3D pointing devices with orientation compensation and improved usability
View Patent ↗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.
1. A handheld device comprising:
a sensor for generating a first output associated with motion associated 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 calculating:
R
=
[
cos
θ
sin
θ
-
sin
θ
cos
θ
]
·
[
A
B
]
,
wherein θ is associated with an orientation in which said handheld device is being held, and A and B are values associated with at least one of said first output and said at least one second output.
2. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a camera.
3. The hand held device of claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a rotational sensor.
4. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a magnetometer.
5. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said sensor is an optical sensor.
6. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said accelerometer is a multi-axis accelerometer and wherein said at least one second output includes a value y generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld device in a y-axis direction and a value z generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said hand held device in a z-axis direction.
7. The handheld device of claim 6 , wherein said multi-axis accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.
8. The handheld device of claim 6 , wherein θ is a value associated with a tilt of said handheld device which is calculated using said y value and said z value.
9. The hand held device of claim 8 , wherein θ is calculated as one of
θ
=
tan
-
1
(
y
z
)
(
7
)
and atan 2(y,z).
10. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said first output is generated at a sampling rate of 200 samples/second.
11. The handheld device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless transceiver for receiving data from said processing unit and wirelessly transmitting said data.
12. The handheld device of claim 11 , wherein said wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver.
13. The handheld device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a plurality of buttons disposed on a housing of said handheld device; and at least one LED disposed on said housing.
14. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein A and B are associated with different axes of said first output.
15. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein A and B are position data values.
16. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said processing performs a transformation of detected translational motion of said hand held device.
17. The hand held device of claim 1 , wherein said processing performs a transformation of detected rotational motion of said hand held device.
18. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein said processing performs a transformation of both detected translational motion and detected rotational motion of said handheld device.
19. The handheld device of claim 1 , said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output are processed prior to calculating R.
20. The handheld device of claim 19 , wherein said processing prior to calculating R includes compensating said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output for offset bias.
21. The handheld device of claim 19 , wherein said processing prior to calculating R includes converting said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output into different units.
22. The hand held device of claim 1 , wherein said hand held device is a 3D pointing device.
23. A system comprising:
(a) a handheld device including:
a sensor for generating a first output associated with motion associated of said handheld device; and
an accelerometer for detecting acceleration of said handheld device and outputting at least one second output; and
(b) 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 calculating:
R
=
[
cos
θ
sin
θ
-
sin
θ
cos
θ
]
·
[
A
B
]
,
wherein θ is associated with an orientation in which said handheld device is being held, and A and B are values associated with at least one of said first output and said at least one second output.
24. The system of claim 22 , wherein said system further comprises:
a system controller;
a wireless transmitter, disposed in said handheld device, for transmitting data from said handheld device to said system controller;
wherein said processing unit is disposed within one of said handheld device and said system controller.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein said sensor is a camera.
26. The system of claim 24 , wherein said sensor is a rotational sensor.
27. The system of claim 24 , wherein said sensor is a magnetometer.
28. The system of claim 24 , wherein said sensor is an optical sensor.
29. The system of claim 24 , wherein said accelerometer is a multi-axis accelerometer and wherein said at least one second output includes a value y generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said hand held device in a y-axis direction and a value z generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld device in a z-axis direction.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein said multi-axis accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.
31. The system of claim 29 , wherein θ is a value associated with a tilt of said handheld device which is calculated using said y value and said z value.
32. The system of claim 29 , wherein θ is calculated as one of θ=tan −1 (y/z) and atan 2(y,z).
33. The system of claim 24 , wherein said first output is generated at a sampling rate of 200 samples/second.
34. The system of claim 24 , wherein said wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver.
35. The system of claim 24 , further comprising:
a plurality of buttons disposed on a housing of said handheld device; and at least one LED disposed on said housing.
36. The system of claim 24 , wherein A and B are associated with different axes of said first output.
37. The system of claim 24 , wherein A and B are position data values.
38. The system of claim 24 , wherein said processing unit, by calculating R, performs a transformation of translational motion detected by at least one of said sensor and said accelerometer from a body frame of reference of said handheld device into a user's frame of reference.
