Finger manipulatable 6 degree-of-freedom input device

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a substantially spherical shape and being of a dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers;
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member, said switching means including a layer of elastically deformable conductive foam, plastic or rubber sheet enveloping said housing member, electrical contacts applied to inner and outer faces of said conductive sheet, where electrical impedance of said conductive sheet is sensitive to external pressure applied across a width of said conductive sheet, whereby said switching means is actuated by electrical signal arising from a user squeezing said housing member to compress a portion of said conductive sheet.

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a substantially spherical shape and being of a dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers;
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member, said switching means including a plurality of piezoelectric switches disposed globally over an accessible portion of said outer surface of said housing member, said piezoelectric switches being responsive to pressure applied by the user's fingers.

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a substantially spherical shape and being of a dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers;
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member, said switching means including a plurality of optical light fibres radially disposed globally over an accessible portion of said outer surface of said housing member, said optical light fibres being responsive to deformations due to a preselected pressure applied by the user's fingers, said preselected pressure being effective to cause a shape of said radially oriented fibres to deform, causing interruption of light transmitted through said fibres, and means to decode said interruption of light transmission to indicate presence of a switching event.

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a shape and dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member;
• and
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said switching means including at least an inner conductive sheet, an outer elastic, conductive sheet enveloping said inner conductive sheet and a net interposed between said inner and outer sheets for spacing said inner and outer conductive sheets apart, and electrical contacts applied to said inner and outer conductive sheets, whereby said switching means is actuated by a user squeezing said housing member to compress a portion of the outer conductive sheet through the net to contact a portion of the inner conductive sheet.

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a shape and dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member;
• and
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said switching means including at least a layer of elastically deformable conductive foam, plastic or rubber enveloping said housing member, including electrical contacts applied to inner and outer faces of said conductive sheet, where electrical impedance of said conductive sheet is sensitive to external pressure applied across the width of said sheet, whereby said switching means is actuated by electrical signal arising from a user squeezing said housing member to compress a portion of the conductive sheet.

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a shape and dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member;
• and
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said switching means including at least a plurality of piezoelectric switches disposed globally over an accessible portion of said outer surface of said housing member, said piezoelectric switches being responsive to pressure applied by the user's fingers.

A six degree-of-freedom input control device, comprising:

• a substantially freely moveable housing member having a shape and dimension effective to permit a user to grasp said housing member using his fingers and manipulate said device using his limb including the fingers, said housing member defining an interior cavity to contain a sensor means forming part of a position detector means for determining position and orientation of said housing member;
• and
• said housing member including switching means which can be actuated from substantially any position on an outer surface of said housing member, said switching means including at least a plurality of optical light fibers radially disposed globally over an accessible portion of said outer surface of said housing member, said optical light fibers being responsive to deformations due to a preselected pressure applied by the user's fingers, said preselected pressure effective to cause the shape of said radially oriented fibers to deform, causing interruption of light transmitted through the fibers, including means to decode said interruption of light transmission to indicate presence of said switching event.