Platform for finger controls
AssigneeVisual Music Systems, Inc.
InventorWilliam B. Sebastian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand-mounted controller is provided that allows a user to manipulate individual sensors associated with one or more, and typically each, of a wearer's fingers and thumb while monitoring movement of the controller in three dimensional space. The controller includes a palm grip that may be affixed to the hand via straps. Attached to the palm grip is one or more finger actuated controls and one or more thumb actuated controls. A position sensor detects the position and orientation of the hand. The palm grip is contoured to distribute pressure across the carpals and the four finger metacarpals, while providing clearance so as not to interfere with the finger metacarpophalangeal joints and/or the thumb carpometacarpal joint.
Claims21
A hand mounted controller, comprising:
- a palm grip, having:
- a forward body portion sized to extend laterally across at least a portion of a width of a palm of a wearer proximate to the distal ends of the four finger metacarpals, wherein a top surface of said forward body portion is contoured between first and second lateral edges;
- a rearward body portion extending longitudinally along a portion of the length of the palm of the wearer from said forward body portion to a rearward end disposed proximate to a carpus of the hand of the wearer;
- a first strap attached to said forward body portion for disposition around the hand of a wearer proximate to the distal ends of the four finger metacarpals;
- a second strap attached to the rearward body portion for disposition around the hand of the wearer proximate to the carpus of the hand of the wearer;
- at least one sensor connected to said forward body portion of said palm grip and extending away from said forward body portion for selective engagement with one of a finger or thumb of the wearer;
- a position sensor connected to said controller, wherein said position sensor generates an output indicative of a location of said sensor in three dimensional space.
A method for use with a hand mounted controller, comprising:
- first securing a forward body portion of a palm grip of said controller to a palm of a hand of a wearer proximate to distal ends of the four finger metacarpals;
- second securing a rearward body portion of said palm grip of said controller to the palm of the wearer proximate to the carpus of the hand of the wearer, wherein said rearward portion is secured to permit free movement of the wrist of a wearer;
- disposing a finger platform, which supports at least one finger actuated sensor and which extends forward of said forward body portion, proximate to at least one finger of the hand of the wearer;
- disposing a thumb platform, which supports at least one thumb actuated sensor, attached to said forward body portion, proximate to a thumb of the wearer;
- and
- collecting data from sensors indicative of at least one of
- a movement of at least one finger or thumb of the wearer;
- and
- a position or orientation of the hand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.