39. The system of claim 24 , wherein said processing unit, by calculating R, performs a transformation of rotational motion detected by at least one of said sensor and said accelerometer from a body frame of reference of said handheld device into a user's frame of reference.
40. The system of claim 24 , wherein said processing unit, by calculating R, performs a transformation of both translational motion and rotational motion detected by at least one of said sensor and said accelerometer from a body frame of reference of said handheld device into a user's frame of reference.
41. The system of claim 24 , wherein said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output are processed prior to calculating R.
42. The system of claim 41 , wherein said processing prior to calculating R includes compensating said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output for offset bias.
43. The system of claim 41 , wherein said processing prior to calculating R includes converting said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output into different units.
44. The system of claim 24 , wherein said handheld device is a 3D pointing device.
45. A method comprising:
generating, from a first sensor, a first output associated with motion associated of a hand held device;
detecting, by a second sensor, acceleration of said hand held device and outputting at least one second output; and
processing said first output from and said at least one second output,
said processing including calculating:
R
=
[
cos
θ
sin
θ
-
sin
θ
cos
θ
]
·
[
A
B
]
,
wherein θ is associated with an orientation in which said handheld device is being held, and A and B are values associated with at least one of said first output and said at least one second output.
46. The method of claim 45 , further comprising:
transmitting data from said handheld device to a system controller, wherein said processing is performed within one of said handheld device and said system controller.
47. The method of claim 45 , wherein said first sensor is a camera.
48. The method of claim 45 , wherein said first sensor is a rotational sensor.
49. The method of claim 45 , wherein said first sensor is a magnetometer.
50. The method of claim 45 , wherein said first sensor is an optical sensor.
51. The method of claim 45 , wherein said second sensor is a multi-axis accelerometer and wherein said at least one second output includes a value y generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld device in a y-axis direction and a value z generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said hand held device in a z-axis direction.
52. The method of claim 51 , wherein said multi-axis accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.
53. The method of claim 51 , wherein θ is a value associated with a tilt of said handheld device which is calculated using said y value and said z value.
54. The method of claim 53 , wherein θ is calculated as one of θ=tan −1(y/z) and atan 2(y,z).
55. The method of claim 45 , wherein said first output is generated at a sampling rate of 200 samples/second.
56. The method of claim 45 , wherein said step of transmitting further comprises:
wirelessly transmitting said data in accordance with Bluetooth®.
57. The method of claim 45 , further comprising:
disposing a plurality of buttons and at least one LED on a housing of said handheld device.
58. The method of claim 45 , wherein A and B are associated with different axes of said first output.
59. The method of claim 45 , wherein A and B are position data values.
60. The method of claim 45 , wherein said processing, by calculating R, performs a transformation of translational motion detected by at least one of said first sensor and said second sensor from a body frame of reference of said hand held device into a user's frame of reference.
61. The method of claim 45 , wherein said processing, by calculating R, performs a transformation of rotational motion detected by at least one of said first sensor and said second sensor from a body frame of reference of said hand held device into a user's frame of reference.
62. The method of claim 45 , wherein said processing, by calculating R, performs a transformation of both translational motion and rotational motion detected by at least one of said first sensor and said second sensor from a body frame of reference of said hand held device into a user's frame of reference.
63. The method of claim 45 , further comprising:
processing said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output prior to calculating R.
64. The method of claim 63 , wherein said processing prior to calculating R includes compensating said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output for offset bias.
65. The method of claim 63 , wherein said processing prior to calculating R includes converting said at least one of said first output and said at least one second output into different units.
66. The method of claim 45 , wherein said handheld device is a 3D pointing device.
67. A system comprising:
means for generating a first output associated with motion associated of a handheld device;
means for detecting acceleration of said hand held device and outputting at least one second output; and
means for processing said first output from and said at least one second output,
wherein said processing means is also for calculating:
R
=
[
cos
θ
sin
θ
-
sin
θ
cos
θ
]
·
[
A
B
]
,
wherein θ is associated with an orientation in which said handheld device is being held, and A and B are values associated with at least one of said first output and said at least one second output.