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Patent US20050243062 - Free space pointing devices with tilt compensation and improved usability - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsSystems and methods according to the present invention describe free space pointing devices which enhance usability by transforming sensed motion data from a first frame of reference (e.g., the body of the free space pointing device) into a second frame of reference (e.g., a user's frame of reference)....http://www.google.com/patents/US20050243062?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20050243062 - Free space pointing devices with tilt compensation and improved usabilityAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20050243062 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 11/119,719Publication dateNov 3, 2005Filing dateMay 2, 2005Priority dateApr 30, 2004Also published asDE202005022038U1, EP1741088A2, EP1741088A4, EP1741088B1, US7158118, US7262760, US7414611, US8072424, US20070091068, US20070257885, US20080291163, WO2005108119A2, WO2005108119A3Publication number11119719, 119719, US 2005/0243062 A1, US 2005/243062 A1, US 20050243062 A1, US 20050243062A1, US 2005243062 A1, US 2005243062A1, US-A1-20050243062, US-A1-2005243062, US2005/0243062A1, US2005/243062A1, US20050243062 A1, US20050243062A1, US2005243062 A1, US2005243062A1InventorsMatthew LibertyOriginal AssigneeHillcrest Communications, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManReferenced by (52), Classifications (15), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetFree space pointing devices with tilt compensation and improved usability
1. A handheld, pointing device comprising: a first rotational sensor for determining rotation of said pointing device about a first axis and generating a first rotational output associated therewith; a second rotational sensor for determining rotation of said pointing device about a second axis and generating a second rotational output associated therewith; an accelerometer for determining an acceleration of said pointing device and outputting an acceleration output associated therewith; and a processing unit for receiving said first and second rotational outputs and said acceleration output and for: (a) converting said first and second rotational outputs and said acceleration output from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld pointing device into a user's frame of reference in order to remove the effects of tilt associated with the manner in which a user is holding said handheld, pointing device; and (b) determining data associated with x and y coordinates which are in turn associated with movement of a screen cursor, said data based on said converted first and second rotational outputs and said converted acceleration output, wherein said step of converting renders said movement of said screen cursor substantially independent of an orientation in which a user holds said handheld device. 2. The handheld, pointing device of claim 1, wherein said user's frame of reference is associated with a television screen. 3. The handheld, pointing device of claim 1, wherein said step of converting further comprises the step of: rotating said first and second rotational outputs into said user's frame of reference by calculating: R = [ cos θ sin θ - sin θ cos θ ] � [ α y α z ] , wherein θ is said tilt, αy is said first rotational output and αz is said second rotational output. 4. A method for using a free space pointing device comprising the steps of: detecting movement of said free space pointing device; and compensating said detected movement by transforming said detected movement from a body frame of reference associated with said free space pointing device into an inertial frame of reference. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of compensating further comprises the steps of: determining a tilt associated with an orientation in which said free space pointing device is held; and compensating said detected movement to correct for said tilt. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of compensating said detected movement to correct for tilt further comprises the step of: rotating first and second rotational outputs into said inertial frame of reference by calculating: R = [ cos θ sin θ - sin θ cos θ ] � [ α y α z ] , wherein θ is said tilt, αy is said first rotational output and αz is said second rotational output. 7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of: providing information associated with said compensated, detected movement as input to a user interface. 8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: determining said tilt based upon output from an accelerometer. 9. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of detecting movement of said free space pointing device further comprises the step of: detecting said movement using at least one of: a rotational sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an optical sensor, a magnetometer and a camera. 10. A free space, handheld device comprising: at least one sensor for detecting movement of said free space pointing device; and a processing unit for compensating said detected movement by transforming said detected movement from a body frame of reference associated with said free space pointing device into an inertial frame of reference. 11. The free space handheld device of claim 10, wherein said processing unit compensates said detected movement by: determining a tilt associated with an orientation in which said free space pointing device is held; and compensating said detected movement to correct for said tilt. 12. The free space handheld device of claim 11, wherein processing unit compensates said detected movement to correct for tilt further by rotating first and second rotational outputs into said inertial frame of reference by calculating: R
DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. In order to provide some context for this discussion, an exemplary aggregated media system 200 in which the present invention can be implemented will first be described with respect to FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the present invention is not restricted to implementation in this type of media system and that more or fewer components can be included therein. Therein, an input/output (I/O) bus 210 connects the system components in the media system 200 together. The I/O bus 210 represents any of a number of different of mechanisms and techniques for routing signals between the media system components. For example, the I/O bus 210 may include an appropriate number of independent audio �patch� cables that route audio signals, coaxial cables that route video signals, two-wire serial lines or infrared or radio frequency transceivers that route control signals, optical fiber or any other routing mechanisms that route other types of signals. In this exemplary embodiment, the media system 200 includes a television/monitor 212, a video cassette recorder (VCR) 214, digital video disk (DVD) recorder/playback device 216, audio/video tuner 218 and compact disk player 220 coupled to the I/O bus 210. The VCR 214, DVD 216 and compact disk player 220 may be single disk or single cassette devices, or alternatively may be multiple disk or multiple cassette devices. They may be independent units or integrated together. In addition, the media system 200 includes a microphone/speaker system 222, video camera 224 and a wireless I/O control device 226. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the wireless I/O control device 226 is a free space pointing device according to one of the exemplary embodiments described below. The wireless I/O control device 226 can communicate with the entertainment system 200 using, e.g., an IR or RF transmitter or transceiver. Alternatively, the I/O control device can be connected to the entertainment system 200 via a wire. The entertainment system 200 also includes a system controller 228. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the system controller 228 operates to store and display entertainment system data available from a plurality of entertainment system data sources and to control a wide variety of features associated with each of the system components. As shown in FIG. 2, system controller 228 is coupled, either directly or indirectly, to each of the system components, as necessary, through I/O bus 210. In one exemplary embodiment, in addition to or in place of I/O bus 210, system controller 228 is configured with a wireless communication transmitter (or transceiver), which is capable of communicating with the system components via IR signals or RF signals. Regardless of the control medium, the system controller 228 is configured to control the media components of the media system 200 via a graphical user interface described below. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, media system 200 may be configured to receive media items from various media sources and service providers. In this exemplary embodiment, media system 200 receives media input from and, optionally, sends information to, any or all of the following sources: cable broadcast 230, satellite broadcast 232 (e.g., via a satellite dish), very high frequency (VHF) or ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency communication of the broadcast television networks 234 (e.g., via an aerial antenna), telephone network 236 and cable modem 238 (or another source of Internet content). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the media components and media sources illustrated and described with respect to FIG. 2 are purely exemplary and that media system 200 may include more or fewer of both. For example, other types of inputs to the system include AM/FM radio and satellite radio. More details regarding this exemplary entertainment system and frameworks associated therewith can be found in the above-incorporated by reference U.S. patent application �A Control Framework with a Zoomable Graphical User Interface for Organizing, Selecting and Launching Media Items�. Alternatively, remote devices in accordance with the present invention can be used in conjunction with other systems, for example computer systems including, e.g., a display, a processor and a memory system or with various other systems and applications. As mentioned in the Background section, remote devices which operate as free space pointers are of particular interest for the present specification. Such devices enable the translation of movement, e.g., gestures, into commands to a user interface. An exemplary free space pointing device 400 is depicted in FIG. 3. Therein, user movement of the free space pointing can be defined, for example, in terms of a combination of x-axis attitude (roll), y-axis elevation (pitch) and/or z-axis heading (yaw) motion of the free space pointing device 400. In addition, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention can also measure linear movement of the free space pointing device 400 along the x, y, and z axes to generate cursor movement or other user interface commands. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the free space pointing device 400 includes two buttons 402 and 404 as well as a scroll wheel 406, although other exemplary embodiments will include other physical configurations. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is anticipated that free space pointing devices 400 will be held by a user in front of a display 408 and that motion of the free space pointing device 400 will be translated by the free space pointing device into output which is usable to interact with the information displayed on display 408, e.g., to move the cursor 410 on the display 408. For example, rotation of the free space pointing device 400 about the y-axis can be sensed by the free space pointing device 400 and translated into an output usable by the system to move cursor 410 along the y2 axis of the display 408. Likewise, rotation of the free space pointing device 408 about the z-axis can be sensed by the free space pointing device 400 and translated into an output usable by the system to move cursor 410 along the x2 axis of the display 408. It will be appreciated that the output of free space pointing device 400 can be used to interact with the display 408 in a number of ways other than (or in addition to) cursor movement, for example it can control cursor fading, volume or media transport (play, pause, fast-forward and rewind). Input commands may include operations in addition to cursor movement, for example, a zoom in or zoom out on a particular region of a display. A cursor may or may not be visible. Similarly, rotation of the free space pointing device 400 sensed about the x-axis of free space pointing device 400 can be used in addition to, or as an alternative to, y-axis and/or z-axis rotation to provide input to a user interface. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, two rotational sensors 502 and 504 and one accelerometer 506 can be employed as sensors in free space pointing device 400 as shown in FIG. 4. The rotational sensors 502 and 504 can, for example, be implemented using ADXRS150 or ADXRS401 sensors made by Analog Devices. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of rotational sensors can be employed as rotational sensors 502 and 504 and that the ADXRS150 and ADXRS401 are purely used as an illustrative example. Unlike traditional gyroscopes, the ADXRS150 rotational sensors use MEMS technology to provide a resonating mass which is attached to a frame so that it can resonate only along one direction. The resonating mass is displaced when the body to which the sensor is affixed is rotated around the sensor's sensing axis. This displacement can be measured using the Coriolis acceleration effect to determine an angular velocity associated with rotation along the sensing axis. If the rotational sensors 502 and 504 have a single sensing axis (as for example the ADXRS150s), then they can be mounted in the free space pointing device 400 such that their sensing axes are aligned with the rotations to be measured. For this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, this means that rotational sensor 504 is mounted such that its sensing axis is parallel to the y-axis and that rotational sensor 502 is mounted such that its sensing axis is parallel to the z-axis as shown in FIG. 4. Note, however, that aligning the sensing axes of the rotational sensors 502 and 504 parallel to the desired measurement axes is not required since exemplary embodiments of the present invention also provide techniques for compensating for offset between axes. One challenge faced in implementing exemplary free space pointing devices 400 in accordance with the present invention is to employ components, e.g., rotational sensors 502 and 504, which are not too costly, while at the same time providing a high degree of correlation between movement of the free space pointing device 400, a user's expectation regarding how the user interface will react to that particular movement of the free space pointing device and actual user interface performance in response to that movement. For example, if the free space pointing device 400 is not moving, the user will likely expect that the cursor ought not to be drifting across the screen. Likewise, if the user rotates the free space pointing device 400 purely around the y-axis, she or he would likely not expect to see the resulting cursor movement on display 408 contain any significant x2 axis component. To achieve these, and other, aspects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various measurements and calculations are performed by the handheld device 400 which are used to adjust the outputs of one or more of the sensors 502, 504 and 506 and/or as part of the input used by a processor to determine an appropriate output for the user interface based on the outputs of the sensors 502, 504 and 506. These measurements and calculations are used to compensate for factors which fall broadly into two categories: (1) factors which are intrinsic to the free space pointing device 400, e.g., errors associated with the particular sensors 502, 504 and 506 used in the device 400 or the way in which the sensors are mounted in the device 400 and (2) factors which are not intrinsic to the free space pointing device 400, but are instead associated with the manner in which a user is using the free space pointing device 400, e.g., linear acceleration, tilt and tremor. Exemplary techniques for handling each of these effects are described below. A process model 600 which describes the general operation of free space pointing devices according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. The rotational sensors 502 and 504, as well as the accelerometer 506, produce analog signals which are sampled periodically, e.g., 200 samples/second. For the purposes of this discussion, a set of these inputs shall be referred to using the notation (x, y, z, αy, αz), wherein x, y, z are the sampled output values of the exemplary three-axis accelerometer 506 which are associated with acceleration of the free space pointing device in the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis directions, respectively, αy is a the sampled output value from rotational sensor 502 associated with the rotation of the free space pointing device about the y-axis and αz is the sampled output value from rotational sensor 504 associated with rotation of the free space pointing device 400 about the z-axis. The output from the accelerometer 506 is provided and, if the accelerometer 506 provides analog output, then the output is sampled and digitized by an A/D converter (not shown) to generate sampled accelerometer output 602. The sampled output values are converted from raw units to units of acceleration, e.g., gravities (g), as indicated by conversion function 604. The acceleration calibration block 606 provides the values used for the conversion function 604. This calibration of the accelerometer output 602 can include, for example, compensation for one or more of scale, offset and axis misalignment error associated with the accelerometer 506. Exemplary conversions for the accelerometer data can be performed using the following equation: A=S*((M−P).