INPUT APPARATUS AND CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090267898A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kabasawa, Hidetoshi, Yamamoto, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/423,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267898A1
• 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

An input apparatus includes: a casing; a sensor module that includes a reference potential and outputs, as a detection signal, a fluctuation of a potential with respect to the reference potential, that corresponds to a movement of the casing; a velocity calculation unit to calculate a pointer velocity value as a velocity value for moving a pointer based on an output of the sensor module; a first execution section to execute a calibration mode as processing for correcting the reference potential; a second execution section to execute an operation mode as processing for moving the pointer on a screen in accordance with the pointer velocity value calculated by the velocity calculation unit; and a switch to switch the execution of the calibration mode to the execution of the operation mode and vise versa in accordance with an input operation from outside.

Claims

1. An input apparatus, comprising:

a casing;

a sensor module that includes a reference potential and outputs, as a detection signal, a fluctuation of a potential with respect to the reference potential, that corresponds to a movement of the casing;

a velocity calculation unit to calculate a pointer velocity value as a velocity value for moving a pointer based on an output of the sensor module;

a first execution means for executing a calibration mode as processing for correcting the reference potential;

a second execution means for executing an operation mode as processing for moving the pointer on a screen in accordance with the pointer velocity value calculated by the velocity calculation unit; and

a switch to switch the execution of the calibration mode to the execution of the operation mode and vise versa in accordance with an input operation from outside.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor module includes an angular velocity sensor to detect an angular velocity in a rotational direction with a first direction as a center axis.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the calibration mode includes a calibration preparation mode.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the switch is a sensor to detect that the input apparatus has been placed on a support means for supporting the input apparatus when the input apparatus is not used, and

wherein the sensor switches the mode to the calibration mode when detecting that the input apparatus has been placed on the support means.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the sensor module includes a first acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in a second direction different from the first direction.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the second direction is orthogonal to a vertical direction when the input apparatus is placed on the support means.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the sensor module includes a second acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in the first direction, and

wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the vertical direction when the input apparatus is placed on the support means.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the casing includes a grip portion, and

wherein the switch is a proximity sensor that is provided at the grip portion and switches the mode to the calibration mode when an output of the proximity sensor corresponds to an output thereof obtained when a user is not holding the grip portion.

9. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a notification means for notifying which of the calibration mode and the operation mode is being executed.

10. The input apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the notification means is a luminescent display means,

wherein the first execution means causes the luminescent display means to emit light in a first luminescence pattern while the calibration mode is being executed, and

wherein the second execution means causes the luminescent display means to emit light in a second luminescence pattern different from the first luminescence pattern while the operation mode is being executed.

11. The input apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the notification means is a sound generation means,

wherein the first execution means causes the sound generation means to generate sound in a first sound pattern while the calibration mode is being executed, and

wherein the second execution means causes the sound generation means to generate sound in a second sound pattern different from the first sound pattern while the operation mode is being executed.

12. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a nonvolatile storage section to store a first correction value obtained by executing the calibration mode.

13. The input apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the First execution means stores, when a difference between a second correction value obtained by newly executing the calibration mode and the first correction value stored in the storage section is equal to or smaller than a first threshold value, the second correction value in the storage section by replacing the first correction value therewith.

14. The input apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the first execution means stores, when a second correction value obtained by newly executing the calibration mode is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, the second correction value in the storage section by replacing the first correction value therewith.

15. The input apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the first execution means re-executes the calibration mode when the second correction value exceeds the second threshold value, and

wherein the first execution means stores, when a difference between a third correction value obtained by re-executing the calibration mode and the second correction value is equal to or smaller than a third threshold value, one of the second correction value, the third correction value, and a mean value of the second correction value and the third correction value in the storage section by replacing the first correction value therewith.

16. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first execution means cancels the execution of the calibration mode when a magnitude of the detection signal exceeds a fourth threshold value while the calibration mode is being executed.

17. A control system, comprising:

an input apparatus including

a casing,

a sensor module that includes a reference potential and outputs, as a detection signal, a fluctuation of a potential with respect to the reference potential, that corresponds to a movement of the casing,

a velocity calculation unit to calculate a pointer velocity value as a velocity value for moving a pointer based on an output of the sensor module,

a transmission unit to transmit the pointer velocity value calculated by the velocity calculation unit,

a first execution means for executing a calibration mode as processing for correcting the reference potential,

a second execution means for executing an operation mode as processing for moving the pointer on a screen in accordance with the pointer velocity value calculated by the velocity calculation unit, and

a switch to switch the execution of the calibration mode to the execution of the operation mode and vise versa in accordance with an input operation from outside; and

a control apparatus including

a reception means for receiving information on the pointer velocity value transmitted from the transmission unit, and

a display control means for controlling a display position of the pointer on the screen in accordance with the pointer velocity value received by the reception means.

18. The control system according to claim 17, further comprising

a notification means for notifying which of the calibration mode and the operation mode is being executed.

19. The control system according to claim 18,

wherein the notification means is a display means for causing display in a first display pattern while the calibration mode is being executed, and causing display in a second display pattern different from the first display pattern while the operation mode is being executed.

20. The control system according to claim 18,

wherein the notification means is a sound generation means for generating sound in a first sound pattern while the calibration mode is being executed, and generating sound in a second sound pattern different from the first sound pattern while the operation mode is being executed.