Input device for three-dimensional control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12547255-B2
Application number	US-202318472185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2023
Priority date	Sep 22, 2022
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A three-dimensional control system includes an input device, a computing device, and a tracking assembly. The input device can include an input sensor, an inertial measurement unit sensor, and an ultrasonic speaker. The tracking assembly can include a plurality of ultrasonic microphones and an inertial measurement unit disposed on or with the computing device. The plurality of ultrasonic microphones can include three microphones in a first plane and at least one other ultrasonic microphone disposed out of the first plane. The ultrasonic microphones can be configured to detect ultrasonic waves output by the speaker of the input device and the computing device can triangulate the position of the input device relative to the computing device in space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tracking system, comprising:
an input device comprising:
an input sensor;
a housing having an interior surface defining an internal volume;
an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor disposed in the internal volume;
an ultrasonic speaker disposed in the internal volume; and
a laptop or desktop computing device, the laptop or desktop computing device comprising a display screen portion and a base portion configured to rest on a support surface when in use; and a tracking assembly comprising a plurality of ultrasonic microphones configured to removably couple to at least the display screen portion of the laptop or desktop computing device and to detect a position of the input device relative to the laptop or desktop computing device based only on output from the ultrasonic speaker and the IMU sensor.

2 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic speaker is configured to output sound waves greater than about 20 kHz.

3 . The tracking system of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback module.

4 . The tracking system of claim 3 , wherein the feedback module includes a haptic engine or a light.

5 . The tracking system of claim 1 , further comprising an emitter electrically coupled to the IMU sensor.

6 . The tracking system of claim 5 , wherein the emitter is configured to send signals comprising information regarding a motion or an orientation of the input device detected by the IMU sensor.

7 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the input sensor comprises a touch detection sensor.

8 . The tracking system of claim 7 , wherein:
the housing is circular about a central axis; the input device further comprises a processor electrically coupled to the touch detection sensor; and the processor is configured to determine an intended orientation of the housing based on a hand position of a user detected by the touch detection sensor.

9 . A tracking system, comprising:
a display portion secured to a base, the display portion including a display screen; an input device comprising an ultrasonic speaker configured to output data; an array of ultrasonic microphones disposed on the display portion configured to receive the data from the ultrasonic speaker; a sensor disposed on the display portion and configured to detect an angle of the display screen relative to the base; and a processor configured for determining a position based on the data collected by the array of ultrasonic microphones and the detected angle of the display screen.

10 . The tracking system of claim 9 , wherein:
the array of ultrasonic microphones includes three microphones defining a first plane; and the array of ultrasonic microphones includes a fourth microphone disposed out of the first plane.

11 . The tracking system of claim 10 , wherein the display screen defines a second plane parallel to the first plane.

12 . The tracking system of claim 10 , wherein:
the display portion is a first portion, and the tracking system further includes a second portion rotatably secured to the first portion; and the fourth microphone is disposed on the second portion.

13 . The tracking system of claim 12 , wherein the second portion includes a keyboard.

14 . The tracking system of claim 12 , wherein the angle comprises the angle of the display screen relative to a major plane of the second portion.

15 . A three-dimensional control system, comprising:
an input device comprising:
an input sensor;
an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor; and
an ultrasonic speaker;
a computing device including a display portion and a base; an array of at least three ultrasonic microphones fixed to the display portion, the array of at least three ultrasonic microphones being configured to receive ultrasonic waves output by the ultrasonic speaker, wherein at least three ultrasonic microphones of the array of at least three ultrasonic microphones lie in a first plane; and at least one ultrasonic microphone fixed to the base and lying in a second plane; wherein the computing device is configured such that combined output from the IMU sensor and the ultrasonic speaker, when received by the computing device, is sufficient to detect a position of the input device relative to the computing device.

16 . The three-dimensional control system of claim 15 , the display portion includes a display screen.

17 . The three-dimensional control system of claim 16 , wherein the IMU sensor is a first IMU sensor and the 3D control system further includes a second IMU sensor secured to the display portion.

18 . The three-dimensional control system of claim 15 , wherein the input device includes an emitter configured to send signals including information regarding motion detected by the IMU sensor to the computing device.

19 . The three-dimensional control system of claim 15 , wherein the computing device includes a laptop computer and the input device is operable as a mouse for the laptop computer.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Andre Bart K
• Gleeson Brian T
• Bauerly Kristi E
• Lindmeier William D
• Sundstrom Matthew J
• Luo Geng
• Kim Seung Wook
• Christodoulou Evangelos
• Sapp Megan M
• Kwon-Perez Kainoa
• Morrell John B

Classifications

• G06F2203/0337

  Status LEDs integrated in the mouse to provide visual feedback to the user about the status of the input device, the PC, or the user · CPC title

• G06F3/04815

  Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G01S5/30

  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location · CPC title