*G(T)) (1) wherein M is a 3�1 column vector composed of the sampled output values (x, y, z), P is a 3�1 column vector of sensor offsets, and S is a 3�3 matrix that contains both scale, axis misalignment, and sensor rotation compensation. G(T) is a gain factor that is a function of temperature. The �*� operator represents matrix multiplication and the �.*� operator represents element multiplication. The exemplary accelerometer 506 has an exemplary full range of �2 g. Sensor offset, P, refers to the sensor output, M, for an accelerometer measurement of 0 g. Scale refers to the conversion factor between the sampled unit value and g. The actual scale of any given accelerometer sensor may deviate from these nominal scale values due to, e.g., manufacturing variances. Accordingly the scale factor in the equations above will be proportional to this deviation. Accelerometer 506 scale and offset deviations can be measured by, for example, applying 1 g of force along one an axis and measuring the result, R1. Then a −1 g force is applied resulting in measurement R2. The individual axis scale, s, and the individual axis offset, p, can be computed as follows: s=(R 1−R 2)/2 (2) p=(R 1+R 2)/2 (3) In this simple case, P is the column vector of the p for each axis, and S is the diagonal matrix of the 1/s for each axis. However, in addition to scale and offset, readings generated by accelerometer 506 may also suffer from cross-axes effects. Cross-axes effects include non-aligned axes, e.g., wherein one or more of the sensing axes of the accelerometer 506 as it is mounted in the free space pointing device 400 are not aligned with the corresponding axis in the inertial frame of reference, or mechanical errors associated with the machining of the accelerometer 506 itself, e.g., wherein even though the axes are properly aligned, a purely y-axis acceleration force may result in a sensor reading along the z-axis of the accelerometer 506. Both of these effects can also be measured and added to the calibration performed by function 606. The accelerometer 506 serves several purposes in exemplary free space pointing devices according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, if rotational sensors 502 and 504 are implemented using the exemplary Coriolis effect rotational sensors described above, then the output of the rotational sensors 502 and 504 will vary based on the linear acceleration experienced by each rotational sensor. Thus, one exemplary use of the accelerometer 506 is to compensate for fluctuations in the readings generated by the rotational sensors 502 and 504 which are caused by variances in linear acceleration. This can be accomplished by multiplying the converted accelerometer readings by a gain matrix 610 and subtracting (or adding) the results from (or to) the corresponding sampled rotational sensor data 612. For example, the sampled rotational data αy from rotational sensor 502 can be compensated for linear acceleration at block 614 as: αy′=αy−C*A (4) wherein C is the 1�3 row vector of rotational sensor susceptibility to linear acceleration along each axis given in units/g and A is the calibrated linear acceleration. Similarly, linear acceleration compensation for the sampled rotational data αz from rotational sensor 504 can be provided at block 614. The gain matrices, C, vary between rotational sensors due to manufacturing differences. C may be computed using the average value for many rotational sensors, or it may be custom computed for each rotational sensor. Like the accelerometer data, the sampled rotational data 612 is then converted from a sampled unit value into a value associated with a rate of angular rotation, e.g., radians/s, at function 616. This conversion step can also include calibration provided by function 618 to compensate the sampled rotational data for, e.g., scale and offset. Conversion/calibration for both αy and αz can be accomplished using, for example, the following equation: αrad/s=(α′−offset(T))*scale+dOffset (5) wherein α′ refers to the value being converted/calibrated, offset(T) refers to an offset value associated with temperature, scale refers to the conversion factor between the sampled unit value and rad/s, and dOffset refers to a dynamic offset value. Equation (5) may be implemented as a matrix equation in which case all variables are vectors except for scale. In matrix equation form, scale corrects for axis misalignment and rotational offset factors. Each of these variables is discussed in more detail below. The offset values offset(T) and dOffset can be determined in a number of different ways. When the free space pointing device 400 is not being rotated in, for example, the y-axis direction, the sensor 502 should output its offset value. However, the offset can be highly affected by temperature, so this offset value will likely vary. Offset temperature calibration may be performed at the factory, in which case the value(s) for offset(T) can be preprogrammed into the handheld device 400 or, alternatively, offset temperature calibration may also be learned dynamically during the lifetime of the device. To accomplish dynamic offset compensation, an input from a temperature sensor 619 is used in rotation calibration function 618 to compute the current value for offset(T). The offset(T) parameter removes the majority of offset bias from the sensor readings. However, negating nearly all cursor drift at zero movement can be useful for producing a high-performance pointing device. Therefore, the additional factor dOffset, can be computed dynamically while the free space pointing device 400 is in use. The stationary detection function 608 determines when the handheld is most likely stationary and when the offset should be recomputed. Exemplary techniques for implementing stationary detection function 608, as well as other uses therefore, are described below. An exemplary implementation of dOffset computation employs calibrated sensor outputs which are low-pass filtered. The stationary output detection function 608 provides an indication to rotation calibration function 618 to trigger computation of, for example, the mean of the low-pass filter output. The stationary output detection function 608 can also control when the newly computed mean is factored into the existing value for dOffset. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a multitude of different techniques can be used for computing the new value for dOffset from the existing value of dOffset and the new mean including, but not limited to, simple averaging, low-pass filtering and Kalman filtering. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous variations for offset compensation of the rotational sensors 502 and 504 can be employed. For example, the offset(T) function can have a constant value (e.g., invariant with temperature), more than two offset compensation values can be used and/or only a single offset value can be computed/used for offset compensation. After conversion/calibration at block 616, the inputs from the rotational sensors 502 and 504 can be further processed to rotate those inputs into an inertial frame of reference, i.e., to compensate for tilt associated with the manner in which the user is holding the free space pointing device 400, at function 620. Tilt correction is another significant aspect of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention as it is intended to compensate for differences in usage patterns of free space pointing devices according to the present invention. More specifically, tilt correction according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention is intended to compensate for the fact that users will hold pointing devices in their hands at different x-axis rotational positions, but that the sensing axes of the rotational sensors 502 and 504 in the free space pointing devices 400 are fixed. It is desirable that cursor translation across display 408 is substantially insensitive to the way in which the user grips the free space pointing device 400, e.g., rotating the free space pointing device 400 back and forth in a manner generally corresponding to the horizontal dimension (x2-axis) of the display 508 should result in cursor translation along the x2-axis, while rotating the free space pointing device up and down in a manner generally corresponding to the vertical dimension (y2-axis) of the display 508 should result in cursor translation along the y2-axis, regardless of the orientation in which the user is holding the free space pointing device 400. To better understand the need for tilt compensation according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, consider the example shown in FIG. 6(a). Therein, the user is holding free space pointing device 400 in an exemplary inertial frame of reference, which can be defined as having an x-axis rotational value of 0 degrees, e.g., the inertial frame of reference can that in which the free space device has its bottom substantially parallel to a floor of a room in which, e.g., a television is located. The inertial frame of reference can, purely as an example, correspond to the orientation illustrated in FIG. 6(a) or it can be defined as any other orientation. Rotation of the free space pointing device 400 in either the y-axis or z-axis directions will be sensed by rotational sensors 502 and 504, respectively. For example, rotation of the free space pointing device 400 around the z-axis by an amount Δz as shown in FIG. 6(b) will result in a corresponding cursor translation Δx2 in the x2 axis dimension across the display 408(i.e., the distance between the dotted version of cursor 410 and the undotted version). If, on the other hand, the user holds the free space pointing device 400 in a different orientation, e.g., with some amount of x-axis rotation relative to the inertial frame of reference, then the information provided by the sensors 502 and 504 would not (absent tilt compensation) provide an accurate representation of the user's intended interface actions. For example, referring to FIG. 6(c), consider a situation wherein the user holds the free space pointing device 400 with an x-axis rotation of 45 degrees relative to the exemplary inertial frame of reference as illustrated in FIG. 6(a). Assuming the same z-axis rotation Δz is imparted to the free space pointing device 400 by a user as in the example of FIG. 6(b), the cursor 410 will instead be translated in both the x2-axis direction and the y2-axis direction as shown in FIG. 6(d). This is due to the fact that the sensing axis of rotational sensor 502 is now oriented between the y-axis and the z-axis (because of the orientation of the device in the user's hand). Similarly, the sensing axis of the rotational sensor 504 is also oriented between the y-axis and the z-axis (although in a different quadrant). In order to provide an interface which is transparent to the user in terms of how the free space pointing device 400 is held, tilt compensation according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention translates the readings output from rotational sensors 502 and 504 back into the inertial frame of reference as part of processing the readings from these sensors into information indicative of rotational motion of the free space pointing device 400. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, returning to FIG. 5, this can be accomplished by determining the tilt of the free space pointing device 400 using the inputs y and z received from accelerometer 506 at function 622. More specifically, after the acceleration data is converted and calibrated as described above, it can be low pass filtered at LPF 624 to provide an average acceleration (gravity) value to the tilt determination function 622. Then, tilt θ can be calculated in function 622 as: θ = tan - 1 ( y z ) ( 7 ) The value θ can be numerically computed as a tan 2(y,z) to prevent division by zero and give the correct sign. Then, function 620 can perform the rotation R of the converted/calibrated inputs αy and αz using the equation: R = [ cos θ sin θ - sin θ cos θ ] � [ α y α z ] ( 8 ) to rotate the converted/calibrated inputs αy and αz to compensate for the tilt θ. Tilt compensation as described in this exemplary embodiment is a subset of a more general technique for translating sensor readings from the body frame of reference into a user's frame of reference according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention which is described below. Once the calibrated sensor readings have been compensated for linear acceleration, processed into readings indicative of angular rotation of the free space pointing device 400, and compensated for tilt, post-processing can be performed at blocks 626 and 628. Exemplary post-processing can include compensation for various factors such as human tremor. Although tremor may be removed using several different methods, one way to remove tremor is by using hysteresis. The angular velocity produced by rotation function 620 is integrated to produce an angular position. Hysteresis of a calibrated magnitude is then applied to the angular position. The derivative is taken of the output of the hysteresis block to again yield an angular velocity. The resulting output is then scaled at function 628 (e.g., based on the sampling period) and used to generate a result within the interface, e.g., movement of a cursor 410 on a display 408. Having provided a process description of exemplary free space pointing devices according to the present invention, FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary hardware architecture. Therein, a processor 800 communicates with other elements of the free space pointing device including a scroll wheel 802, JTAG 804, LEDs 806, switch matrix 808, IR photodetector 810, rotational sensors 812, accelerometer 814 and transceiver 816. The scroll wheel 802 is an optional input component which enables a user to provide input to the interface by rotating the scroll wheel 802 clockwise or counterclockwise. JTAG 804 provides the programming and debugging interface to the processor. LEDs 806 provide visual feedback to a user, for example, when a button is pressed. Switch matrix 808 receives inputs, e.g., indications that a button on the free space pointing device 400 has been depressed or released, that are then passed on to processor 800. The optional IR photodetector 810 can be provided to enable the exemplary free space pointing device to learn IR codes from other remote controls. Rotational sensors 812 provide readings to processor 800 regarding, e.g., the y-axis and z-axis rotation of the free space pointing device as described above. Accelerometer 814 provides readings to processor 800 regarding the linear acceleration of the free space pointing device 400 which can be used as described above, e.g., to perform tilt compensation and to compensate for errors which linear acceleration introduces into the rotational readings generated by rotational sensors 812. Transceiver 816 is used to communicate information to and from free space pointing device 400, e.g., to the system controller 228 or to a processor associated with a computer. The transceiver 816 can be a wireless transceiver, e.g., operating in accordance with the Bluetooth standards for short-range wireless communication or an infrared transceiver. Alternatively, free space pointing device 400 can communicate with systems via a wireline connection. