US 8,411,030 B2Granted

Pointing and control device and method for a computer system

AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.

InventorsFabio Pasolini, Paolo Bendiscioli, Francesco Vocali, Fabio Biganzoli

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Abstract

A pointing and control device for a computer system, the device having a body that can be maneuvered by a user; and an inertial sensor fixed to the body for supplying first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to a gravitational field acting on the inertial sensor. The device moreover includes a magnetometer fixed to the body for supplying second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth's magnetic field acting on the magnetometer and processing modules for determining an orientation of the body in an absolute reference system, fixed with respect to the Earth's magnetic field and gravitational field on the basis of the first signals and second signals.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A device, comprising:

a body configured for manual manipulation;
an inertial sensor fixed to the body and configured to supply first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to a gravitational field acting on the inertial sensor;
a magnetometer fixed to the body and configured to supply second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth's magnetic field acting on the magnetometer;
and
a processor configured to determine an orientation of the body in an absolute reference system, fixed with respect to the Earth's magnetic field and to the gravitational field, on the basis of the first signals and of the second signals, the processor further configured to determine the relative co-ordinates of three first vectors that are parallel to three respective axes of the absolute reference system on the basis of the relations
U
1
=
-
G
_

-
G
_

U
2
=
-
G
_
⋀
M
_

-
G
_
⋀
M
_
)

U
3
=
-
G
_
⋀
(
-
G
_
⋀
M
_
)

-
G
_
⋀
(
-
G
_
⋀
M
_
)

where U1, U2, U3 are the three first vectors, G is the Earth's gravitational field, and M is the Earth's magnetic field.

61 more elements

A controller, comprising:

a hand-holdable body;
a first sensor mounted on the body and configured to supply first signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the gravitational field of the Earth;
a second sensor mounted on the body and configured to supply second signals correlated to the orientation of the body with respect to the Earth's magnetic field;
and
a processor configured to receive the first and second signals and to output a control signal, the processor including a first processing module configured to determine in a relative reference system fixed with respect to the body a relative gravitational field component derived from the first signal and a relative magnetic field component derived from the second signal, and a second processing module configured to determine the orientation of the body in an absolute reference system on the basis of the relative gravitational field components and the relative magnetic field components derived from the first processing module, the processor further configured to determine relative co-ordonates of three first vectors that are parallel to three respective axes of the absolute reference system on the basis of the relations
U
1
=
-
G
_

-
G
_

U
2
=
-
G
_
⋀
M
_

-
G
_
⋀
M
_
)

U
3
=
-
G
_
⋀
(
-
G
_
⋀
M
_
)

-
G
_
⋀
(
-
G
_
⋀
M
_
)

where U1, U2, U3 are the three first vectors, G is the Earth's gravitational field, and M is the Earth's magnetic field.

61 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/196,966Filed 22 Aug 2008
Priority: EP 0742553823 Aug 2007
Published: US 2009/0058803 A15 Mar 2009
Granted: 2 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 3/0383
Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry: signal control means within the pointing device
G01C 21/1654
Combined with non-inertial navigation instruments: with electromagnetic compass
G06F 3/0346
Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor: with detection of the…
G06F
Computing and data processing