Computer interface employing a manipulated object with absolute pose detection component and a display

• US 20110227915A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hector H. Gonzalez-Banos, Marek Alboszta, Michael J. Mandella
• Original Assignee: Hector H. Gonzalez-Banos, Marek Alboszta, Michael J. Mandella
• Inventors: Mandella, Michael J., Alboszta, Marek, Gonzalez-Banos, Hector H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,553,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/0304 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 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• 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
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 : using hand-held instruments

Abstract

A system that has a remote control, e.g., a wand, equipped with a relative motion sensor that outputs data indicative of a change in position of the wand. The system also has one or more light sources and a photodetector that detects their light and outputs data indicative of the detected light. The system uses one or more controllers to determine the absolute position of the wand based on the data output by the relative motion sensor and by the photodetector. The data enables determination of the absolute pose of the wand, which includes the absolute position of a reference point chosen on the wand and the absolute orientation of the wand. To properly express the absolute parameters of position and/or orientation of the wand a reference location is chosen with respect to which the calculations are performed. The system is coupled to a display that shows an image defined by a first and second orthogonal axes such as two axes belonging to world coordinates (X_o,Y_o,Z_o). The one or more controllers are configured to generate signals that are a function of the absolute position of the wand in or along a third axis for rendering the display. To simplify the mapping of a real three-dimensional environment in which the wand is operated to the cyberspace of the application that the system is running, the third axis is preferably the third Cartesian coordinate axis of world coordinates (X_o,Y_o,Z_o).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a) a first plurality of predetermined light sources disposed in an asymmetric substantially linear pattern;

b) a photodetector configured to detect said first plurality of predetermined light sources and generate photodetector data representative of the positions of said first plurality of predetermined light sources; and

c) a controller configured to identify a derivative pattern of said first plurality of predetermined light sources from said photodetector data, wherein said derivative pattern is indicative of the position of said photodetector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said photodetector data comprises a perspective view of said first plurality of predetermined light sources.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said derivative pattern comprises a coordinate transformation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said coordinate transformation comprises at least one Euler angle or a mathematical equivalent or approximation thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote control, said photodetector being in said remote control.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said remote control further comprises a relative motion sensor for outputting data indicative of a change in position of said remote control.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said controller is further configured to determine an absolute position of said remote control with respect to a reference location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said controller is further configured to determine a plurality of absolute positions of said remote control with respect to said reference location, said series of absolute positions comprising a trajectory.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of predetermined light sources comprises at least one predetermined light source that generates light.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of predetermined light sources comprises at least one predetermined light source that reflects light.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of light sources is disposed in a display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is coupled to a display having a first and a second edges, said system further comprising a second plurality of predetermined light sources, wherein said first plurality of predetermined light sources is disposed proximate said first edge of said display and said second plurality of predetermined light sources is disposed proximate said second edge of said display.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of predetermined light sources comprises at least a first predetermined light source configured to emit light at a first signature wavelength and at least a second predetermined light source configured to emit light at a second signature wavelength, wherein said first signature wavelength is different from said second signature wavelength, and wherein said photodetector is configured to detect said first and said second signature wavelengths of light.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said photodetector comprises a two-dimensional position-sensitive diode.