonal axes and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about a first axis of the set of orthogonal axes in the space.

9. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the acceleration sensing part further comprises:

a first accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along a second axis of the set of orthogonal axes while the pointing device is being held to move in the space defined by the set of orthogonal axes and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about a first axis of the set of orthogonal axes in the space; and

a second accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along the first axis while the pointing device is being held to move in the space and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about the second axis.

10. The pointing device of claim 9, further comprising:

a switch control, used for controlling the controller unit to receive a signal selected from the group consisting of the first sensing signal and the inclination signal detected by the second accelerometer.

11. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the acceleration sensing part further comprises:

a first accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along a second axis of the set of orthogonal axes while the pointing device is being held to move in the space defined by the set of orthogonal axes and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about a first axis of the set of orthogonal axes in the space;

a second accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along the first axis while the pointing device is being held to move in the space and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about the second axis; and

a third accelerometer, for detecting an overturn status of the pointing device.

12. The pointing device of claim 11, further comprising:

a switch control, used for controlling the controller unit to receive a signal selected from the group consisting of the first sensing signal and the inclination signal detected by the second accelerometer.

13. The pointing device of claim 11, wherein the third accelerometer is capable of generating a return signal used for enabling the controller unit to switch between a mode of two-dimensional detection and a mode of three-dimensional detection.

14. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the planar sensing unit, being an optical sensor, is capable of generating a return signal used for enabling the controller unit to switch between a mode of two-dimensional detection and a mode of three-dimensional detection.

15. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the controller unit is connected to an interface unit while the interface unit is further being coupled to the planar sensing unit, the gyroscopic element and the acceleration sensing part to be used for converting the planar sensing signal, the first and the second sensing signals received thereby into a digital signal to be processed by the controller unit and formed a displacement signal accordingly.

16. The pointing device of claim 15, wherein the controller unit is further coupled to an output unit for outputting the displacement signal therefrom to an electronic device, the electronic device being a device selected from the group consisting of a game console, a computer, a multimedia apparatus and other digital apparatuses.

17. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the controller unit is further coupled to an output unit for outputting the displacement signal therefrom to an electronic device selected from the group consisting of a game console, a computer, and a multimedia apparatus.

18. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein the planar sensing unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a trackball encoder and an optical sensor;

and correspondingly, the planar sensing signal is a signal selected from the group consisting of a pulse signal and an optical signal.

19. A pointing device, comprising:

a planar sensing unit, capable of detecting a movement of the point device moving on a planar surface and generating a planar sensing signal accordingly;

a first accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along a second axis of a set of orthogonal axes while the pointing device is being held to move in a space defined by the set of orthogonal axes and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about a first axis of the set of orthogonal axes in the space;

a second accelerometer, for detecting an acceleration measured along the first axis while the pointing device is being held to move in the space and an inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about the second axis; and

a third accelerometer, for detecting an overturn status of the pointing device and generating a third sensing signal accordingly; and

a controller unit, coupled to the planar sensing unit, the first, the second and the third accelerometers for enabling the same to receive and process the planar sensing signal, the first, the second and the third sensing signals.

20. The pointing device of claim 19, wherein the third accelerometer is capable of generating a return signal used for enabling the controller unit to switch between a mode of two-dimensional detection and a mode of three-dimensional detection.

21. The pointing device of claim 19, wherein the planar sensing unit, being an optical sensor, is capable of generating a return signal used for enabling the controller unit to switch between a mode of two-dimensional detection and a mode of three-dimensional detection.

22. The pointing device of claim 19, wherein the planar sensing unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a trackball encoder and an optical sensor;

and correspondingly, the planar sensing signal is a signal selected from the group consisting of a pulse signal and an optical signal.

23. The pointing device of claim 19, wherein the controller unit is connected to an interface unit while the interface unit is further being coupled to the planar sensing unit, the first, the second and the third accelerometers to be used for converting the planar sensing signal, the first the second and the third sensing signals received thereby into a digital signal to be processed by the controller unit and formed a displacement signal accordingly.

24. The pointing device of claim 23, wherein the controller unit is further coupled to an output unit for outputting the displacement signal therefrom to an electronic device selected from the group consisting of a game console, a computer, and a multimedia apparatus.