US 5,440,326 A · Gyroscopic pointer

Abstract

A vertical gyroscope is adapted for use as a pointing device for controlling the position of a cursor on the display of a computer. A motor at the core of the gyroscope is suspended by two pairs of orthogonal gimbals from a hand-held controller device and nominally oriented with its spin axis vertical by a pendulous device. Electro-optical shaft angle encoders sense the orientation of a hand-held controller device as it is manipulated by a user and the resulting electrical output is converted into a format usable by a computer to control the movement of a cursor on the screen of the computer display. For additional ease of use, the bottom of the controller is rounded so that the controller can be pointing while sitting on a surface. A third input is provided by providing a horizontal gyroscope within the pointing device. The third rotational signal can be used to either rotate a displayed object or to display or simulate a third dimension.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A graphical input device for providing a signal to control translational movement of a cursor on an interactive computer graphics display comprising:

a housing adapted for being held by one hand in free space;
a first angular position gyroscope for providing a first signal responsive to the rotation of the housing about a first axis;
a second angular position gyroscope for providing a second signal responsive to the rotation of the housing about a second axis not parallel to the first axis;
the first signal being responsive to the yaw of the housing for controlling translation movement of the cursor along a horizontal Cartesian coordinate of the display;
and
the second signal being responsive to the pitch of the housing for controlling translational movement of the cursor along a vertical Cartesian coordinate of the display.

3 more elements

A graphical input device for providing signals to manipulate a cursor on an interactive computer graphics display comprising:

a housing adapted for being held by one hand in free space;
an inertial gyroscopic element rotatably mounted for spinning about a spin axis;
a gimbal pivotally supporting the gyroscopic element within the housing;
a sensor disposed for providing the first signal in response to rotation of the housing relative to the spin axis;
a second inertial gyroscope element adapted for spinning about another spin axis;
a second gimbal supporting the second gyroscopic element within the housing with the spin axis of the second gyroscopic element not parallel to the spin axis of the first gyroscopic element;
and
a sensor disposed for providing a second signal in response to rotation of the housing relative to the spin axis of the second gyroscopic element.

5 more elements

A graphical input device for providing signals to control the translational movement of a cursor on an interactive computer graphics display comprising:

a first inertial gyroscopic element having an inertial axis;
a housing adapted for being held by one hand in free space;
a first gimbal supporting the first gyroscopic element within the housing;
a first pendulous device disposed with respect to the first gimbal for tending to vertically align the inertial axis of the first inertial gyroscopic element with gravity;
a first sensor for providing a first signal in response to pitch of the housing relative to the inertial axis for controlling the translation of the cursor along a vertical Cartesian coordinate of the display;
a second inertial gyroscopic element having another inertial axis;
a second gimbal supporting the second gyroscopic element within the housing;
a second pendulous device disposed with respect to the second gimbal for tending to horizontally align said another inertial axis of the second gyroscopic element with gravity;
and
a second sensor for providing a second signal in response to yaw of the housing relative to said another inertial axis of second gyroscopic element for controlling the translation of the cursor along a horizontal Cartesian coordinate of the display.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gyroscopic pointer

Life of this patent

Gyroscopic pointer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11