Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2002-04-09
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2774)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
C379S433040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06369794
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on an application No. 10-254787 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation indication outputting device for detecting a motion of the operation indication outputting device caused by a user's action and outputting an operation indication according to the detection result.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In virtual reality and other technologies, display control and operation indication are performed by digitally coding a movement of a person with position sensors (e.g. 3SPACE system made by Polhemus, Inc.) which use data gloves or magnetic transducing techniques and inputting generated codes into a computer. With the recent development of smaller and more accurate motion detection sensors such as acceleration sensors, several techniques are disclosed whereby such sensors are incorporated into a portable information processing apparatus to detect a motion of the body of the apparatus so that information processing is performed according to the detected motion.
For instance, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 6-4208 discloses a device that is equipped with a sensor for detecting a motion of the device and a motion analyzing unit for determining a direction, travel, and number of occurrence of movement or rotation of the device based on data outputted from the sensor, thereby designating the contents of processing according to the determined direction, travel, and number of occurrence of the motion. When this device is vertically and/or horizontally moved, the inside sensor detects the motion and outputs data of the motion, based on which the motion analyzing unit calculates the vertical travel and horizontal travel of the device. As a result, a display such as text on a liquid crystal display panel is scrolled sideways or up and down by a number of pixels corresponding to the calculated travel, or a cursor displayed on the display panel is moved sideways or up and down by the number of pixels.
However, this conventional device does not distinguish certain types of actions such as “swing” and “tap” made by a user against the body of the device, so that a selection of operations which can be designated is limited. Besides, when the user accidentally bumps the device against something while moving the device, an operation which the user does not intend may be designated by mistake.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an operation indication outputting device that can give a wide variety of operation indications while preventing malfunctions, and a computer-readable storing medium that stores a program for realizing the function of the operation indication outputting device.
The stated object can be fulfilled by an operation indication outputting device for outputting an operation indication to an information processing apparatus to have the information processing apparatus perform processing based on the outputted operation indication, the operation indication outputting device including: a storing unit for storing operation indications that each correspond to a combination of a type of a user's action and at least one of a direction, a strength, and a number of occurrence of a motion of the operation indication outputting device caused by the user's action; a motion detecting unit for detecting a motion of the operation indication outputting device caused by the user's action; a motion analyzing unit for analyzing at least one of a direction, a strength, and a number of occurrence of the detected motion; a user action analyzing unit for analyzing a type of the user's action that causes the detected motion; and an outputting unit for reading, from the storing unit, an operation indication corresponding to a combination of an analysis result by the motion analyzing unit and an analysis result by the user action analyzing unit, and outputting the read operation indication to the information processing apparatus.
With this construction, the operation indication outputting device can have the information processing apparatus perform various processing by identifying the type of the action made by the user against the operation indication outputting device.
Here, the motion detecting unit may detect acceleration levels of the motion of the operation indication outputting device over time, wherein the motion analyzing unit analyzes at least one of the direction, the strength, and the number of occurrence of the motion by integrating, with respect to time, the acceleration levels outputted from the motion detecting unit.
With this construction, the motion of the operation indication outputting device can be detected with low-priced acceleration sensors, and at least one of the direction, strength, and number of occurrence of the motion can be analyzed by a simple procedure.
Here, the user action analyzing unit may include a fast Fourier transform analyzing unit for obtaining a frequency distribution by performing a fast Fourier transform on a curve produced by graphing the acceleration levels outputted from the motion detecting unit against time, to analyze the type of the user's action.
With this construction, the type of the user's action can be identified with respect to frequency by analyzing the frequency distribution.
Here, the user action analyzing unit may further include an output prohibiting unit for prohibiting the outputting unit to output the operation indication if a peak value in the obtained frequency distribution is any of below a first frequency and above a second frequency.
With this construction, it is possible to prevent the information processing apparatus from performing wrong processing in the event of an accident such as the user dropping the operation indication outputting device.
Here, the user action analyzing unit may include a differential analyzing unit for differentiating, according to a predetermined equation, a curve produced by graphing the acceleration levels outputted from the motion detecting unit against time, to analyze the type of the user's action.
With this construction, the type of the user's action can be judged by a simple procedure.
Here, the user action analyzing unit may further include an output prohibiting unit for prohibiting the outputting unit to output the operation indication if a mean value of differential values calculated by the differential analyzing unit is any of below a first threshold value and above a second threshold value.
With this construction, it is possible to prevent the information processing apparatus from performing wrong processing in the event of an accident such as the user dropping the operation indication outputting device.
Here, the user action analyzing unit may include a wavelet transform analyzing unit for detecting specific frequency components by performing a wavelet transform on a curve produced by graphing the acceleration levels outputted from the motion detecting unit against time, to analyze the type of the user's action.
With this construction, the type of the user's action can be accurately specified by analyzing frequency composition.
Here, the storing unit may further store operation indications that each correspond to an order of a plurality of types of the user's actions, wherein the user action analyzing unit further includes an action sequence analyzing unit for analyzing types of the user's actions that cause the motion, according to an order in which the detected specific frequency components appear, and wherein the outputting unit includes an order-corresponding operation indicating unit for reading, from the storing unit, an operation indication corresponding to an order of the types of the user's actions analyzed by the action sequence analyzing unit, and outputting the read operation indication to the information processing apparatus.
With this construction, a choice of operation indications which can
Inoue Ryuji
Sakurai Yasuhiro
Hjerpe Richard
Laneau Ronald
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