Pointing device

• US 7,817,134 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Liou, Shun-Nan, Tsai, Ming-Jye, Huang, Shih-Ching, Jeng, Sheng-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao; Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tryder; Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US11/641,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20080122787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-179, 463 37- 38, 348/734
• 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 pointing device moving on a planar surface, and generating a planar sensing signal accordingly;

a gyroscopic element, for detecting and measuring angular velocity of the pointing device when the pointing device is rotated with respect to an axis orthogonal to the planar surface, and generating a yaw signal accordingly;

a first accelerometer, for detecting and measuring pitch of the pointing device relative to the planar surface when the pointing device is rotated about a first axis in the planar surface with respect to a second axis in the planar surface orthogonal to the first axis, and generating a first inclination signal accordingly;

a second accelerometer, for detecting and measuring roll of the pointing device relative to the planar surface when the pointing device is rotated about the second axis in the planar surface with respect to the first axis, and generating a second inclination signal accordingly;

a third accelerometer, for detecting and measuring an overturn status of the pointing device, and generating a third inclination signal accordingly, wherein the third accelerometer generates 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;

an inertial sensing unit comprising the gyroscopic element and the first accelerometer, capable of detecting a movement of the pointing device moving in free space by processing the angular momentum signal and the inclination signal, and generating an inertial sensing signal accordingly;

an interface unit, coupled to the planar sensing unit and the inertial sensing unit, converts the planar sensing signal and the yaw signal into a corresponding digital signal;

a controller unit, coupled to the interface unit, which processes and converts the digital signal into a corresponding displacement signal; and

an output unit, coupled to the controller unit, which processes and converts the displacement signal, providing signals to an electronic device for controlling the horizontal and vertical displacement of an object displayed on a display of the electronic device.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising:

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

3. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the inertial sensing unit further comprises the third accelerometer, for detecting and measuring an overturn status of the pointing device, and generating a third inclination signal accordingly.

4. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising:

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

5. The pointing device of claim 1, 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.

6. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device the a device selected from the group consisting of a game console, a computer, a multimedia apparatus and other digital apparatuses.

7. The pointing device of claim 1, 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.

8. 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.

9. A pointing device, comprising:

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

a first accelerometer, for detecting movement of the pointing device moving on a planar surface and generating an first 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 for controlling a vertical movement of a cursor/object in a display;

a second accelerometer, for detecting movement of the pointing device moving on a planar surface and generating an second inclination signal of the pointing device while the pointing device is being held to rotate about a second axis of the set of orthogonal axes in the space for controlling a horizontal movement of the cursor/object; and

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

an interface unit, coupled to the planar sensing unit and the first, second, and third accelerometers, for converting the planar sensing signal, the first and second inclination signals, and the overturn sensing signal into a corresponding digital signal; and

a controller unit, coupled to the interface unit, 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 inclination signal, the second inclination signal and the sensing signals,

and which processes and converts the digital signal into a corresponding displacement signal; and

an output unit, coupled to the controller unit, which processes and converts the displacement signal, providing signals to an electronic device for controlling the horizontal and vertical displacement of an object displayed on a display of the electronic device.

10. The pointing device of claim 9, 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.

11. The pointing device of claim 9, 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.

12. The pointing device of claim 9, wherein the controller unit is further coupled to the 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.