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, the free space pointing device 400 includes two rotational sensors 502 and 504, as well as an accelerometer 506. However, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a free space pointing device can alternatively include just one rotational sensor, e.g., for measuring angular velocity in the z-axis direction, and an accelerometer. For such an exemplary embodiment, similar functionality to that described above can be provided by using the accelerometer to determine the angular velocity along the axis which is not sensed by the rotational sensor. For example, rotational velocity around the y-axis can be computed using data generated by the accelerometer and calculating: ω Y = ∂ θ Y ∂ t = ∂ ∂ t tan - 1 ( x z ) ( 9 ) In addition, the parasitic acceleration effects that are not measured by a rotational sensor should also be removed. These effects include actual linear acceleration, acceleration measured due to rotational velocity and rotational acceleration, and acceleration due to human tremor. Stationary detection function 608, mentioned briefly above, can operate to determine whether the free space pointing device 400 is, for example, either stationary or active (moving). This categorization can be performed in a number of different ways. One way, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, is to compute the variance of the sampled input data of all inputs (x, y, z, αy, αz) over a predetermined window, e.g., every quarter of a second. This variance is then compared with a threshold to classify the free space pointing device as either stationary or active. Another stationary detection technique according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention involves transforming the inputs into the frequency domain by, e.g., performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the input data. Then, the data can be analyzed using, e.g., peak detection methods, to determine if the free space pointing device 400 is either stationary or active. Additionally, a third category can be distinguished, specifically the case where a user is holding the free space pointing device 400 but is not moving it (also referred to herein as the �stable� state. This third category can be distinguished from stationary (not held) and active by detecting the small movement of the free space pointing device 400 introduced by a user's hand tremor when the free space pointing device 400 is being held by a user. Peak detection can also be used by stationary detection function 608 to make this determination. Peaks within the range of human tremor frequencies, e.g., nominally 8-12 Hz, will typically exceed the noise floor of the device (experienced when the device is stationary and not held) by approximately 20 dB. In the foregoing examples, the variances in the frequency domain were sensed within a particular frequency range, however the actual frequency range to be monitored and used to characterize the status of the free space pointing device 400 may vary. For example, the nominal tremor frequency range may shift based on e.g., the ergonomics and weight of the free space pointing device 400, e.g., from 8-12 Hz to 4-7 Hz. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, stationary. detection mechanism 608 can include a state machine. An exemplary state machine is shown in FIG. 8. Therein, the ACTIVE state is, in this example, the default state during which the free space pointing device 400 is moving and being used to, e.g., provide inputs to a user interface. The free space pointing device 400 can enter the ACTIVE state on power-up of the device as indicated by the reset input. If the free space pointing device 400 stops moving, it may then enter the INACTIVE state. The various state transitions illustrated in FIG. 8 can be triggered by any of a number of different criteria including, but not limited to, data output from one or both of the rotational sensors 502 and 504, data output from the accelerometer 506, time domain data, frequency domain data or any combination thereof. State transition conditions will be generically referred to herein using the convention �ConditionstateA→stateB�. For example, the free space pointing device 400 will transition from the ACTIVE state to the INACTIVE state when conditionactive→inactive occurs. For the sole purpose of illustration, consider that conditionactive→inactive can, in an exemplary free space pointing device 400, occur when mean and/or standard deviation values from both the rotational sensor(s) and the accelerometer fall below first predetermined threshold values for a first predetermined time period. State transitions can be determined by a number of different conditions based upon the interpreted sensor outputs. Exemplary condition metrics include the variance of the interpreted signals over a time window, the threshold between a reference value and the interpreted signal over a time window, the threshold between a reference value and the filtered interpreted signal over a time window, and the threshold between a reference value and the interpreted signal from a start time can be used to determine state transitions. All, or any combination, of these condition metrics can be used to trigger state transitions. Alternatively, other metrics can also be used. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a transition from the INACTIVE state to the ACTIVE state occurs either when (1) a mean value of sensor output(s) over a time window is greater than predetermined threshold(s) or (2) a variance of values of sensor output(s) over a time window is greater than predetermined threshold(s) or (3) an instantaneous delta between sensor values is greater than a predetermined threshold. The INACTIVE state enables the stationary detection mechanism 608 to distinguish between brief pauses during which the free space pointing device 400 is still being used, e.g., on the order of a tenth of a second, and an actual transition to either a stable or stationary condition. This protects against the functions which are performed during the STABLE and STATIONARY states, described below, from inadvertently being performed when the free space pointing device is being used. The free space pointing device 400 will transition back to the ACTIVE state when conditioninactive→active occurs, e.g., if the free space pointing device 400 starts moving again such that the measured outputs from the rotational sensor(s) and the accelerometer exceeds the first threshold before a second predetermined time period in the INACTIVE state elapses. The free space pointing device 400 will transition to either the STABLE state or the STATIONARY state after the second predetermined time period elapses. As mentioned earlier, the STABLE state reflects the characterization of the free space pointing device 400 as being held by a person but being substantially unmoving, while the STATIONARY state reflects a characterization of the free space pointing device as not being held by a person. Thus, an exemplary state machine according to the present invention can provide for a transition to the STABLE state after the second predetermined time period has elapsed if minimal movement associated with hand tremor is present or, otherwise, transition to the STATIONARY state. The STABLE and STATIONARY states define times during which the free space pointing device 400 can perform various functions. For example, since the STABLE state is intended to reflect times when the user is holding the free space pointing device 400 but is not moving it, the device can record the movement of the free space pointing device 400 when it is in the STABLE state e.g., by storing outputs from the rotational sensor(s) and/or the accelerometer while in this state. These stored measurements can be used to determine a tremor pattern associated with a particular user or users as described below. Likewise, when in the STATIONARY state, the free space pointing device 400 can take readings from the rotational sensors and/or the accelerometer for use in compensating for offset as described above. If the free space pointing device 400 starts to move while in either the STABLE or STATIONARY state, this can trigger a return to the ACTIVE state. Otherwise, after measurements are taken, the device can transition to the SLEEP state. While in the sleep state, the device can enter a power down mode wherein power consumption of the free space pointing device is reduced and, e.g., the sampling rate of the rotational sensors and/or the accelerometer is also reduced. The SLEEP state can also be entered via an external command so that the user or another device can command the free space pointing device 400 to enter the SLEEP state. Upon receipt of another command, or if the free space pointing device 400 begins to move, the device can transition from the SLEEP state to the WAKEUP state. Like the INACTIVE state, the WAKEUP state provides an opportunity for the device to confirm that a transition to the ACTIVE state is justified, e.g., that the free space pointing device 400 was not inadvertently jostled. The conditions for state transitions may be symmetrical or may differ. Thus, the threshold associated with the conditionactive→inactive may be the same as (or different from) the threshold(s) associated with the conditioninactive→active. This enables free space pointing devices according to the present invention to more accurately capture user input. For example, exemplary embodiments which include a state machine implementation allow, among other things, for the threshold for transition into a stationary condition to be different than the threshold for the transition out of a stationary condition. Entering or leaving a state can be used to trigger other device functions as well. For example, the user interface can be powered up based on a transition from any state to the ACTIVE state. Conversely, the free space pointing device and/or the user interface can be turned off (or enter a sleep mode) when the free space pointing device transitions from ACTIVE or STABLE to STATIONARY or INACTIVE. Alternatively, the cursor 410 can be displayed or removed from the screen based on the transition from or to the stationary state of the free space pointing device 400. As mentioned above, exemplary embodiments of the present invention process movement data received from sensor(s) in the free space pointing device to convert this data from the frame of reference of the free space pointing device's body into another frame of reference, e.g., the user's frame of reference. In the exemplary application of a free space pointing device used to control a user interface displayed on a screen, e.g., a television, the user's frame of reference might be a coordinate system associated with the television screen. Regardless, translation of the data from the body frame of reference into another frame of reference improves the usability of the handheld device by resulting in an operation that is from the user's perspective rather than the device's perspective. Thus, when the user moves his or her hand from left to right in front of a display while holding the free space pointing device, the cursor will move in the left to right direction regardless of the orientation of the free space pointing device. To simplify this discussion an exemplary processing system associated with a free space pointing device is shown in FIG. 9, e.g., as described in more detail above. Therein, the handheld system senses motion using one or more sensors 901, e.g., rotational sensor(s), gyroscopes(s), accelerometer(s), magnetometer(s), optical sensor(s), camera(s) or any combination thereof. The sensors are then interpreted in block 902 to produce an estimate of the motion that occurred. The processing block 903 then translates the measured motion from the natural (body) reference frame of the device into the reference frame of the user. The movement is then mapped 904 into meaningful actions that are interpreted at block 905 forwarded to the system to produce a meaningful response, such as moving an on-screen cursor. Block 903 converts detected movement into the reference frame of the user instead of the reference frame of the device. Orientation may be represented by many different mathematically similar methods including Euler angles, a direction cosine matrix (DCM), or a unit quatemion. Position is generally represented as an offset from the coordinate system origin in a consistent unit including but not limited to meters, centimeters, feet, inches, and miles. In one exemplary embodiment described above, a free space pointing device measures inertial forces including acceleration and rotational velocity. These forces are measured relative to the body of the device by sensors mounted therein. In order to convert the measured data into the user frame of reference, the device estimates both its position and its orientation. In this exemplary embodiment, it is assumed that the user frame of reference is stationary and has fixed orientation, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that this technique in accordance with the present invention can be readily extended to the cases where the user's frame of reference is non-stationary by either directly transforming to the time-varying frame or by first converting to a stationary frame and then converting to the moving frame. For the stationary, fixed-orientation user frame of reference example, conversion from the body frame to the user frame can be performed by use of the following equations: Pu=Rotate(Pb, Q)+Pdelta Pu′=Rotate(Pb′, Q) Pu″=Rotate(Pb″, Q) Wu=Rotate(Wb, Q) Wu′=Rotate(Wb′, Q) where: Rotate represents the quatemion rotation operator such that Rotate(A, Q) is equal to Q* A Q where Q* is the quatemion conjugate and the vector A is a quaternion with the complex component equal to A and the real component equal to 0; Pu is the position in the user frame of reference; Pb is the position in the device frame of reference; ′ represents the derivative. Therefore, Pu′ is the derivative of the position in the user frame of reference which is the velocity in the user frame of reference; Wu is the angular velocity of the device in body angles in the user frame of reference; Wb is the angular velocity of the device in body angles in the body frame of the device; Pdelta is the difference between the origin of the user frame of reference and the body frame of reference in the user frame of reference coordinate system; Q is the normalized rotation quatemion that represents the rotation from the body frame to the user frame. Since the rotation quatemion to rotate from the user frame to the body frame is Q*, we could replace Q with R* where R is the rotation from the user frame to the body frame. Note that Q can be represented in a number of equivalent forms including Euler angles and the direction cosine matrix (DCM), and the above equations may vary slightly in their equivalent forms based upon different representations of Q. FIG. 10 graphically illustrates the transformation from a body frame of reference to a user's frame of reference. During operation, the device estimates Q in an implementation dependent manner to perform this transformation. One exemplary implementation described above involves compensating for tilt (i.e., variations in x-axis roll of the free space pointing device based on the manner in which it is held by a user). The orientation is computed by first estimating the acceleration component due to gravity in the body frame, Ab. By definition, the acceleration vector due to gravity in the user frame, Ag, is set to [0, 0,−1]. Since gravity cannot estimate the heading (rotation about the z-axis), the body frame estimate for heading is used. Therefore, the rotation quatemion has an axis of rotation in the z=0 plane. The following is one of several mathematically equivalent methods for computing the rotation quaternion: V=∥Ab∥�∥Ag∥ (cross product of unit vectors) qV=∥V∥
