Hands-free pointer system

Abstract

The present invention describes a hands-free system for controlling the movement of a cursor on one or more display devices. A tracking device including a traceable marker and one or more accelerometers and gyroscopes are used to track position and acceleration of the marker relative to a target of interest. A processing means processes the motion signals from the tracking device to determine the location of the cursor on the operator's monitor, which may also be displayed on more monitors. The tracking device is worn by the operator, optimally on the operator's head. The operator's head movements determine movement of the cursor.

1 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A wearable wireless device for controlling movement of a cursor on a display device comprising:
 (a) a unit adapted to be worn on a suitable body part;   (b) one or more accelerometers and one or more gyroscopes for generating motion detection data as determined by movement and speed of the body part; and   (c) a central processing unit comprising:
 (I) a processor in wireless communication with the one or more accelerometers and one or more gyroscopes to receive the motion detection data, the processor comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to:
 (i) use the motion detection data to track speed of the body part and to associate, without leaving the speed domain, the speed of the body part with step size of the cursor movement in the display device, 
 (ii) use the motion detection data to track direction of motion of the body part and to control direction of motion of the pointer cursor on the display device, 
 (iii) associate a low speed of the body part with accurate cursor placement on the display device, 
 (iv) associate a high speed of the body part with rapid movement of the cursor on the display device, and 
 
 (II) an image overlay operable to overlay the processed motion detection data with an image signal taken from a target; and 
 (III) an output in communication with the display device to display the image signal taken from the target and the cursor location overlaid thereupon. 
   
     
     
         38 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 37 , wherein the signal taken from the target comprises an image of the target obtained by a video camera. 
     
     
         39 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 37 , wherein the wearable wireless device further comprises a transmitter in communication with the image overlay, and a receiver in communication with the transmitter, the transmitter operable to transmit the signal taken from the target and the cursor location overlaid thereupon to the receiver to display the signal taken from the target and the cursor location overlaid thereupon on the display device. 
     
     
         40 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 37 , wherein the wearable wireless device further comprises a voice recognition unit. 
     
     
         41 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 40 , wherein the voice recognition unit enables one or more operators to provide voice commands for enabling multiple-operator control of one or more cursors relative to one or more targets. 
     
     
         42 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 37 , wherein the wearable wireless device is operable to track movement of an operator in three dimensions. 
     
     
         43 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 42 , wherein the display device is a three-dimensional display device. 
     
     
         44 . The wearable wireless device of  claim 37 , wherein a mapping scheme is used to generate the motion of the cursor by mapping the movement of the body part to a two-dimensional displacement.