EP0312095A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer input device using an orientation sensor
Assignee: Wang Laboratories Inc
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Filing: 1988-10-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-10-14
Abstract
Abstract A hand-held device (10) for controlling cursor movement on a data terminal (16) having a display (18). An internal orientation sensor (25) provides an electrical signal that is related to the orientation of the device without it being adjacent to any fixed surface. The orientation sensor includes a hollow spherical housing (38) having at least one LED (68, 70) and one phototransistor (72,74) mounted opposingly in the inner wall (74), along an axis (80) extending through the center point of the housing (38). The housing (38) is half-filled with a transparent liquid (76) having a specified viscosity and index of refraction and half-filled with air (78). A light beam emitted from the LED is refracted upon passing through the boundary between the air (78) and the liquid (76). As the orientation sensor rotates with respect to the vertical axis (76), the changing refraction angle of the light beam causes the phototransistor (72, 74) to detect changing intensities of light, which are representative of the angle of rotation.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald E. Drumm
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:13
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/0304; G06F3/0312; G06F3/033; G06F3/0346
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
326 words
A computer input device (10), for controlling the position of a cursor (22) in a display terminal unit (16) having a display screen (18), comprising: a housing (24) adapted to be supported in an operator's hand; a hollow spherical member (38), fixedly mounted within the housing (24), having a centerpoint defined therein along a vertical axis (79) passing therethrough; the hollow spherical member (38) having a first (78) and (76) second transparent fluid medium therein, the first medium (78) being gaseous and the second medium (76) being liquid, and each medium having a predetermined viscosity and index of refraction; the second medium (76) filling the spherical member (38) to a one-half level so that the boundary between the first and second medium intersects the center point of the spherical members (38); at least one light (68, 70) source for emitting a focused beam and at least one photosensor (72, 74) for detecting the beam and generating analog electrical signals representative of the intensity of the beam; the light source (68, 70) and photosensor (72, 74) being mounted opposingly in the inner wall (74) of the spherical member (38) on an axis (80) extending through the center point so that the focused beam passes through the center point before being detected by the photosensor (72, 74); whereby an angular rotation of the housing by the operator's hand with respect to the vertical axis (79) causes a change in intensity of the beam detected by the photosensor (72, 74) due to a change in the refraction angle of the beam as the beam passes through the boundary between the first (78) and second (76) medium, said change in intensity being representative of said angle of rotation; means (86), responsive to said analog electrical signals, for generating digital signals representative thereof; and means (2) for generating cursor control signals adapted for controlling the position of a cursor (22) on a display screen (18) in response to said digital signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
326 words
A computer input device (10), for controlling the position of a cursor (22) in a display terminal unit (16) having a display screen (18), comprising: a housing (24) adapted to be supported in an operator's hand; a hollow spherical member (38), fixedly mounted within the housing (24), having a centerpoint defined therein along a vertical axis (79) passing therethrough; the hollow spherical member (38) having a first (78) and (76) second transparent fluid medium therein, the first medium (78) being gaseous and the second medium (76) being liquid, and each medium having a predetermined viscosity and index of refraction; the second medium (76) filling the spherical member (38) to a one-half level so that the boundary between the first and second medium intersects the center point of the spherical members (38); at least one light (68, 70) source for emitting a focused beam and at least one photosensor (72, 74) for detecting the beam and generating analog electrical signals representative of the intensity of the beam; the light source (68, 70) and photosensor (72, 74) being mounted opposingly in the inner wall (74) of the spherical member (38) on an axis (80) extending through the center point so that the focused beam passes through the center point before being detected by the photosensor (72, 74); whereby an angular rotation of the housing by the operator's hand with respect to the vertical axis (79) causes a change in intensity of the beam detected by the photosensor (72, 74) due to a change in the refraction angle of the beam as the beam passes through the boundary between the first (78) and second (76) medium, said change in intensity being representative of said angle of rotation; means (86), responsive to said analog electrical signals, for generating digital signals representative thereof; and means (2) for generating cursor control signals adapted for controlling the position of a cursor (22) on a display screen (18) in response to said digital signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
123 words
A graphics system for displaying a cursor (22) and providing controlled movement of the cursor (22), comprising: a display terminal (16) unit having a display screen (18); a computer (14), coupled to said display terminal unit (16), programmed to control the position of a cursor (22) on the display screen (18) in response to cursor control signals; a computer input device coupled to said computer, the computer input device generating digital signals representative of the angular orientation of the input device with respect to a vertical axis passing therethrough; and means, coupled to said computer, for generating cursor control signals adapted for controlling the position of a cursor in response to the digital signals representative of the angular orientation of said input device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
123 words