Position is then computed as the double integral of the acceleration in the user frame. The acceleration in the user frame is the acceleration of the body frame rotated into the user frame by Q above. Normally, the origin is assumed to be zero when the device is first activated, but the origin may be reset during normal operation either manually or automatically. Generally, when the device is not moving, Pu′, Pu″, Wu, and Wu″ are all 0. In this exemplary embodiment, Pb″ and Wb are measured. Although an infinite number of rotations Q exist, the minimal rotation can be selected from the available set and used to estimate Wu based on Wb. Alternatively, Q may be computed using an assumed starting offset orientation Qo, by integrating Wb over time as shown using the discrete time integral below: WbAngle=|Wb|*period Q DELTA=Quaternion[Wb, WbAngle]=[∥Wb∥*sin(WbAngle/2), cos(WbAngle/2)]
Q NEXT =Q 0 **Q DELTA Where * represents multiplication and ** represents quatemion multiplication. Additional stability can be provided by constant field vectors including gravity and the earth's magnetic field and combined with the results above. The combination can be achieved using several numerical and filtering methods including, but not limited to, Kalman filtering. A variety of different sensors could be employed as long as they measure motion with respect to the body of the device. Exemplary sensors include accelerometers, rotational sensors, gyroscopes, magnetometers and cameras. The user frame does not need to be stationary. For example, if the user's frame of reference is selected to be the user's forearm, then the device would only respond to wrist and finger movement. One skilled in the art will recognize the commutative property applies to the frame of reference transformations described in this invention. Therefore, the order of the mathematical operations can be altered without materially affecting the invention described herein. In addition, many motion processing algorithms can operate in either frame of reference equivalently, especially when the user frame is chosen to be stationary with a constant orientation. In addition to providing ease of use, frame of reference transformations according to this exemplary embodiment of the present invention can also be used to address other challenges in handheld device implementations. For example, if a sensor (such as an accelerometer) is not located precisely at the center of rotation in the body frame of reference, the measured acceleration will include both the acceleration of the frame and acceleration components due to the rotation of the frame. Therefore, the measured acceleration can first be transformed to a different target location within the body frame of the device using the following relationship: Abody=Aaccelerometer+ω′�R+ω�(ω�R) where R is the vector from the accelerometer to the target location, ω is the angular velocity of the body frame of reference and ω′ is the angular acceleration of the body frame of reference. If the body frame of the device is constructed such that it lies at R from the accelerometer, then it should have zero angular acceleration effects and may be more easily used to compute the device movement in the user frame. This compensates for intentional or unintentional misalignment between the accelerometer and the center of the body frame of reference. In addition, the estimate of the gravity vector becomes much simpler since there are fewer forces acting at the center of rotation. Then, Auser=Rotate(Abody, Q) where Q is the rotation from the body frame of reference to the accelerometer frame of reference. Unfortunately, different users have different values for R. For example, one user may use the handheld device by rotating their elbow while another may use the device by rotating their wrist. In addition, people have different sized wrists and forearms. For improved usability this exemplary embodiment of the handheld dynamically computes R and moves the body origin such that it has minimal acceleration components due to angular motion. The exemplary embodiment estimates R by defining R as [Rx, 0, 0] and solving for Rx using and minimizing Abody−Rotate[Ag, Q]. Note that many numerical methods exist including recursive least squares and Kalman filtering that may perform minimization to compute Rx. Based on the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention describes various techniques for mapping sensed motion of a handheld device from one frame of reference (e.g., a body frame of reference) to another frame of reference (e.g., a user's frame of reference). These mappings can be independent from other mappings associated with the use of the handheld device, e.g., the mapping of sensed motion to cursor movement or can be combined therewith. Moreover, transformations according to the present invention can be performed to transform the sensed motion in all three dimensions, for translational motion and rotational motion or any subset thereof, from the perspective of either the input side of the motion equation or the output side. Additionally, the selection of the frame of reference into which the sensed motion is mapped or transformed can be made in a number of different ways. One example provided above shows the second frame of reference being a user's frame of reference associated with the tilt of the device, however many other variations are possible. For example, the user may select his or her desired frame of reference, which setting can be stored in the handheld as one of a plurality of user preferences and used to perform the transformation. The second frame of reference can be selected based on any number of techniques. The second frame of reference can be selected based upon an explicit command (e.g., button or user interface selection) or automatically through user recognition determined by device use patterns, tremor, and other biometrics. Additionally, although some of the exemplary embodiments describe above operate on data in the velocity domain, the present invention is not so limited. Mapping or transformation according to the present invention can alternatively or additionally be performed on, for example, position or acceleration data and can be for translational motion, rotational motion or both. Also the order of processing is not critical. For example, if the handheld device is being used to output gesture commands, the mapping can be performed first and then the gesture determined or the gesture can be determined first and then the mapping can be performed. The above-described exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the present invention. Thus the present invention is capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art. For example, although the foregoing exemplary embodiments describe, among other things, the use of inertial sensors to detect movement of a device, other types of sensors (e.g., ultrasound, magnetic or optical) can be used instead of, or in addition to, inertial sensors in conjunction with the afore-described signal processing. All such variations and modifications are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article �a� is intended to include one or more items. Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7236156May 2, 2005Jun 26, 2007Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.Methods and devices for identifying users based on tremorUS7239301May 2, 2005Jul 3, 2007Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.3D pointing devices and methodsUS7489298Jun 20, 2007Feb 10, 2009Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.3D pointing devices and methodsUS7489299Oct 21, 2004Feb 10, 2009Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.User interface devices and methods employing accelerometersUS7535456May 2, 2005May 19, 2009Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.Methods and devices for removing unintentional movement in 3D pointing devicesUS7616186Dec 9, 2005Nov 10, 2009Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AbAcceleration reference devices, cellular communication terminal systems, and methods that sense terminal movement for cursor controlUS7643850 *Oct 11, 2005Jan 5, 2010Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AbCellular communication terminals and methods that sense terminal movement for cursor controlUS7860676Jun 27, 2008Dec 28, 2010Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.Real-time dynamic tracking of biasUS7973768 *Nov 16, 2007Jul 5, 2011Avago Technologies Ecbu Ip (Singapore) Pte. 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control apparatus, control system, control method, and handheld apparatusUS8442798May 20, 2011May 14, 2013Movea, SAHand held pointing device with roll compensationUS8614672Feb 25, 2010Dec 24, 2013Nintendo Co., Ltd.Information processing apparatus, storage medium having information processing program stored therein, information processing system, and display range control methodUS8683850Feb 28, 2013Apr 1, 2014Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.Real-time dynamic tracking of biasUS8704759Feb 26, 2010Apr 22, 2014Nintendo Co., Ltd.Coordinate calculation apparatus and storage medium having coordinate calculation program stored thereinUS8749490Feb 15, 2013Jun 10, 2014Nintendo Co., Ltd.Orientation calculation apparatus, storage medium having orientation calculation program stored therein, game apparatus, and storage medium having game program stored thereinUS8766917Dec 10, 2012Jul 1, 2014Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.3D pointing devices and methodsUS8902155 *Jul 7, 2008Dec 2, 2014Sony CorporationElectronic apparatus and control method thereforUS8913008 *Jun 22, 2012Dec 16, 2014Blackberry LimitedImage data generation using a handheld electronic deviceUS8935630May 4, 2006Jan 13, 2015Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.Methods and systems for scrolling and pointing in user interfacesUS8941586Sep 10, 2008Jan 27, 2015Sony CorporationInput apparatus, control apparatus, control system, and control methodUS20080174702 *Jan 22, 2008Jul 24, 2008Pixart Imaging Inc.Quasi analog knob control method and appartus using the sameUS20080204406 *Feb 6, 2008Aug 28, 2008Nintendo Co., Ltd., Kyoto, JapanComputer-readable storage medium having stored therein information processing program and information processing apparatusUS20090137269 *Nov 27, 2007May 28, 2009Chien-Chung ChungMethod and system for integrating a computer mouse function in a mobile communication deviceUS20090195497 *Jan 20, 2009Aug 6, 2009Pillar Ventures, LlcGesture-based power management of a wearable portable electronic device with displayUS20100033424 *Jul 7, 2008Feb 11, 2010Sony CorporationElectronic appartus and control method thereforUS20100103096 *Jul 4, 2008Apr 29, 2010Sony CorporationInput apparatus, control apparatus, control system, control method, and handheld apparatusUS20100169843 *Dec 22, 2009Jul 1, 2010Sony CorporationInput apparatus, handheld apparatus, and control methodUS20110208494 *Nov 30, 2010Aug 25, 2011China Telecom Corporation LimitedMethod and system for simulating a handle's motionUS20120131518 *Nov 17, 2011May 24, 2012Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Apparatus and method for selecting item using movement of objectUS20130021246 *Jul 18, 2012Jan 24, 2013Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Input apparatus of display apparatus, display system and control method thereofEP2140915A2 *May 14, 2009Jan 6, 2010Nintendo Co., LimitedOrientation calculation apparatus, storage medium having orientation calculation program stored therein, game apparatus, and storage medium having game program stored thereinEP2140917A2 *Jun 25, 2009Jan 6, 2010Nintendo Co., LimitedOrientation calculation apparatus and storage medium having orientation calculation program stored thereinEP2140918A2 *Aug 19, 2008Jan 6, 2010Nintendo Co., Ltd.Orientation calculation apparatus, storage medium having orientation calculation program stored therein, game apparatus, and storage medium having game program stored thereinEP2140919A2 *May 14, 2009Jan 6, 2010Nintendo Co., LimitedOrientation calculation apparatus, storage medium having orientation calculation program stored therein, game apparatus, and storage medium having game program stored thereinEP2184581A1 *Jul 4, 2008May 12, 2010Sony CorporationInput device, controller, control system, control method, and hand-held deviceEP2189879A1 *Sep 10, 2008May 26, 2010Sony CorporationInput device, control device, control system, and control methodEP2297675A1 *Jul 1, 2009Mar 23, 2011Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.3d pointer mappingWO2009156476A2 *Jun 25, 2009Dec 30, 2009Movea S.AHand held pointing device with roll compensationWO2009156476A3 *Jun 25, 2009Oct 7, 2010Movea S.AHand held pointing device with roll compensationWO2011153421A2 *Jun 3, 2011Dec 8, 2011Hillcrest Laboratories Inc.Determining forward pointing direction of a handheld deviceWO2012044964A2 *Sep 30, 2011Apr 5, 2012Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.Apparatuses and methods for estimating the yaw angle of a device in a gravitational reference system using measurements of motion sensors and a magnetometer attached to the device* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification345/158International ClassificationG06F3/01, B60B7/16, G06F3/038, G09G5/08, H04N5/44Cooperative ClassificationG06F3/017, G06F3/0346, H04N5/4403, G06F3/0383, H04N2005/4432, H04N21/42222European ClassificationG06F3/038E, G06F3/01G, G06F3/0346Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJun 19, 2014FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Sep 4, 2012RRRequest for reexamination filedEffective date: 20120713Apr 10, 2012ASAssignmentFree format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:HILLCREST LABORATORIES, INC.;REEL/FRAME:028023/0544Owner name: HERCULES TECHNOLOGY III, L.P., CALIFORNIAEffective date: 20120406Jun 10, 2010FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jan 12, 2006ASAssignmentOwner name: HILLCREST LABORATORIES, INC., MARYLANDFree format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:HILLCREST COMMUNICATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:017007/0603Effective date: 20050523Jun 21, 2005ASAssignmentOwner name: HILLCREST COMMUNICATIONS, INC., MARYLANDFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LIBERTY, MATTHEW G.;REEL/FRAME:016169/0628Effective date: 20050523RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services

