THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIRTUAL INPUT AND SIMULATION APPARATUS

• US 20090033623A1
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ming-Yen Lin
• Original Assignee: Ming-Yen Lin
• Inventors: LIN, MING-YEN
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image

Abstract

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus comprising a plurality of point light sources, a plurality of optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, and a control analysis procedure. The invention is characterized in that the plurality of optical positioning devices with the visual axis tracking function are provided for measuring and analyzing 3D movements of the plurality of point light sources to achieve the effect of a virtual input and simulator.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of point light sources, each point light source being capable of simultaneously and continuously emitting a point-like scattering light source;

a plurality of 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, each 1D optical positioning devices receiving a synchronization enable signal and all scattering light sources simultaneously emitted by the point light sources, whereby measuring the 3D positions of all point light sources and outputting a set of physical quantities, each 1D optical positioning devices being equipped with a visual axis tracking function for automatically tracking the central group coordinate of all point light sources and the coordinate of one of the point light sources and outputting a visual axis angle of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis tracking purpose, and each 1D optical positioning devices further being equipped with a visual axis positioning function to receive a visual axis angle for setting the angular direction of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose; and

a control analysis procedure, being a software procedure mainly used to connect and control all 1D optical positioning devices, outputting a synchronization enable signal for synchronously starting all 1D optical positioning devices to do the 3D position measurement, also outputting a set of visual axis angles for setting the angular direction of visual axis of each 1D optical positioning devices, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose for all 1D optical positioning devices, and further receiving all physical quantities and a set of a visual axis angles for simulating an input function of a physical input device, so as to achieve the virtual input purpose, and also simulating the motion of a physical object, so as to achieve the purpose of simulator.

2. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein each point light source in the plurality of point light sources has a unique characteristic of light intensity, preferably has a light emission with an equal light emitting radius but a different light emitting intensity.

3. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein each point light source in the plurality of point light sources has a unique characteristic of geometric size, preferably has a light emission with a different light emitting radius but an equal light emitting intensity.

4. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein each point light source in the plurality of point light sources has a unique characteristic of wavelength, preferably has a light emission with a different light emitting wavelength, and each wavelength is not overlapped.

5. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the number of the plurality of point light sources is three, and the light emitting wavelength of each point light source are the red, green and blue light.

6. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the composed unique characteristics of the plurality of point light sources is a combination of light intensity, geometric size and wavelength.

7. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single point light source comprises:

a light scattering component, being an object capable of uniformly scattering an incident light along all angular directions;

a light emitting source, being composed of one or multiple LED or semiconductor laser diodes, for emitting the visible light or non-visible light;

an electronic control circuit, including a power switch and a circuit of a constant current source, for providing the function of a power switch and a constant current source which is supplied to the light emitting source for obtaining a specific and stable brightness of the light emission;

a battery, for supplying an electric power to the light emitting source and the electronic control circuit;

a point light source fixation mechanism, being a mechanical mechanism, for installing and fixing the light scattering component, the light emitting source, the electronic control circuit and the battery; and

a device fixation mechanism, being a mechanical mechanism, for attaching and fixing the point light source fixation mechanism onto an object.

8. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the light scattering component is comprised of a transparent optical guide material and a scattering material. The transparent optical guide material can be any shape, preferably a spherical shape, and can be made of any transparent material, preferably a glass or a plastic material. The scattering material is installed inside the transparent optical guide material and the most preferred scattering material is a randomly distributed powder with a light reflecting capability, or a randomly distributed transparent powder, or a randomly distributed tiny air bubbles, or a smaller and transparent ball. In addition, the optical index of the scattering material is smaller than the optical index of the transparent optical guide material. Father, a light incident window with a proper size and shape disposed at an appropriate position on the transparent optical guide material allows the incident light emitted from the light emitting source to enter the transparent optical guide material through a better angle.

9. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the light emitting source further uses an optical bandpass filter to generate a light source with a specific wavelength.

10. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the object attached by the device fixation mechanism can be the fingers of a hand, a forehead of a head, an instep of a foot, a racket-shaped object, a rod-shaped object, a stick-shaped object, a glove-shaped object, a spherical object, a toy, a remote control toy, a joystick, and a remote control of a home video game player.

11. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function comprises:

a plurality of linear positioning sensors, each linear positioning sensor receiving a synchronization scan signal and simultaneously receiving all scattering light sources emitted by the point light sources, whereby calculating and outputting the image mean positions of all point light sources;

a positioning calculation control microprocessor, containing a positioning calculation and control procedure and being connected to control all linear positioning sensors and the two-axis angular control device, the positioning calculation and control procedure mainly receiving the synchronization enable signal, all image mean positions, a visual axis angle and two feedback angular electric signals, so as to calculate and output a synchronization scan signal, a set of physical quantities, a visual axis angle and two angular driving signals;

a signal transmission interface, being a wire or a wireless transmitting device, for transmitting a set of physical quantities, a visual axis angle and a synchronization enable signal;

a group of pilot point light sources, being composed of a plurality of point light sources and installed and fixed at known positions of the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, for being used for the position measurement and the visual axis angle positioning of the 1D optical positioning device;

a 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, being a mechanical structure, for installing and fixing the plurality of linear positioning sensors, the positioning calculation control microprocessor, the signal transmission interface and the group of pilot point light sources, and connecting to the two-axis rotation mechanism in the two-axis angular control device to achieve a two-axis rotation effect; and

a two-axis angular control device, being composed of two actuators, two angular sensors and a two-axis rotation mechanism, for receiving two angular driving signals, whereby driving the two actuators to rotate the two-axis rotation mechanism and the two angular sensors according to the magnitude of the angular driving signal, the two angular sensors outputting two angular electric signals as feedback signals according to the magnitude of the actual rotation, so as to achieve the angular positioning effect for the two-axis rotation mechanism, and the two-axis rotation mechanism rotating the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, so as to change the visual axis angle of the 1D optical positioning device.

12. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the single linear positioning sensor comprises:

a 1D optical element, comprising a filter, a linear aperture, and 1D optical lens;

a linear optical sensor, comprising a linear optical sensor array, an electronic scan and read circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, the electronic scan and read circuit sequentially and continuously reading and outputting an analog voltage sensed by each photosensitive pixel of the linear optical sensor array according to the received scanning timing signal, the analog-to-digital converter converting the analog voltage and outputting a digital voltage which is the image superposed signal;

a signal processing microprocessor, being connected to control the linear optical sensor, for receiving the synchronization scan signal to start the execution of a signal processing procedure which outputs a scanning timing signal and reads the image superposed signal, so as to calculate and output the image mean position of all point light sources; and

a linear positioning sensor fixation mechanism, being a mechanical structure, for installing and fixing the 1D optical element, the linear optical sensor and the signal processing microprocessor, and being installed and fixed in the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism.

13. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 12, wherein the linear optical sensor is composed of a linear color optical sensor array, an electronic scan and read circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, each photosensitive pixel of the linear color optical sensor array installs a proper color filter, and the preferable color filters are R, G, and B color filters.

14. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 12, wherein the linear optical sensor comprises a plurality of linear color optical sensor array, an electronic scan and read circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, all photosensitive pixels in each linear color optical sensor array install a proper color filter, and the preferable color filters are R, G, and B color filters.

15. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 12, wherein the linear optical sensor comprises a 2D color optical sensor array, an electronic random access circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, the 2D color optical sensor array comprises a plurality of linear color optical sensor arrays, the color filters are arranged in a way that each photosensitive pixel of each linear color optical sensor array installs a proper color filter, preferably R, G, and B color filters, or all photosensitive pixels in each linear color optical sensor array install a proper color filter, preferably R, G, and B color filters, the electronic random access circuit comprises a microprocessor, a row decoder and a column decoder for reading a pixel directly and randomly.

16. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 12, wherein the signal processing procedure comprises:

a synchronous data acquisition procedure, for receiving the synchronization scan signal, whereby outputting a scanning timing signal at a proper time, so as to obtain and record the image superposed signal which includes the effective image signal formed by all point light sources and the dynamic background light signal;

a dynamic background light signal elimination procedure, comprising an elimination procedure of time dependent ambient light interference signal and an elimination procedure of space dependent ambient light interference signal, and being able to eliminate the dynamic background light signal from the image superposed signal, so as to output an effective image signal of all point light sources;

an image signal recognition and correspondence procedure, mainly utilizing a threshold comparison and/or a profile detection method to analyze and recognize the effective image signal of all point light sources and obtain the correspondence relationship, the profile detection method using the characteristics of the effective image signal, such as the standard deviation, the central intensity and the slope of the waveform, to achieve the purpose of analysis, recognition and correspondence, further, when adopting the geometric modulation method, a method of deduction and a Gaussian Fitting being used to analyze and recognize the effective image signal of all point light sources and obtain the correspondence relationship; and

an image mean position calculation procedure, for applying several analytic processes such as the analysis of the position of the brightest sensed pixel, the analysis of Gaussian Fitting and the analysis of statistics to each analyzed and recognized effective image signal for calculating and outputting each image mean position.

17. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the dynamic background light signal elimination procedure is a hardware method which uses one more noise measurement 1D optical sensor, by utilizing the same scanning timing used by the 1D optical sensor and a proper signal amplification, the noise measurement 1D optical sensor obtains the dynamic background light signal independently, thus the dynamic background light signal is subtracted from the image superposed signal, so as to achieve the purpose of the elimination of the dynamic background light signal, a proper optical filter attached to the linear optical sensor array in the noise measurement linear optical sensor is used to block out the light sources emitted by the point light sources but transmit the background light sources.

18. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the elimination procedure of time dependent ambient light interference signal is a software method which applies a mathematic subtraction process to the two consecutively obtained image superposed signals, so as to achieve the purpose of eliminating the dynamic background light signal.

19. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the elimination procedure of space dependent ambient light interference signal is a Fourier signal process, the Fourier signal process first applies a Fourier transformation to the data obtained by the elimination procedure of time dependent ambient light interference signal, then applies a bandpass filtering process to the transformed data for reducing the unnecessary frequencies and amplifying the signal in the frequency domain, and finally applies an inverse Fourier transformation to the processed data in the frequency domain, so as to achieve the purpose of eliminating the space dependent ambient light interference.

20. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the positioning calculation and control procedure in the positioning calculation control microprocessor comprises:

a synchronous scan procedure, for receiving a synchronization enable signal to periodically generate and output a synchronization scan signal, so as to synchronously drive all linear positioning sensors to start the execution of a signal processing procedure;

a physical quantity calculation procedure, for obtaining the image mean positions provided by the linear positioning sensors and calculating and outputting a set of physical quantities, the set of physical quantities including the physical quantity, the group physical quantity, the relative physical quantity, and other physical quantities; and

a visual axis control procedure, for calculating and outputting a visual axis angle and two angular driving signals according to the physical quantity, group physical quantity or a visual axis angle, further receiving two feedback angular electric signals to implement an angular feedback control, so as to achieve the angular positioning control of the visual axis.

21. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism is a triangular geometric structure, preferably an equilateral triangle structure, and installs and fixes a the linear positioning sensor fixation mechanism at each vertices or the middle of three sides of the triangular device, namely the relative installed positions of three linear positioning sensors constitute a triangular geometric structure, further the linear positioning sensor can be set to any angle by the rotation about its optical axis, namely the direction of a long axis of the linear optical sensor array in the linear positioning sensors can be set to any angle, and the group of pilot point light sources are installed at any position of the triangular 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, and the preferable number of the pilot point light sources is three, and the preferable installed positions are the vertices or the middle of three sides of the triangular, further a connecting structure can be installed at the vertices of the triangular 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, and the connecting structure includes a structure which can connects or detaches two sides of a triangle and can freely adjust the angle included between any two sides of the triangle.

22. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 21, wherein the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism installs one more connecting mechanism installed at the middle of any one of three sides such that an extra linear positioning sensor is installed, and the extra linear positioning sensor is installed at the center of the triangle.

23. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism is the improved mechanism of claim 21, has a quadrilateral, a pentagonal or a hexagonal geometric structure, preferably a square, an equilateral pentagon or an equilateral hexagon, and installs and fixes a linear positioning sensor fixation mechanism at each vertices or the middle of each sides of the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, namely the number of installed linear positioning sensor is four, five or six, further the group of pilot point light sources are installed at any position of the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, and the preferable number of the pilot point light sources is three, and the preferable installed position are the vertices or the middle of each sides of the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism.

24. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the 1D optical positioning device fixation mechanism can be a casing of other conventional devices such as a notebook computer, a PDA, a video game player, a mobile phone, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a television, a projector, an optical camera, an optical camcorder, an optical telescope, an automobile or a motorcycle, namely the plurality of linear positioning sensors, the positioning calculation control microprocessor, the signal transmission interface and the pilot point light sources can be installed on the casing of the aforementioned conventional devices.

25. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 20, wherein the physical quantity means the physical quantities comprising the 3D position coordinates, 3D displacements, 3D velocities and 3D accelerations of the point light sources, and the group physical quantity means the physical quantities comprising a group center coordinate, a group average displacement, a group average velocity, and a group average acceleration, and the relative physical quantity means the physical quantities comprising a relative position, a relative velocity, a relative acceleration, an angle, an angular velocity, an angular acceleration and a plan vector constructed among the point light sources and the group center coordinates, and other physical quantities means the physical quantities comprising the force, torque, centripetal force, momentum and kinetic energy of the point light sources.

26. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control analysis procedure comprises:

a coordinate alignment and synchronous calibration procedure, for obtaining the coordinate transformation relationship between any two of 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, and compensating the positioning error caused by the coordinate transformation, and correcting the error of synchronous timing;

a device simulated input procedure, for recognizing and simulating the operating gestures required by a physical input device, as to achieve the virtual input purpose; and

a simulator procedure, for measuring the positions of a plurality of point light sources installed on a physical object in real time to obtain the trajectory and physical movement quantities of the physical object, and further taking the advantage of the virtual reality technology to define a virtual object in the virtual space and corresponding the motion of the virtual object to the motion of the physical object, and thus the virtual object interacting with other virtual objects in the virtual space according to the physical laws, so as to achieve the purpose of simulation.

27. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 26, wherein the coordinate alignment and synchronous calibration procedure comprises:

a visual axis reset procedure, for using the visual axis control procedure installed in the 1D optical positioning device with a visual axis tracking function to point the visual axes of 1D optical positioning devices all at a positioning point light source and thus setting the angle of each visual axis at zero degree;

a coordinate transformation setting procedure, for selecting one of the 1D optical positioning device as a mater positioning device and the others as client positioning devices, the master positioning device measuring the position of the positioning point light source and each pilot point light sources of all client positioning devices and each client positioning device measuring the position of the positioning point light source, such that the coordinate transformation relationship between the mater and the client positioning devices and the compensation of the positioning error being obtained; and

a synchronous timing calibration procedure, for periodically outputting a synchronization enable signal in a proper cycle of time interval, such that all positioning device being calibrated to execute the positioning calculation and control procedure synchronously.

28. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 26, wherein the device simulated input procedure comprises:

a procedure of virtual operating screen correspondence, as to a physical operating screen with an actual dimension, for defining a virtual operating screen at any position in the space, the virtual operating screen having a spatial corresponding relationship with the physical operating screen, and the relationship being a one-to-one corresponding relation which may have a magnifying corresponding relation, an equivalent corresponding relation or a shrinking corresponding relation, and further by taking the advantage of virtual reality technology, the virtual operating screen being visually displayed as a virtual stereo image;

a procedure of virtual device geometric structure definition and operating fingers correspondence, as to a physical input device to be simulated, for defining a geometric structure of a virtual device, a physical position and size of the virtual function keys and the physical motion of the virtual function keys, and corresponding the operating fingers to the virtual function keys, and further by taking the advantage of virtual reality technology, the geometric structure of the virtual device and operating fingers being visually displayed as a virtual stereo image; and

a procedure of operating gestures definition and recognition, according to the physical motion of the virtual function keys, for defining the physical movement quantities of the operating fingers, the physical movement quantities being a set of consecutive time dependent physical quantities, and the set of physical quantities comprising the physical quantities, group physical quantities, relative physical quantities and other physical quantities of all point light sources, thus according to these predefined physical quantities, the gestures of operating fingers being recognized by measuring and analyzing the motion of point light sources installed on the fingers, so as to achieve the device simulated input purpose.

29. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 28, wherein the physical operating screen can be the Windows operating screen of a personal computer, the Windows operating screen of a PDA, the operating screen of a mobile phone, the operating screen of a television or the operating screen of a game player.

30. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control analysis procedure can be integrated and installed in other devices such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, a mobile phone, a game player and a video playing and a converting equipment.

31. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the physical input device can be a mouse, a keyboard, a remote control and a touch screen.

32. A three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, comprising:

a module device of a plurality of point light sources, being a module device composed of a plurality of point light sources, each point light source having a unique characteristic of light emitting time, namely each point light source continuously and alternately emitting a point-like scattering light source at different time;

a plurality of 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, each 1D optical positioning devices receiving a synchronization enable signal and the scattering light source continuously and alternately emitted by the point light sources, whereby measuring the 3D positions of all point light sources and outputting a set of physical quantities, each 1D optical positioning devices being equipped with a visual axis tracking function for automatically tracking the central group coordinate of all point light sources and the coordinate of one of the point light sources and outputting a visual axis angle of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis tracking purpose, and each 1D optical positioning devices further being equipped with a visual axis positioning function to receive a visual axis angle for setting the angular direction of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose; and

a control analysis procedure, being a software procedure mainly used to connect and control all 1D optical positioning devices, outputting a synchronization enable signal for synchronously starting all 1D optical positioning devices to do the 3D position measurement, also outputting a set of visual axis angles for setting the angular direction of visual axis of each 1D optical positioning devices, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose for all 1D optical positioning devices, and further receiving all physical quantities and a set of visual axis angles for simulating an input function of a physical input device, so as to achieve the virtual input purpose, and also simulating the motion of a physical object, so as to achieve the purpose of simulator.

33. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 32, wherein the module device of a plurality of point light sources, comprising:

a RF receiver, comprising a RF antenna, a RF demodulator and a decoder, for receiving a coded RF synchronous signal composed of an encoding signal and a synchronous signal, so as to analyze and output an encoding signal and a synchronous signal;

a switch, for receiving the encoding signal and the synchronous signal and outputting a driving signal that can continuously and alternately light each point light source; and

a plurality of point light sources, for receiving the driving signal to turn on/off the light emission.

34. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 32, wherein the single 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function contains a RF transmitter for emitting or receiving a coded RF synchronous signal which is generated by a microprocessor, the encoding signal in the coded RF synchronous signal can be composed of a group of binary codes, a square wave with specific time duration, or a specific number of pulses, the RF transmitter is used to emit the coded RF synchronous signal if the 1D optical positioning devices is selected as a master device, while the RF transmitter is used to receive the coded RF synchronous signal if the 1D optical positioning devices is selected as a client device and also produces a synchronization scan signal for synchronously driving all linear optical sensors to obtain the image signal of the uniquely lit point light source.

35. A three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, comprising:

a multiple module devices with a plurality of point light sources, each module device comprising a plurality of point light sources, each module device having a unique characteristic of light emitting time and each point light source in the module device having the unique characteristics of light intensity, geometric size or wavelength, namely the multiple module devices with a plurality of point light sources emitting the light sources in such a way that the module devices are continuously and alternately lit in an unit of module and all point light sources in the lit module device emit a point-like scattering light source simultaneously;

a plurality of 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, each 1D optical positioning devices receiving a synchronization enable signal and all scattering light sources simultaneously emitted by the point light sources in the lit module device, whereby measuring the 3D positions of all point light sources and outputting a set of physical quantities, each 1D optical positioning devices being equipped with a visual axis tracking function for automatically tracking the central group coordinate of all point light sources and the coordinate of one of the point light sources and outputting a visual axis angle of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis tracking purpose, and each 1D optical positioning devices further being equipped with a visual axis positioning function to receive a visual axis angle for setting the angular direction of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose; and

a control analysis procedure, being a software procedure mainly used to connect and control all 1D optical positioning devices, outputting a synchronization enable signal for synchronously starting all 1D optical positioning devices to do the 3D position measurement, also outputting a set of visual axis angles for setting the angular direction of visual axis of each 1D optical positioning devices, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose for all 1D optical positioning devices, and further receiving all physical quantities and a set of visual axis angles for simulating an input function of a physical input device, so as to achieve the virtual input purpose, and also simulating the motion of a physical object, so as to achieve the purpose of simulator.

