US 5,867,146 AGranted

Three dimensional wireless pointing device

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsJeong Yeol Kim, Duk Chin Chwa

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Three dimensional wireless pointing device for calculating coordinates and controlling a position of a cursor in a three dimensional space is disclosed, including a transmission side having a plurality of ultrasonic wave generating parts and a single infrared ray emitting part or a single ultrasonic wave generating part and a plurality of infrared ray emitting parts arranged in a certain axis direction at certain angles and a reception side having a plurality of infrared ray receiving sensors and a single ultrasonic wave receiving sensor arranged to cross the ultrasonic wave generating part(s) and the infrared ray emitting part(s) in the transmission side at a right angle, thereby to measure intensities of the infrared ray(s) and the ultrasonic wave(s) varied depending on direction of pointing and calculate a difference of relative traveling time periods of the infrared ray and the ultrasonic wave to obtain coordinate values of a position in a three dimensional space, whereby a position of cursor or menu, which is a control objective, can be controlled using the obtained coordinate values.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A three dimensional wireless pointing device comprising:

position pointing means having an infrared ray emitting part and a plurality of ultrasonic wave generating parts arranged in a predetermined axis direction at predetermined angles for emitting an infrared ray and generating a plurality of ultrasonic waves of different characteristics into a space;
detecting means having an ultrasonic wave receiving sensor and a plurality of infrared ray receiving sensors mounted on different positions on a straight line on a body of an electronic appliance to cross at a right angle to the infrared ray emitting part and the plurality of ultrasonic wave generating parts on the position pointing means for receiving the ultrasonic waves and the infrared signal transmitted from the position pointing means;
spatial position analyzing means for digitizing a plurality of infrared signals detected in the detecting means and detecting a relative phase difference of the ultrasonic waves with reference to a time when the infrared rays are detected;
coordinate calculating means for measuring intensities of the plurality of detected infrared rays digitized in the spatial position analyzing means in obtaining a first coordinate value, measuring intensities of the plurality of ultrasonic waves of different characteristics received at the ultrasonic wave receiving sensor with reference to the time when the infrared rays are detected by the infrared ray receiving sensors in obtaining a second coordinate value, and calculating an average traveling time of the ultrasonic waves with reference to the time when the infrared rays are detected by the infrared ray receiving sensors in obtaining a third coordinate value, thereby to determine a three dimensional relative position between the position pointing means and the detecting means;
and,
a position controlling means for taking the three dimensional position determined by the coordinate calculating means as the present position caused by a position movement of the position pointing means relative to the detecting means.

3 more elements

A three dimensional wireless pointing device comprising:

position pointing means having an ultrasonic wave generating part and a plurality of infrared ray emitting parts arranged in a predetermined axis direction at predetermined angle for generating an ultrasonic wave signal and emitting a plurality of infrared ray signals of different characteristics into a space;
detecting means having an ultrasonic wave receiving sensor and a plurality of infrared ray receiving sensors mounted on a body of an electronic appliance at different positions on a straight line to cross at a right angle to the ultrasonic wave generating part and the plurality of infrared ray emitting parts in the position pointing means for receiving the ultrasonic wave signal and the infrared ray signals transmitted from the position pointing means;
spatial position analyzing means for digitizing the plurality of infrared signals detected in the detecting means and detecting a phase of the ultrasonic wave signal with reference to a time when the infrared rays are detected;
coordinate calculating means for measuring detected intensities of the plurality of infrared rays digitized in the spatial position analyzing means in obtaining a first coordinate value, measuring detected intensities of the plurality of infrared signals of different characteristics received at one of the plurality of infrared ray receiving sensors in obtaining a second coordinate value, and calculating an average traveling time of the ultrasonic waves with reference to the time when the infrared rays are detected by the infrared ray receiving sensors in obtaining a third coordinate value, thereby to determine a three dimensional relative position between the position pointing means and the detecting means;
and,
a position controlling means for taking the three dimensional position determined by the coordinate calculating means as the present position caused by a position movement of the position pointing means relative to the detecting means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.