3D pointing devices with orientation compensation and improved usability

• US 8,629,836 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liberty, Matthew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US13/304,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1805, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention describe 3D pointing devices which enhance usability by transforming sensed motion data from a first frame of reference (e.g., the body of the 3D pointing device) into a second frame of reference (e.g., a user'"'"'s frame of reference). One exemplary embodiment of the present invention removes effects associated with a tilt orientation in which the 3D pointing device is held by a user.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

at least one sensor for determining rotation of said handheld device about a first axis and generating a first output associated therewith and for determining rotation of said handheld device about a second axis and generating a second output associated therewith;

an accelerometer for determining an acceleration of said handheld device and outputting an acceleration output associated therewith; and

a processing unit for receiving said first and second outputs and said acceleration output and for;

(a) determining an orientation of the handheld device relative to an absolute reference, said orientation being determined based upon the acceleration output,

(b) processing at least one of said first output and said second output using said determined orientation; and

(c) determining an unintended motion associated with the handheld device; and

(d) processing at least one of the first output and the second output to compensate for the unintended motion.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the absolute reference is gravity.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the unintended motion is hand tremor.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the unintended motion is associated with a press of a button disposed on the handheld device.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to convert said first and second outputs from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of said determined orientation.

6. The handheld device of claim 5, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

7. The handheld device of claim 5, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of:

rotating said first and second rotational outputs into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

8. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said determined orientation is a tilt of the handheld device.

9. A method comprising:

determining rotation of a handheld device about a first axis and generating a first output associated therewith and determining rotation of said handheld device about a second axis and generating a second output associated therewith;

determining an acceleration of said handheld device and outputting an acceleration output associated therewith; and

receiving, by a processing unit, said first and second outputs and said acceleration output and;

(a) determining an orientation of the handheld device relative to an absolute reference, said orientation being determined based upon the acceleration output,

(b) processing at least one of said first output and said second output using said determined orientation; and

(c) determining an unintended motion associated with the handheld device; and

(d) processing at least one of the first output and the second output to compensate for the unintended motion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the absolute reference is gravity.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the unintended motion is hand tremor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the unintended motion is associated with a press of a button disposed on the handheld device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

converting said first and second outputs from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of said determined orientation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of:

rotating said first and second rotational outputs into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said determined orientation is a tilt of the handheld device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon, which program instructions, when executed by a processor perform the method comprising:

determining rotation of a handheld device about a first axis and generating a first output associated therewith and determining rotation of said handheld device about a second axis and generating a second output associated therewith;

determining an acceleration of said handheld device and outputting an acceleration output associated therewith; and

receiving, by a processing unit, said first and second outputs and said acceleration output and;

(a) determining an orientation of the handheld device relative to an absolute reference, said orientation being determined based upon the acceleration output,

(b) processing at least one of said first output and said second output using said determined orientation; and

(c) determining an unintended motion associated with the handheld device; and

(d) processing at least one of the first output and the second output to compensate for the unintended motion.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the absolute reference is gravity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the unintended motion is hand tremor.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the unintended motion is associated with a press of a button disposed on the handheld device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

converting said first and second outputs from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of said determined orientation.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of:

rotating said first and second rotational outputs into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said determined orientation is a tilt of the handheld device.

25. A system comprising:

(a) a handheld device including;

at least one sensor for determining rotation of said handheld device about a first axis and generating a first output associated therewith and for determining rotation of said handheld device about a second axis and generating a second output associated therewith; and

an accelerometer for determining an acceleration of said handheld device and outputting an acceleration output associated therewith;

(b) a processing unit for receiving said first and second outputs and said acceleration output and for;

determining an orientation of the handheld device relative to an absolute reference, said orientation being determined based upon the acceleration output,

processing at least one of said first output and said second output using said determined orientation; and

determining an unintended motion associated with the handheld device; and

processing at least one of the first output and the second output to remove compensate for the unintended motion.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the absolute reference is gravity.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the unintended motion is hand tremor.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the unintended motion is associated with a press of a button disposed on the handheld device.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is further configured to convert said first and second outputs from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of said determined orientation.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of:

rotating said first and second rotational outputs into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

32. The system of claim 25, wherein said determined orientation is a tilt of the handheld device.

33. A method for using a handheld device comprising the steps of:

detecting movement of said handheld device using an accelerometer and at least one other sensor;

determining an orientation in which said handheld device is held;

compensating said at least one other sensor'"'"'s detected movement based on said determined orientation by performing a two-dimensional rotational transform on said at least one other sensor'"'"'s detected movement to generate an output which is substantially independent of said orientation;

determining unintended movement of the handheld device; and

processing said at least one other sensor'"'"'s detected movement to compensate for the unintended movement.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the unintended movement is associated with hand tremor.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the unintended movement is associated with a press of a button disposed on the handheld device.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

converting said at least one other sensor'"'"'s detected movement from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of said determined orientation.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of:

rotating said at least one sensor'"'"'s detected movement into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

39. The method of claim 33, wherein said determined orientation is a tilt of the handheld device.

40. A handheld device comprising:

a sensor for generating a first output associated with motion of said handheld device;

an accelerometer for detecting acceleration of said handheld device and outputting at least one second output; and

a processing unit for receiving and processing said first output from said sensor and said at least one second output from said accelerometer, said processing including;

determining an orientation in which said handheld device is held using said at least one second output; and

compensating said first output based on said determined orientation by performing a two-dimensional rotational transform on said first output to generate an output which is substantially independent of said orientation, wherein the processing unit also includes determining unintended movement of the handheld device and processing said first output to compensate for the unintended movement.

41. The handheld device of claim 40, wherein the unintended movement is associated with hand tremor.

42. The handheld device of claim 40, wherein the unintended movement is associated with a press of a button disposed on the handheld device.

43. The handheld device of claim 40, wherein the processing unit further operates

converting said first output from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld device into a user'"'"'s frame of reference in order to remove the effects of said determined orientation.

44. The handheld device of claim 43, wherein said user'"'"'s frame of reference is associated with a television screen.

45. The handheld device of claim 43, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of:

rotating said first output into said user'"'"'s frame of reference by calculating;

46. The method of claim 40, wherein said determined orientation is a tilt of the handheld device.