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ISEA BRIGHT FUTURE - ARTcycle Inc (Sydney)
Details and Map http://www.isea2013.org/events/electric-nights/
Upcoming interactive installation International Symposium of Electronic Art June 14 -[masked] Parramatta Hub, Parramatta Commissioned by ISEA2013 Sydney
Credits: Josh Wodak - Concept, Artistic Director, Lighting Design, Sound Design, Production Manager Carli Leimbach - Creative Producer Greer Allen - Associate Producer Rohan Story - Electrical Engineer, Programmer, Bicycle Generator Designer, Fabricator Grant Moxom - Production Assistant Andrew Hornblow - Consultant Electrical Engineer and Programmer More about Josh's practice - Web: http://www.arch-angle.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.wodak, and Twitter: https://twitter.com/anarchangle.
Newtown Parramatta
5.09 5.44
5.16 5.54
5.24 5.59
Gilbert Go and see this! It lives up to the hype. Lots to see and do and the Parramatta local is well worth a visit. 0 · June 14, 2013 Gilbert On for one more night satay/Saturday:-) 15th. 0 · June 14, 2013 Ian W. What is the address? What does it cost? Could I record an interview for my podcast? 0 · May 26, 2013 View all 4 replies
Gilbert Just browsed the ISEA site and found the page, there is a link to the poster with more info. http://www.isea2013.o... 0 · June 11, 2013 Gilbert Contact Josh direct via his links to see if he will give interview. Sure he would be available. 0 · June 11, 2013 Josh W. it doesnt cost anything - all the Electric Nights events are free 0 · June 12, 2013 Josh W. address is Parramatta River Foreshore, parramatta - there are artworks all up and down this Foreshore 0 · June 12, 2013 Rob W. Sorry can't come to this one. Would like to have been able. 0 · June 10, 2013 Gilbert Willing to change this to the Saturday if more people can make it. 0 · May 26, 2013 4 went
2,149 Chinese Speakers
5,526 Changemakers

