Cursor control device for 2-D and 3-D applications

Details Cursor control device for 2-D and 3-D applications Cursor control device for 2-D and 3-D applications

1997-09-29

2001-05-15

Saras, Steven (Department: 2675)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Display peripheral interface input device

Cursor mark position control device

C345S168000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06232959

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to an input device intended for remote positioning and control of graphic representations of two- or three-dimensional objects (e.g. cursors) projected on a computer screen or in a ‘virtual space’ created by visualising devices, and for control of physical objects e.g. in robotics.
The most important reason why computer use is steadily increasing is probably related to the development of software which is generally applicable, in addition to a simplified interaction between user and hardware enabling the layman without special computer training to operate the system without any particular difficulties. In addition to the traditional data input and program activation via the keyboard, the user can now enter information and execute commands by selecting among menus and graphic symbols appearing on the computer screen.
On present-day computers, this selection and execution is generally accomplished by use of several different input devices, of which the most popular are the mouse, the track-ball, the touch pad and the “pin-mouse”.
The electromechanical “grandfather” mouse was developed at Stanford Research Institute and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,541. This mouse employs a pair of wheels that turn potentiometer shafts to encode X and Y motion into analog signals. Further development led to the employment of a ball or sphere instead of two wheels for more uniform tracking. In a typical “mouse” system, a hand-held transducer provides positional movement signals to the display system. Traditionally, the movement of wheels within the cursor control device are coupled to potentiometers to provide signals indicative of an X-Y position on the display screen (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,304,434; 3,541,541; 3,269,190; 3,835,464; 3,892,963 and 3,987,685). Other mouse systems utilise rotating balls on wheels which are in turn coupled to rotate apertures interrupting beams of light, thereby providing positional signals to the display system (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,892,963; 3,541,521; and 4,464,652). A trackball is similar to the mouse, but has the advantage that it can be incorporated in portable computers. Contrary to the mouse, however, this device remains stationary while the user rotates the ball with the thumb, fingers or palm of the hand. Examples of trackballs are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,122,654 and 5,008,528.
While these mice and trackballs have proved to be quite useful in performing display functions, they have not been outstandingly reliable, particularly over long periods of use. For example, the mechanical moving parts of the mouse, such as the balls and wheels, become dirty and slip on the work surface or pad, rather than provide continuous rolling action, or the commutators become dirty and skip. One goal in construction of new mouse varieties, therefore, has been to reduce the number of moving parts thereby eliminating the above mentioned mechanical disadvantages and providing a mouse with high reliability over long periods of time. One direction toward the goal of no moving parts is optical detection of mouse tracking functions. The concept of optical tracking, i.e., optical detection of an image, such as a track, lines, bars or grating, is not new. Examples of such tracking utilising one or more optical detectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat Nos. 3,496,364; 3,524,067; 4,114,034 and 4,180,704. However, none of these optical tracking devices disclose techniques suitable to perform the functions required in a cursor or object control device, i.e., they do not provide multi-directional tracking indicative of direction and amount of movement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,479 discloses a device which utilises optical sensing techniques to detect mouse motion. The output is indicative of the amount and direction of movement of the device relative to an orthogonal coordinate system. The device relies on a planar grid pattern comprising orthogonally positioned grid lines of uniform spacing. An alternative mode of optical tracking is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,993 where a cursor pointing device includes a randomly speckled ball illuminated with diffuse lighting. An image of the illuminated area is focused by an optical element onto a photosensitive array. Logic associated with the photosensitive array determines movement of the ball across the array, and translates that movement into conventional cursor control signals supplied to a host system.
Another direction toward the goal of few moving parts is magneto-electric detection of tracking functions. The European patent application EP 0,539,599 describes a device that superficially looks like a trackball, and it is operated in the same manner. The device incorporates a dome-shaped slider with a strong magnet attached to the bottom surface. The housing is provided with a plurality of magneto-electric conversion elements. If the slider is slid, the magnetic flux density cutting across the magneto-electric conversion elements changes along with the output voltage. This change is used to control the position of the pointer. The described pointing device has furthermore means for changing from a position control to a speed control when the slider is moved beyond its confined sliding area. When shifting from positional control to speed control, the latest and the preceding positional information are used to find the vector between the two positions, and this vector is used for controlling cursor speed and direction. It is therefore not possible to change direction while using the speed control function.
The trackballs and the dome-shaped slider are operated using the thumb, which is not by itself trained for precise movement. Other systems employ index finger control or incorporate finger-grippable control elements, and are thus providing better precision. U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,191 describes a device that incorporates a finger pad actuator mounted to a base so as to be movable in several directions. The position of the finger pad is sensed, e.g. by variable resistance potentiometers, and used to control the movement of a cursor or other image on a computer screen. U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,577 describes a multipurpose cursor control keyswitch that moves laterally to provide cursor control and that moves vertically for character entry. Sensors, e.g. strain gauges or pressure sensors, are coupled to the key cap for sensing the lateral movement. An almost identical keyswitch is described in PCT/US89/05662, comprising a key cap that is displaceable within the horizontal plane with one finger. Displacement of the key cap results in similar directional movement of the cursor; vertical force applied to the key cap activates an electric switch which corresponds to the “click” of a mouse button. Several different transducers are suggested as means for detecting the displacement of the key cap in the horizontal plane (strain gauge, optical detector, capacitor, inductor, and contacts).
A specific limitation of many of the devices of the prior art is that the degree of precision control available is crude compared to the power and precision of the data processing devices themselves and detection of fine movements of the input devices is a particular limitation. Another reason for the lack of precision is that the devices are difficult to control because they do not conform to the user's ordinary motor skills and capabilities of the human musculature. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,455 provides somewhat greater precision and conform more closely to the operator's motor skills, being operated by hand and finger movements, including both fine movement control and gross movement control. The assembly includes a graspable outer cover and an inner puck with a movable finger cup and a movement detector utilising a raster pattern created by a laser beam. Other prior art devices incorporate a single finger-grippable unit as a central control member. PCT/JP89/01148 utilises a pen-like member to input characters and symbols. The member is moved on a surface, passing a plurality of pre-set detection positions. Several paths of act

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