Probe apparatus and method for tracking the position and orientation of a stylus and controlling a cursor

A probe apparatus for controlling a cursor, said cursor being displayed on a computer display apparatus by a host computer in a displayed environment, a position of said cursor in said displayed environment being derived from a representation of locative data received by said host computer, said probe apparatus allowing a user to manually manipulate a probe within a three dimensional volume while reporting said representation of locative data to said host computer, wherein said host computer tracks a position of said probe within said volume using said representation of locative data, wherein user control of said probe in three-dimensional space controls motion of said cursor in said displayed environment on said computer display apparatus, said probe apparatus comprising:

• a movable linkage allowing said probe to be moved in at least five degrees of freedom with respect to a fixed surface, said movable linkage including a first, second, and third joint configuration, wherein said first joint configuration couples said probe to a first link member and allows said probe to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said first link member, said second joint configuration couples said first link member to a second link member and allows rotation of said first link member with respect to said second link member, and said third joint configuration couples said second link member to a support base and allows said second link member to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said fixed surface;
• one or more sensors associated with each of said first, second, and third joint configurations, wherein each of said one or more sensors measures the rotation of a degree of freedom allowed by said associated joint configuration and provides said representation of locative data to said host computer to allow said host computer to display said cursor at a position derived from said locative data;
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• a microprocessor, separate from said host computer, for reading locative data from said one or more sensors and reporting a representation of said locative data to said host computer upon request from said host computer, wherein said host computer manipulates a displayed location of said cursor in response to said reported representation, wherein said microprocessor receives and responds to signals sent from said host computer, said microprocessor following instructions stored within memory local to said microprocessor and separate from said host computer.

A system for measuring spatial coordinates and controlling a cursor displayed on a computer display apparatus, said system comprising:

• a host computer for displaying said cursor in a displayed environment displayed on said computer display apparatus, a position of said cursor in said displayed environment being derived from a representation of locative data received by said host computer;
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• an interface apparatus for allowing a user to manually manipulate a probe within a three dimensional volume while reporting said representation of locative data to said host computer, wherein said host computer tracks a position of said probe within said volume using said representation of locative data, wherein said probe is movable in at least five degrees of freedom with respect to a fixed surface, and wherein user control of said probe in three-dimensional space controls motion of said cursor in said displayed environment on said computer display apparatus, said interface apparatus including:
• (a) a movable linkage including a first, second, and third joint configuration, wherein said first joint configuration couples said probe to a first link member and allows said probe to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said first link member, said second joint configuration couples said first link member to a second link member and allows rotation of said first link member with respect to said second link member, and said third joint configuration couples said second link member to a support base and allows said second link member to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said fixed surface;
• (b) one or more sensors associated with each of said first, second, and third joint configurations, wherein each of said one or more sensors measures the rotation of a degree of freedom allowed by said associated joint configuration;
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• (c) a switch that can be manually depressed by the user in order to send a command to said host computer, said switch being physically coupled to said probe;
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• (d) a microprocessor, separate from said host computer, for reading locative data from said one or more sensors and reporting said representation of said locative data to said host computer, wherein said host computer manipulates a displayed location of said cursor in response to said reported representation, wherein said microprocessor receives and responds to host signals sent from said host computer, said host signals causing said microprocessor to report said representation to said host computer and modify parameters stored within memory local to said microprocessor and separate from said host computer.

A probe apparatus coupled to a host computer, said host computer receiving a representation of locative data from said probe apparatus, said probe apparatus allowing a user to manually manipulate a probe within a three dimensional volume while reporting said representation of locative data to said host computer, wherein said host computer tracks a position of said probe within said volume using said representation of locative data, said probe apparatus comprising:

• a movable linkage allowing said probe to be moved in at least five degrees of freedom with respect to a fixed surface, said movable linkage including a first, second, and third joint configuration, wherein said first joint configuration couples said probe to a first link member and allows said probe to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said first link member, said second joint configuration couples said first link member to a second link member and allows rotation of said first link member with respect to said second link member, and said third joint configuration couples said second link member to a support base and allows said second link member to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said fixed surface;
• one or more sensors associated with each of said first, second, and third joint configurations, wherein each of said one or more sensors measures the rotation of a degree of freedom allowed by said associated joint configuration and outputs said representation of locative data;
• a peripheral button being actuatable by said user and having a status of on or off, wherein said status of said peripheral button is output from said peripheral button;
• a microprocessor, separate from said host computer, for reading said locative data from said one or more sensors and reporting said representation of said locative data to said host computer upon request from said host computer to allow said host computer to display a cursor in a displayed environment at a position derived from said representation of locative data, wherein said microprocessor receives and responds to signals sent from said host computer, said microprocessor following instructions stored within memory local to said microprocessor and separate from said host computer, and wherein said microprocessor is coupled to said peripheral button, reads said status of said peripheral button, and reports said status of said peripheral button to said host computer upon request from said host computer.

A method for using a probe apparatus to control a cursor, said cursor being displayed on a computer display apparatus by a host computer in a displayed environment, said probe apparatus allowing a user to manually manipulate a probe within a three dimensional volume while said host computer tracks a position of said probe within said volume said method comprising:

• providing a movable linkage that provides said probe with at least five degrees of freedom with respect to a fixed surface, said movable linkage including a first, second, and third joint configuration, wherein said first joint configuration couples said probe to a first link member and allows said probe to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said first link member, said second joint configuration couples said first link member to a second link member and allows rotation of said first link member with respect to said second link member, and said third joint configuration couples said second link member to a support base and allows said second link member to move in two degrees of freedom of rotation with respect to said fixed surface;
• measuring the rotation of a degree of freedom allowed by each of said first, second, and third joint configuratins using one or more sensors associated with each of said first, second, and third joint configurations;
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• reading locative data from said one or more sensors and reporting a representation of said locative data to said host computer upon request from said host computer using a microprocessor, separate from said host computer, wherein said host computer manipulates a displayed location of said cursor in response to said reported representation of said locative data, wherein said microprocessor receives and responds to signals sent from said host computer, said microprocessor following instructions stored within memory local to said microprocessor and separate from said host computer.