type: global

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Participants’ Topic Group Presentat... by Kazuharu_0328 594 views
Participants’ Topic Group Presentat... by Kazuharu_0328 406 views
Communication Workshop & Organizati... by Kazuharu_0328 537 views
Topic Group Presentation: Environme... by Kazuharu_0328 1818 views
Participants' Topic Group Presentat... by Kazuharu_0328 1343 views
Powerpoint by participants in Japan about their research about the issues of Environment.
1. How to live long in the earth?

2. Do you know these number?
○　45years
○　9years
○　10 years

3. fact

4. We have to use resource more smart way.

5. We have three option.
1 reduce our using amount
2 reuse what we used
3 recycling

6. I need ○○○　cheap way.
I want ○○○to throw away.
connect

7. I want to get a net to avoid boar. I don’t care if that net has small hole.
I have to throw away my net it is gotten small holes
connect
fisherman
farmer

8. I want to get seashell to make chalks.
I need to throw away seashell.
connect
Osushiya san
Chalk maker

9. website
post
post
matching
message
message
service fee
money
products

10. I’m thinking now.

11. Person who I met

13. additional
Future
＆
problem
＆
trends

14. problem
factory waste
general waste

15. Trends

16. Future

18. How to carry on Japan and world?
Connect the person who have the thing which he don’t need and the person who need it.
Example
When Fisher man’s net get a hole, Fisher man throw it away. But, the net can use for avoiding the animal, which eat agricultural crops

Participants’ Topic Group Presentation: Education (Japan)

