Patent ID: 8896534

Claim:
A handheld device for displaying images of a virtual 3D object from different viewing perspectives, the handheld device comprising: a handheld housing freely movable in free space and dimensioned to be grasped and supported by the hands of a user, the handheld housing being configured and dimensioned to change attitude in free space with movement of the user's hands; a gyroscopic sensor disposed within the housing, the gyroscopic sensor being configured to sense rotation in multiple axes; an acceleration sensor disposed within the housing, the acceleration sensor being configured to sense acceleration in multiple axes; a direction sensor disposed within the housing, the direction sensor being configured to sense direction; a wireless transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively coupled to the gyroscopic sensor, the acceleration sensor and the direction sensor, the wireless transceiver configured to (a) wirelessly transmit information related to the sensed rotation, the sensed acceleration and the sensed direction, and (b) wirelessly receive a video signal encoding images of the virtual 3D object from viewing perspectives that continually update in response to sensed rotation, acceleration and direction of the handheld housing; and a handheld display disposed on the handheld housing, the handheld display operatively coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to display the virtual 3D object with continually updating viewing perspectives to spatially correlate 3D viewing perspective of the displayed virtual 3D object with free space attitude of the housing.