Patent ID: 6424410
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: A63F,G01S,G02B,G06F,G09B

Abstract:
A 3D navigation system comprising: a complementary pair of emitter/detector units, one of which is mounted on a movable input component moved by the user and the other of which is mounted in a stationary position facing toward the user, wherein each emitter/detector unit of the complementary pair has an emitter element for emitting a light beam centered on the unit's normal axis in a direction toward the other unit, and an array of photodetectors arranged around the emitter element having their detection surfaces facing outwardly from the unit's normal axis so as to receive the light beam from the other unit on its detection surfaces and provide an output of respective output signals representing light intensities of the beam received from the other unit on its respective detection surfaces, and a processing unit for receiving the output signals from the photodetector array of the movable unit and the output signals from the photodetector array of the stationary unit and using them as combined inputs to calculate position and angular orientation values representing the position and orientation angles of the movable unit relative to the stationary unit.