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World Cup 2015: All you need to know about Australia v England | WorldCup2015 | Hindustan Times
World Cup 2015: All you need to know about Australia v England
Updated: Feb 13, 2015 21:46 IST	AFP
World-cup-2015-Australia-v-England
England, chasing a maiden World Cup title, head into the tournament with fresh painful memories of three losses to the Australians, including a crushing 112-run defeat in last month's tri-series final.
Eoin Morgan's team have to turn around a wretched record of two wins from their last 15 ODI encounters in Australia before an expected 90,000 crowd at the MCG.
The last of England's three losing World Cup finals was in Australia in 1992.
"It's important to focus on what we do best. I think a lot of times in the past we've strived for a formula that hasn't been ours," Morgan said.
"I think if we can produce what I think is our best cricket on Saturday, we'll be able to beat Australia."
"There's pressure on every team in any World Cup, wherever you're playing, to win," Australia coach Darren Lehmann said.
"For us it's about embracing our own country and getting the support from the crowd, entertaining them and playing the brand of cricket we have over the last 18 months in the one-day format.
"If we do that, the results will look after themselves.
"We don't look any further ahead than England and looking forward to great crowd support and putting on a good show."
Morgan has issues of his own heading into cricket's showpiece with three ducks in his last four outings restricting his meaningful batting practice.
"I'm not really that concerned. I've had a couple of low scores, but obviously I'm looking to cash in on Saturday if I manage to get past 10 to 20 balls," Morgan said.
"Four or five games since I last scored a 100, so I don't have to look that far back to actually reconnect with what works well for me.
"I took a lot out of that 100 I scored in Sydney (last month), particularly as it was against Australia. I take a lot of confidence from that game."
Lehmann mischievously hopes Morgan's batting troubles continue for a little while longer.
"He's a good player. I'd like him to continue that run against us on Saturday, but he's a fine player so we'll come up with our plans as we did in the tri-series," he said.
Australia v England World Cup squads for Saturday's Pool A opener at the Melblourne Cricket Ground (Feb 14, 09:00 IST/03:30 GMT)
Australia - George Bailey (capt), Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.
England - Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler, Moeem Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes.Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)TV Umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL)Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
Australia v England -- five match facts
Five match facts for Saturday's World Cup game between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground:
- Australia have won 13 of their last 15 ODIs against England played in Australia.- Australia have lost their last two World Cup matches, after winning 32 of their preceding 33 (one tie). They have not lost three consecutive World Cup games since 1979 (last two games of 1975 tournament and first of 1979).- A win for England on Saturday would be their 50th in ODIs against Australia. They have lost 76 and tied two so far.- Australia have won nine of their last 11 ODIs at Melbourne. England have lost eight of their last 11 against Australia at the venue.- Brad Haddin needs four runs to become the 18th player to score 3,000 ODI runs for Australia.
Australia v England - five classic ODIs
Traditional rivals Australia and England have played 130 one-day internationals since 1971. AFP Sports looks at five memorable matches ahead of Saturday's World Cup showdown in Melbourne:
June 18, 1975Headingley, LeedsAustralia won by 4 wicketsThe late Gary Gilmour captured six for 14 off 12 overs with mesmerising swing bowling to rout England for 93 off 36.2 overs, only for Australia to squeeze home in the World Cup semi-final with 94 for six off 28.4 overs. Gilmour also starring with the bat in an unbeaten 28 as paceman Chris Old captured three for 29.
November 8, 1987Eden Gardens, CalcuttaAustralia won by 7 runsAustralia won by seven runs to clinch their first World Cup at Eden Gardens in what remains the closest final outcome to date. Australia scored 253 for 5 off their 50 overs with David Boon top-scoring with 75 as opener before restricting England to 246 for eight. Bill Athey was run out for 58 and Steve Waugh abd Allan Border captured two wickets each.
March 5, 1992Sydney Cricket GroundEngland won by 8 wicketsIan Botham ended Australia's World Cup chances at home in the semi-final with a match-winning double of four for 31 and 53 off 77 balls to get England into the final. The Aussies were bowled out for 171 with opener Tom Moody hitting 51 off 88 balls before skipper Graham Gooch and Botham cracked half-centuries to help get England home with 9.1 overs to spare.
March 2, 2003St George's Park, Port ElizabethAustralia won by 2 wicketsAndy Bichel undermined a great start by England in their World Cup pool match with figures of seven for 20 off 10 overs to send England crashing from 66 for one to 204 for 8 and leave the Aussies with the task of scoring 208 for eight with two balls to spare with Michael Bevan hitting an unbeaten 74 and Bichel 34 not out off 36 balls.
September 14, 2013Sophia Gardens, CardiffEngland won by 3 wicketsEngland overhauled Australia with just three balls to spare to win with man-of-the-match Jos Buttler slamming 65 off 48 balls and aided by skipper Eoin Morgan (53) and Michael Carberry (63) in England's 231 for seven. Aussie paceman Clint McKay took a hat-trick among with four for 39. George Bailey cracked 87 from 91 balls in Australia's 227 off 48.2 overs.