A graphics system for displaying a cursor (22) and providing controlled movement of the cursor (22), comprising: a display terminal (16) unit having a display screen (18); a computer (14), coupled to said display terminal unit (16), programmed to control the position of a cursor (22) on the display screen (18) in response to cursor control signals; a computer input device coupled to said computer, the computer input device generating digital signals representative of the angular orientation of the input device with respect to a vertical axis passing therethrough; and means, coupled to said computer, for generating cursor control signals adapted for controlling the position of a cursor in response to the digital signals representative of the angular orientation of said input device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
124 words
A sensor (25) for determining an angle of rotation from a vertical axis (79) of a computer input device (10) for controling a cursor position on a computer display screen, comprising: a sensor housing (38); light source means (68, 70), within the housing (38), for emitting a focused beam; photodetector means (72, 74), within the housing (38), for detecting the focused beam and generating a voltage representative of the intensity thereof; and means (76), within the housing (38), for varying the intensity of the focused beam detected by the photodetector means (72, 74) in response to an angular rotation of the housing (38) with respect to the vertical axis (79); whereby said voltage is representative of the angle of rotation from the vertical axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
124 words
A sensor (25) for determining an angle of rotation from a vertical axis (79) of a computer input device (10) for controling a cursor position on a computer display screen, comprising: a sensor housing (38); light source means (68, 70), within the housing (38), for emitting a focused beam; photodetector means (72, 74), within the housing (38), for detecting the focused beam and generating a voltage representative of the intensity thereof; and means (76), within the housing (38), for varying the intensity of the focused beam detected by the photodetector means (72, 74) in response to an angular rotation of the housing (38) with respect to the vertical axis (79); whereby said voltage is representative of the angle of rotation from the vertical axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
269 words
A sensor (25) for determining an angle of rotation from a vertical axis (79) of a computer input device (10) for controling a cursor position on a computer display screen, comprising: a hollow spherical housing (38) having a centerpoint defined therein along a vertical axis (79) passing therethrough; the hollow spherical housing (38) having a first (78) and second (76) transparent fluid medium therein, the first medium being gaseous and the second medium (76) being liquid, and each medium having a predetermined viscosity and index of refraction; the second medium (76) filling the spherical housing (38) to a one-half level so that the boundary between the first and second (76) medium intersects the center point of the spherical housing (38); and at least one light source (68, 70) for emitting a focused beam and at least one photosensor (72, 74) for detecting the intensity of the beam and producing electric signals representative thereof; the light source (68, 70) and photosensor (72, 74) being mounted opposingly in the inner wall (74) of the spherical housing (38) on an axis (80) extending through the center point so that the focused beam passes through the center point before being detected by the photosensor (72, 74); whereby an angular rotation of the spherical housing (38) with respect to the vertical axis (79) causes a change in intensity of the beam detected by the photosensor (72, 74) due to a change in the refraction angle of the beam as the beam passes through the boundary between the first (78) and second medium (76), said change in intensity being representative of said angle of rotation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
269 words
A sensor (25) for determining an angle of rotation from a vertical axis (79) of a computer input device (10) for controling a cursor position on a computer display screen, comprising: a hollow spherical housing (38) having a centerpoint defined therein along a vertical axis (79) passing therethrough; the hollow spherical housing (38) having a first (78) and second (76) transparent fluid medium therein, the first medium being gaseous and the second medium (76) being liquid, and each medium having a predetermined viscosity and index of refraction; the second medium (76) filling the spherical housing (38) to a one-half level so that the boundary between the first and second (76) medium intersects the center point of the spherical housing (38); and at least one light source (68, 70) for emitting a focused beam and at least one photosensor (72, 74) for detecting the intensity of the beam and producing electric signals representative thereof; the light source (68, 70) and photosensor (72, 74) being mounted opposingly in the inner wall (74) of the spherical housing (38) on an axis (80) extending through the center point so that the focused beam passes through the center point before being detected by the photosensor (72, 74); whereby an angular rotation of the spherical housing (38) with respect to the vertical axis (79) causes a change in intensity of the beam detected by the photosensor (72, 74) due to a change in the refraction angle of the beam as the beam passes through the boundary between the first (78) and second medium (76), said change in intensity being representative of said angle of rotation.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of determining an angle of rotation from a vertical axis, comprising the steps: emitting a focused beam from a light source; varying the intensity of the focused beam proportionally to the angular rotation of the housing with respect to the vertical axis; and detecting the focused beam by means of a photodetector and generating a voltage representative of the intensity of the focused beam; whereby said voltage is representative of the angle of rotation from the vertical axis.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of determining an angle of rotation from a vertical axis, comprising the steps: emitting a focused beam from a light source; varying the intensity of the focused beam proportionally to the angular rotation of the housing with respect to the vertical axis; and detecting the focused beam by means of a photodetector and generating a voltage representative of the intensity of the focused beam; whereby said voltage is representative of the angle of rotation from the vertical axis.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein varying the intensity includes refracting the focused beam at the boundary between two transparent media have different indexes of refraction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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