36. A three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, comprising:

a multiple module devices with a plurality of point light sources, each module device comprising a plurality of point light sources, each module device having a unique characteristic of light emitting wavelength and each point light source in the module device having the unique characteristic of light emitting time, namely the multiple module devices with a plurality of point light sources emitting the light sources in such a way that all module devices are synchronously lit and each point light sources in the module device is lit to emit a point-like scattering light source alternately;

a plurality of 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, each 1D optical positioning devices receiving a synchronization enable signal and all scattering light sources alternately emitted by the point light sources in each lit module device, whereby measuring the 3D positions of all point light sources and outputting a set of physical quantities, each 1D optical positioning devices being equipped with a visual axis tracking function for automatically tracking the central group coordinate of all point light sources and the coordinate of one of the point light sources and outputting a visual axis angle of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis tracking purpose, and each 1D optical positioning devices further being equipped with a visual axis positioning function to receive a visual axis angle for setting the angular direction of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose; and

a control analysis procedure, being a software procedure mainly used to connect and control all 1D optical positioning devices, outputting a synchronization enable signal for synchronously starting all 1D optical positioning devices to do the 3D position measurement, also outputting a set of visual axis angles for setting the angular direction of visual axis of each 1D optical positioning devices, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose for all 1D optical positioning devices, and further receiving all physical quantities and a set of visual axis angles for simulating an input function of a physical input device, so as to achieve the virtual input purpose, and also simulating the motion of a physical object, so as to achieve the purpose of simulator.

37. A three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, comprising:

a module device of a plurality of point light sources, comprising a switch and a plurality of point light sources, the switch continuously and alternately lighting each point light source to emit a point-like scattering light source at constant time period;

a plurality of 1D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, each 1D optical positioning devices receiving a synchronization enable signal and the scattering light source continuously and alternately emitted by the point light sources, whereby measuring the 3D positions of all point light sources and outputting a set of physical quantities, each 1D optical positioning devices being equipped with a visual axis tracking function for automatically tracking the central group coordinate of all point light sources and the coordinate of one of the point light sources and outputting a visual axis angle of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis tracking purpose, and each 1D optical positioning devices further being equipped with a visual axis positioning function to receive a visual axis angle for setting the angular direction of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose; and

a control analysis procedure, being a software procedure mainly used to connect and control all 1D optical positioning devices, outputting a synchronization enable signal for synchronously starting all 1D optical positioning devices to do the 3D position measurement, and outputting a set of visual axis angles for setting the angular direction of visual axis of each 1D optical positioning devices, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose for all 1D optical positioning devices, and further receiving all physical quantities and a set of visual axis angles for simulating an input function of a physical input device, so as to achieve the virtual input purpose, and also simulating the motion of a physical object, so as to achieve the purpose of simulator.

38. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 37, wherein the way of receiving the scattering light source in the 1D optical positioning devices is to use an optical receiver to receive the light sources emitted by the point light sources and output a lighting timing signal of the point light sources, a microprocessor is further used to receive the lighting timing signal at a proper time and thus measure the period of the lighting timing and synchronously generate a synchronization scan signal.

39. A three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of point light sources, each point light source being capable of simultaneously and continuously emitting a point-like scattering light source;

a plurality of 2D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function, each 2D optical positioning devices receiving a synchronization enable signal and all scattering light sources simultaneously emitted by the point light sources, whereby measuring the 3D positions of all point light sources and outputting a set of physical quantities, each 2D optical positioning devices being equipped with a visual axis tracking function for automatically tracking the central group coordinate of all point light sources and the coordinate of one of the point light sources and outputting a visual axis angle of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis tracking purpose, and each 2D optical positioning devices further being equipped with a visual axis positioning function to receive a visual axis angle for setting the angular direction of its own visual axis, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose; and

a control analysis procedure, being a software procedure mainly used to connect and control all 2D optical positioning devices, outputting a synchronization enable signal for synchronously starting all 2D optical positioning devices to do the 3D position measurement, and also outputting a set of angular direction of visual axis for setting the angular direction of visual axis of each 2D optical positioning devices, so as to achieve the visual axis positioning purpose for all 2D optical positioning devices, and further receiving all physical quantities and a group of a visual axis angles to simulate an input function of a physical input device, so as to achieve the virtual input purpose, and also to simulate the motion of a physical object, so as to achieve the purpose of simulator.

40. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein each point light source in the plurality of point light sources has a unique characteristic of light intensity, preferably has a light emission with an equal light emitting radius but a different light emitting intensity.

41. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein each point light source in the plurality of point light sources has a unique characteristic of geometric size, preferably has a light emission with a different light emitting radius but an equal light emitting intensity.

42. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein each point light source in the plurality of point light sources has a unique characteristic of wavelength, preferably has a light emission with a different light emitting wavelength and each wavelength is not overlapped.

43. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 42, wherein the number of the plurality of point light sources is three, and the light emitting wavelength of each point light source are the red, green and blue light.

44. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein the composed unique characteristics of the plurality of point light sources is a combination of light intensity, geometric size and wavelength.

45. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein the single 2D optical positioning devices with a visual axis tracking function comprises:

a plurality of 2D positioning sensors, for receiving a synchronization scan signal and simultaneously receiving all scattering light sources emitted by the point light sources, and calculating and outputting the 2D image mean positions of all point light sources;

a positioning calculation control microprocessor, containing a positioning calculation and control procedure, being connected to control all 2D positioning sensors and a two-axis angular control device, the positioning calculation and control procedure mainly receiving a synchronization enable signal, all 2D image mean positions, a visual axis angle and two feedback angular electric signals, so as to calculate and output a synchronization scan signal, a set of physical quantities, a visual axis angle and two angular driving signals;

a signal transmission interface, being a wire or a wireless transmitting device, for transmitting a set of physical quantities, a visual axis angle and a synchronization enable signal;

a group of pilot point light sources, composed of a plurality of point light sources, and installed and fixed at known positions of the 2D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, and used for the position measurement and the visual axis angle positioning of the 2D optical positioning device;

a 2D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, being a mechanical structure, for installing and fixing the plurality of 2D positioning sensors, the positioning calculation control microprocessor, the signal transmission interface and the group of pilot point light sources, and connected to the two-axis rotation mechanism in the two-axis angular control device to achieve a two-axis rotation effect; and

a two-axis angular control device, composed of two actuators, two angular sensors and a two-axis rotation mechanism, for receiving the angular driving signal and driving the two actuators to rotate the two-axis rotation mechanism and the two angular sensors according to the magnitude of the angular driving signal, the two angular sensors outputting two angular electric signals as feedback signals according to the magnitude of the actual rotation, so as to achieve the angular positioning effect for the two-axis rotation mechanism, and the two-axis rotation mechanism rotating the 2D optical positioning device fixation mechanism, so as to change the visual axis angle of the 2D optical positioning device.

46. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 45, wherein the single 2D positioning sensor comprises:

a 2D optical element, comprising a filter, a 2D aperture, and 2D optical lens;

a 2D optical sensor, comprising a 2D optical sensor array, an electronic scan and read circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, and the electronic scan and read circuit sequentially and continuously reading and outputting an analog voltage sensed by each photosensitive pixel of the 2D optical sensor array according to the received scanning timing signal, and the analog-to-digital converter converting the analog voltage and outputting a digital voltage which is the 2D image superposed signal;

a signal processing microprocessor, being connected to control the 2D optical sensor, for receiving the synchronization scan signal to start the execution of a signal processing procedure to output a scanning timing signal and read the 2D image superposed signal, so as to calculate and output the 2D image mean position of all point light sources; and

a 2D positioning sensor fixation mechanism, being a mechanical structure, for installing and fixing the 2D optical element, the 2D optical sensor, and the signal processing microprocessor, and being installed and fixed in the 2D optical positioning device fixation mechanism.

47. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 46, wherein the 2D optical sensor is composed of a 2D optical sensor array, an electronic random access circuit and an analog-to-digital converter, the electronic random access circuit uses a microprocessor, a row decoder and a column decoder to read a pixel directly and randomly.

48. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 46, wherein the signal processing procedure comprises:

a synchronous data acquisition procedure, for receiving the synchronization scan signal, and outputting a scanning timing signal at a proper time, so as to obtain and record the 2D image superposed signal which contains the 2D effective image signal formed by all point light sources and the 2D dynamic background light signal;

a 2D dynamic background light signal elimination procedure, comprising an elimination procedure of time dependent 2D ambient light interference signal and an elimination procedure of space dependent 2D ambient light interference signal, and being able to eliminate the 2D dynamic background light signal from the 2D image superposed signal, so as to output a 2D effective image signal of all point light sources;

a 2D image signal recognition and correspondence procedure, mainly utilizing a 2D threshold comparison and/or a 2D profile detection method to analyze and recognize the 2D effective image signal of all point light sources and obtain the correspondence relationship, the 2D profile detection method using the characteristics of the 2D standard deviation, the central intensity and the 2D slope of the waveform to achieve the purpose of analysis, recognition and correspondence; and

a 2D image mean position calculation procedure, for applying several analytic processes, such as the analysis of the position of the brightest sensed pixel, the analysis of 2D Gaussian Fitting and the analysis of 2D statistics to each 2D effective image signal for calculating and outputting each 2D image mean position.

49. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 48, wherein the 2D dynamic background light signal elimination procedure is a hardware method which uses one more noise measurement 2D optical sensor, by utilizing the same scanning timing used by the 2D optical sensor and a proper signal amplification, the noise measurement 2D optical sensor obtains the 2D dynamic background light signal independently, thus the 2D dynamic background light signal is subtracted from the 2D image superposed signal, so as to achieve the purpose of the elimination of the 2D dynamic background light signal, a proper optical filter attached to the 2D optical sensor array in the noise measurement 2D optical sensor is used to block out the light sources emitted by the point light sources but transmit the background light sources.

50. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 48, wherein the elimination procedure of time dependent 2D ambient light interference signal is a software method which applies a mathematic subtraction process to the two consecutively obtained 2D image superposed signals, so as to achieve the purpose of eliminating the 2D dynamic background light signal.

51. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 48, wherein the elimination procedure of space dependent 2D ambient light interference signal is a 2D Fourier signal process, the 2D Fourier signal process first applies a 2D Fourier transformation to the data obtained by the elimination procedure of time dependent 2D ambient light interference signal, then applies a 2D bandpass filtering process to the transformed data for reducing the unnecessary frequencies and amplifying the signal in the frequency domain, and finally applies a 2D inverse Fourier transformation to the processed data in the frequency domain, so as to achieve the purpose of eliminating the space dependent 2D ambient light interference.

52. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 45, wherein the positioning calculation and control procedure comprises:

a synchronous scan procedure, for receiving the synchronization enable signal to periodically generate and output a synchronization scan signal, so as to synchronously drive all 2D positioning sensors to start the execution of a signal processing procedure;

a physical quantity calculation procedure, for obtaining the image mean positions provided by the 2D positioning sensors and calculating and outputting a set of physical quantities, and the set of physical quantities including the physical quantity, the group physical quantity, the relative physical quantity, and other physical quantities; and

a visual axis control procedure, for calculating and outputting a visual axis angle and two angular driving signals according to the physical quantity, the group physical quantity or a visual axis angle, further receiving two feedback angular electric signals to implement an angular feedback control, so as to achieve the angular positioning control for the visual axis.

53. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein the control analysis procedure can be integrated and installed in other devices such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, a mobile phone, a game player and a video playing and a converting equipment.

54. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 39, wherein the physical input device can be a mouse, a keyboard, a remote control and a touch screen.

55. Three-dimensional virtual input and simulation apparatus of claim 45, wherein the 2D optical positioning device fixation mechanism can be a casing of other conventional devices such as a notebook computer, a PDA, a video game player, a mobile phone, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a television, a projector, an optical camera, an optical camcorder, an optical telescope, an automobile or a motorcycle, and namely the plurality of 2D positioning sensors, the positioning calculation control microprocessor, the signal transmission interface and the pilot point light sources can be installed on the casing of the aforementioned conventional devices.