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646 Verified Hotel Reviews of Hotel Lugana Parco Lago | Booking.com
Reviews of Hotel Lugana Parco Al Lago
Reviews of Hotel Lugana Parco Al Lago 3 stars
Via Verona 69/71, Lugana di Sirmione, 25019 Sirmione, Italy
#35 of 70 hotels in Sirmione
Languages: All languages Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Finnish French German Hebrew Hungarian Italian Japanese Latvian Lithuanian Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Simplified Chinese Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Traditional Chinese Ukrainian
눇Location amazing! Patisserie nx door belongs to hotel. Best Italian bar I’ve been in. Amazing pastries. And wine! When you arrive the hotel and location are much nicer than the hotels website looks.
눉Not the case. Everything was great!
눇Everything, the location superb, great breakfast, wonderful restaurant on the lake, also Pasticeria Fenice, the staff very welcoming! Amazing sejour at Lago di Garda! Thanks!!!
“We especially enjoyed the delicious buffet breakfast on the...”
눇We especially enjoyed the delicious buffet breakfast on the terrace of the hotel just on the lake side. What a great view to start your day. Also the lady who took care for breakfast was very polite and friendly, as was the rest of the staff we had met. Due to our late arrival we did not pay much attention to the room, but it was comfortable and well maintained. After check out we were allowed to leave the car on the parking as we went for a walk, nice gesture that made life easier for us.
“The room is fine, clean and big enough for the 3 of us.”
“stayed one night here for a visit in Sirmione in january.”
“Perfect stopover between 2 cities.. Great location, lovely staff. On my radar now for next year.”
눉Never like sprung beds.. Prefer Eco friendly hotels., but the location was great so balances out somehow.
눇The young woman receptionist was so charming, and welcoming that it made a tiring car journey dodging truckers disappear in a flash. Room with a View or 2 or 3 was worth the extra € s.. Great location for people who prefer calm places. Definitely would stopover again.
“This property lies on, in my opinion, best location in the...”
눉I stayed in this hotel prviously, but now I noticed that it feels quite dated. Our room smelled of chlorine and the bathroom was looking old. Not as in "old-style", just plain old. It was clean but in a need of thorough redesign. The room was not small, but wasn't large either. The aircon was stuck at 23,3°C and couldn't change it no matter what I tried. In the end I opened the balcony doors even though it was pretty cold outside. The light on the facade was very strong at night, so I had to pull down the shades. Bonus question: How does one call reception from the telephone (0 and 1 doesn't work)?
눇This property lies on, in my opinion, best location in the whole of Garda lake. It's positioned directly on the beach and has excellent view of the lake. The view from the balcony in our room was breathtaking and it's worth staying just for this reason alone. The hotel was clean. They were also accomodating to our two dogs, which we very much appreciate. The reastaurant on the ground floor of the hotel is top-notch, with good food and excellent selection of wine. I also like the decor with painted-on wall decorations and classic furniture. The staff in the restaurant was friendly and very helpful.
눉Bathroom with a tiny shower like in the cabin of the ship. In the bathroom the mushroom, all old and destroyed. In the cobwebs room, the bed was very uncomfortable. There is no beach at the hotel itself, it is next to the rocky. The summit of everything was breakfast, the buffet was not peeled vegetables to ask how to eat them, the waitress brought me a knife and ordered to pick it up !!! For the price I have to pick vegetables alone?!? Walls thin, you hear everything. At 8am dusting in the next room you hear a tornado. Hotel massacre, not recommended
“Friendly helpful staff, nice continental breakfast,...”
눉Uncomfortable bed pillows, had to keep logging into wifi. Expensive hotel restaurant
눇Friendly helpful staff, nice continental breakfast, beautiful view, great cafe next door. Walking friendly area. Great location. Overall wonderful place.
“Very nice hotel with a superb lake view”
눉The furniture in the room is not new, but for that price totally ok
눇Hotel directly on the lake. We had a room with a spacious balcony with lake view. Staff extremely friendly. Fast Wifi (important) and a nice breakfast buffet offering everything needed.
“Nice Hotel near Sirmione old town”
눇Well kept hotel 5 minutes by car from Sirmione downtown. Staff was very welcoming and professional. Our standard room had a big balcony which was a nice surprise. Breakfast buffet was good and not too limited considering it was a weekday in very low season.
cstc1951
“Very good classic hotel with a nice park on the shore of lake Garda”
눉No handrail in the steps at the entrance of the hotel
눇Hotel located in a nice park on the shore of lake Garda Free private parking Next to an great pasticceria and snack bar
눇Position of hotel, cleanliness of room, friendliness of staff.
눇Everything. The staff were great. The location was fantastic.
“we like the location of the hotel”
“silence, good bed.”
“Nice hotel with great location but need to be renovated”
눉Mattress and pillows are really very old fashion and uncomfortable.
눇Great coffee during breakfast. Great location and room view.
“Need to improve the breakfast.”
눇Need to improve the breakfast.
눇Everything qas great. Starting from the room, then the staff, the view and last the atmosphere
눇Lovely location by the lake
눇Excellent staff! Very welcoming and helpful. Lovely views of Lake Garda.
“No air-conditioning and noisy. Different staff different services no consistency”
눉No air-conditioning and noisy. Different staff different services no consistency
눇A very nice hotel on the lake. The pastry shop / bar next door is fabulous.
“- lake view ”
눉- horrible, terrible bed!
눇- lake view - breakfast was perfect - very friendly, welcoming stuff
“Luxury location with perfect wine”
눉not to much comfortable bed and pillows
눇Perfect location, very friendly Staff and big parking place for guest.
“Great hotel with fabulous scenery”
눉Weather in February :)
눇Great views and location, late check in, staff, breakfast
“Neat lakeshore hotel”
눉Troubles with Wi-Fi... however resolved!
“Good place where to come back to”
“Pearl of Lago di Garda”
눇Wonderful people, pleasant atmosphere and very nice location!
“Staff were very friendly & help full.”
눇Staff were very friendly & help full. Room was spotless and the location very good.
“The best place in Sauris”
눇Amazing place! The owners Luca and Reffaela are so kind and charming and we defiantly will come here again!
“Very, very helpful staff 😄.”
눇Very, very helpful staff 😄. Nice view. Good restaurant.
“Location good, Rooms lovely and warm”
눉Google Map View identification incorrect...Shows another hotel - Must lose your hotel bookings...No Street hotel sign, can drive by without Noticing the hotel.
눇Location good, Rooms lovely and warm
눉We was almost only customer at these December days in the whole building but for some reason the only room was available for us has quite noisy road view. We kindly asked for opportunity to change a room to other (park) side but was requested for 30 euro extra for upgrade because of "lake view". But it was no such an option during the booking and we specially indicate "silent" room at message field. Doesn't work. And to be honest in good hotel we estimated to have best available option at the moment but here it doesn't work. It's a pity because in all other aspects it is rather a good place to stay.
눇Location, cleanness, breakfast
“Staffs are very friendly, location is walking distance to...”
눉Reaching there at night could be a challenge, as the hotel sign is not under light spot, it is on the building and not easily visible while you are driving.
눇Staffs are very friendly, location is walking distance to restaurant, at nice amenity. Close to Sirmione Peninsula, nice lake front, comfortable stay though the room is abit small.
눉Would have like facility for making tea or coffee in room.
눇Staff very helpful and polite. Location excellent. Beautiful views of lake. Close to bus stop , supermarket , bank, pharmacy. Nice swimming pool.
“The location fabulous .”
눉Shower cubicle tiny!
눇The location fabulous . The restaurant very good with tables located on the lakeside. Also added bonus of a lovely patisserie and cocktails and ice cream parlour. Pool very nice.
“We stopped here on our way to Venice and were not at all...”
눇We stopped here on our way to Venice and were not at all disappointed. The food in the Restaurant was superb with a caribbean like view on the lake of Garda. What do you want more? The staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful and we were so pleased that we stopped again on our way back at this place to eat something.
“The view from our lakeside room and the adjoining patisserie”
눉Only 1 English speaking channel on the TV and unfortunately the restaurant ( which was very good) was only open at the weekend out of season
눇The view from our lakeside room and the adjoining patisserie
“The location in front of the lake Garda, the room, the...”
눉Everything was great exept there was not an elevator and there was an Extra charge for lake view rooms.
눇The location in front of the lake Garda, the room, the breakfast, the people. The room was clean and hot and the parking was perfekt.
“Good accommodation, good breakfast, the staff was a little...”
눇Good accommodation, good breakfast, the staff was a little bit bored. Very good position, exactly lakeside.
“IT WAS A CALM AND QUIET PLACE WITH CLEAN ROOMS.”
눇IT WAS A CALM AND QUIET PLACE WITH CLEAN ROOMS. THE VIEW WAS EXCELLENT. HOPE TO VISIT IN SUMMER
“Excellent location, lake vue”
눉Breakfast selection to be improved A little high in price
눇Excellent location, lake vue
“Colazione Eccellente, staff lovely.”
눇Colazione Eccellente, staff lovely...
“to be nearest of Sirmioni”
눇to be nearest of Sirmioni
“Good location, right next to lake, lovely view.”
눇Good location, right next to lake, lovely view. Close to Sirmione. A lively coffee shop/bar adjacent to hotel.
눉No lift to upper floors
눇Excellent and very friendly staff. very big parking and nice location
“The location, the personal& service”
눉The hard beds & really hard pillows were very uncomfortable
눇The location, the personal& service
눉N/A. Was amazing.
눇So friendly. So helpful. LOVED our stay!
“Location excellent and staff excellent.”
눇Location excellent and staff excellent. Very good bar next door also owned by the hotel - very good apperitivo and bar staff very good.
눉The spider webs on the ceilings
“Awesome view in front.”
눇Awesome view in front. Awesome breakfast and breakfast room.
“terrace in room”
눉Our visit was in low season, could therefore be a poor breakfast, smell in room and bathroom. Shower is old and small.
눇terrace in room
Browse Hotel Lugana Parco Al Lago traveller photo gallery
611597,615987,629757,617957,628927,632067,621967,625177|1,275824,628897,625177,624487

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text:
By: Ben Burgess Jr.
Karen has it all: a handsome husband, beautiful twin daughters, a lovely home and a great job. Karen also has a secret; she's cheating on her husband, with not one man, but two. On the outside her life seems perfect, but on the inside Karen feels neglected, bored and unappreciated. Yearning for affection and excitement, she falls into the arms of first Raheem and then Tyrell. Out of fear of losing her husband and breaking up her family, Karen ends the affairs but things don't turn out how she planned.
By DMN on 10-22-16
My biggest pet peeve is unrealistic Romances, so I kinda enjoyed this real love story. However, it did kind of ended abruptly.
If you’ve listened to books by Ben Burgess Jr. before, how does this one compare?
I've never read this author's work before, but I will look out for more.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I enjoyed how everything Karen was doing just came to light.
Do you think Love and Happiness needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Like I said, it did sort of end abruptly, so a follow-up would be interesting. Does Karen change her cheating ways, what about the guys she was cheating with? Etc.
She Gets Me!!
Finally, a self-help book that actually works. Dana k. White gets down to the nitty-gritty of home management. No sweet talking or deep thinking. This is truly the lazy girl's guide to organization.
I love when she gives the Ultimate Number 1 Rule "Just wash the dishes!"
This was the first time I've read anything from this author, and I will certainly be looking for another story from him. This was a sweet, funny and sometimes all too real story of a couple in a competition to lose some major weight.
A very touching story with very real and believable characters.
It's be done, And done better
My header says it all. probably won't finish. I've read many stories like this, and this story added nothing to the genre. I didn't really feel anything for the characters and the storyline was weak.
By System1459 on 09-29-16
Actual book is better
This is one of the first books I've ever listened to that I prefer the actual book. The pictures In the book really enhance the experience. Something missing with the audible.
Mini Habits?
It's funny that the author recommends that your first habit should be reading Mini Habits every day.
What would have made The Prayer Box better?
Did not finish, story just long and drawn out. You know the type, details about every single thing in a room. But no real details about the characters.
Narrator gave a strange performance. Strange delivery, I kept adjusting my play speed.
What character would you cut from The Prayer Box?
Story just not for me. I kept hitting the fast-forward trying to get to the guts of the story, but I just didn't get it. Sorry.
How to Get Out of Debt and Stay Debt Free by Changing Your Perception
Is debt taking the fun out of life? Are you a prisoner to debt? Debt puts a great deal of pressure on you. This pressure creates stress and worry than can easily consume your life. When you are in debt, it can feel like there is no way out. This book will show you how to control debt and not let your debt control you. In order to do this you must change your mind set in regards to money, consumption, and debt. Developing a plan to get out of debt is easy. Remaining committed to your plan to get out of debt is very difficult.
Debt free? You gotta be kiddin' me!
The author gives good honest advice. But the narrator is VERY mechanical to the point of distraction. I literally thought a robot was reading the text! Good thing it's a short audio.
Charlie Bumpers has his heart set on playing the role of the evil Sorcerer in the fourth grade play. He's even got the laugh down pat: Mwa-ha-ha-ha! But his dreams of villainous stardom go up in smoke when he finds out that Mrs. Burke has cast him as the Nice Gnome! Determined to rectify this terrible injustice, Charlie concocts one plan after another, but nothing seems to work. To make matters worse, his dad has assigned chores to all the kids in the family and Charlie's job is walking Ginger, the diggiest, sniffiest, and poopiest dog in the universe.
By Leslie on 08-04-16
I'm a big fan of Bill Harley. His characters are so real and fun and they always kind of learn some lesson in the end.
A big keeper!
One of the few I didn't finish. A lot of push and pull. (he loves me, he hates me. UGH!) I may go back and try again. This just was a bit more than I expected or wanted.

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