Input device for personal digital assistants

• US 6,727,891 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Netmor Ltd.
• Inventors: Gidron, David, Primack, Harel, Moriya, Netzer
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/898,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/157, 345/158, 345/173, 345/179
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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

Abstract

A device, communicative with a PDA and comprising a movable part, that inputs to the PDA information about all or some of the six spatial variables of the movable part within a space that may be appreciably larger that the PDA and its display screen. The device may serve to conveniently input graphical and symbolic information, in place of a touch-screen, as well as to control multi-dimensional position and orientation of virtual objects in a natural analogous-motion manner. It may also be used in conjunction with an external passive keyboard to input alphanumeric information and commands.

Claims

1. An input device, for enabling a user of a PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard by touching, or nearing, corresponding marked key regions on any surface external to the PDA, the device comprising:

a stationary part, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation;

at least one movable part, each having a reference point and being operative to receive said radiation and to generate electrical signals in response to the reception of said radiation; and

a processor, operative to process said electrical signals into any code that corresponds to a symbol of the keyboard whenever the reference point of any of said movable parts is near, or within, a respective key region.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said processor is operative to process said electrical signals in three stages—

first processing said electrical signals into position values along at least two orthogonal axes relative to said stationary module, secondly converting said position values into coordinate values in the plane of the marked external surface and thirdly converting said coordinate values into said code.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said at least two orthogonal axes is at least three orthogonal axes and said conversions can be carried out for any orientation of the marked external surface with respect to said stationary module.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said processor is further operative—

during the second stage of processing, to convert said position values also into a distance value along a direction normal to the marked external surface and

during the third stage of processing, to convert said distance value into a binary proximity indication, which signifies touching the surface.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein one of said movable parts is formed as a stylus and the respective reference point is near the tip of the stylus.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein any of said movable parts is formed as an attachment to a finger.

7. A PDA comprising a display screen and an input device, for enabling a user of the PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard by touching, or nearly touching, corresponding marked key regions on any surface, the input device including:

a stationary part, communicative with the PDA and emitting electromagnetic radiation;

at least one movable part, each having a reference point and being operative to receive said radiation and to generate electrical signals in response to the reception of said radiation; and

a processor, operative to process said electrical signals into any code that corresponds to a symbol of the keyboard whenever the reference point of any of said movable parts is near, or within, a respective key region.

8. The PDA of claim 7 wherein said processor is operative to process said electrical signals in three stages—

first processing said electrical signals into position values along at least two orthogonal axes relative to said stationary module, secondly converting said position values into coordinate values in the plane of the marked external surface and thirdly converting said coordinate values into said code.

9. The PDA of claim 8 wherein said at least two orthogonal axes is at least three orthogonal axes and said conversions can be carried out for any orientation of the marked external surface with respect to said stationary module.

10. The PDA of claim 9 wherein said processor is further operative—

during the second stage of processing, to convert said position values also into a distance value along a direction normal to the marked external surface and

during the third stage of processing, to convert said distance value into a binary proximity indication, which signifies touching the surface.

11. The PDA of claim 7 wherein one of said movable parts is formed as a stylus and the respective reference point is near the tip of the stylus.

12. The PDA of claim 7 wherein any of said movable parts is formed as an attachment to a finger.

13. The PDA of claim 7 further comprising a sheet or a panel, which is unfoldable or attachable, not in close proximity to said display screen, and has key regions marked thereon and wherein said input device is cooperative with said sheet or panel to enable a user of the PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard corresponding to said key regions.

14. A method for enabling a user of a PDA to key thereinto symbols of a keyboard by touching, or nearing, corresponding marked key regions on any surface external to the PDA, the method comprising:

(i) providing an input device that includes at least one movable part, each movable part having a reference point, the device being operative to generate digital values that represent the position of each of said reference points along at least two orthogonal axes;

(ii) for any key region within which any of said reference points is positioned, converting the resultant digital values into a code signifying the corresponding key;

(iii) feeding the code obtained in step (ii) into the PDA;

(iv) feeding the code obtained in step (iii) into any program operative within the PDA.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein—

said input device further includes a stationary part that emits radiation from a plurality of regions thereon,

each of said movable parts is operative to receive said radiation from all of said regions and to generate reception signals accordingly and

said input device is operative to generate said digital values by processing said reception signals.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the external surface, on which key regions are marked, is separate from the PDA, the method further comprising:

(iii) providing at least two positioning marks on the external surface;

(iv) running a surface positioning procedure, whereby any of said reference points is placed at each of said marks and the corresponding resultant digital values are noted.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein one of said movable part is formed as a stylus, said reference point being at or near the tip of said stylus.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein any of said movable parts is formed as an attachment to a finger.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said input device is operative to generate digital values that represent at least the position of each of said reference points along three orthogonal axes and wherein step (ii) includes

(a) converting said digital values into keyboard values, which are values along coordinates within the marked external surface and into proximity values, which are values along a coordinate normal to that surface;

and

(b) converting said keyboard values into a code signifying the key; and

further comprising;

(v) converting said proximity values into an indication of the proximity of the respective reference point from the surface.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein steps (i) and (ii) are carried out within said input device.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein steps (iii) and (iv) are carried out within the PDA.