Handheld Device Motion Sensing Relative to Stylus Reference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing handheld devices with motion sensors, such as gaming controllers or smartphones, experience unintended inputs when the user is in motion, as they detect motion relative to the Earth, making it difficult to distinguish between user rotation and device rotation, leading to inaccurate input control.

Innovation Solution

A handheld device system that uses a stylus with integrated orientation and motion sensors to provide a frame of reference, allowing the device to determine its motion and orientation relative to the user or vehicle instead of the Earth, by communicating this data to the handheld device to control software applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If motion sensors detect motion relative to the Earth, then motion information can be obtained, but unintended inputs occur when the user is in motion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion detection accuracyVSAvoidinput accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stylus acts as an intermediary reference object between the user and the handheld device. By detecting the stylus's orientation and using it as a reference frame, the system can distinguish between user motion and device rotation, thereby eliminating unintended inputs while maintaining accurate motion detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the handheld device uses Earth-relative motion detection, then motion sensing is simple, but it cannot distinguish between user rotation and device rotation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion sensing systemVSAvoidrotation detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The stylus serves as a mediating reference that enables the system to differentiate between user-induced rotation and device-induced rotation. The stylus's known orientation provides a stable reference frame that allows accurate distinction between different rotation sources without significantly increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from detecting only device orientation in Earth-relative coordinates to detecting both device and stylus orientations, creating a new dimensional reference frame. This additional dimension of measurement (stylus orientation) enables the system to resolve the ambiguity between user and device rotation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution effectively reduces unintended inputs by accurately determining the device's motion and orientation relative to the user or vehicle, enhancing user control and application performance, especially during movement.

Implementation Method 1

A handheld host device, such as gaming controller, tablet computer or 'smart' mobile telephone, may incorporate motion sensors such as accelerometers or gyroscopes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAccelerometer: Accelerometer

Implementation Method 2

A handheld host device, such as gaming controller, tablet computer or 'smart' mobile telephone, may incorporate motion sensors such as accelerometers or gyroscopes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGyroscope: Gyroscope

Implementation Method 3

the tilt of a stylus relative to the Earth's gravitational field may be sensed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2821896B1Method and Apparatus for Motion sensing of a handheld Device relative to a Stylus
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2821896B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP2821896B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2821896B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A handheld device (102) and method of operation for determining motion (238) of the handheld device relative to a stylus (108) is presented, in which the stylus (108) is used to provide a frame of reference for the handheld device (102) rather than as a user input device. Stylus orientation data (234), descriptive of an absolute orientation of a stylus (108), and handheld device orientation data (230), descriptive of an absolute orientation of the handheld device (102), are used to determine motion (238) of the handheld device (102) relative to the stylus (108). The handheld device (102) has orientation and/or motion sensors (216), a communication module (214) operable to receive stylus orientation data (234), and a processor (240) operable to determine the motion (238) or orientation of the handheld device (102) relative to the stylus (108) and execute an application (240) dependent thereon.