Patent ID: 8441434

Claim:
A user operable device for control of or communication with an electric appliance, comprising: a ball including an outer surface for free rolling on an underlying surface to displace the ball along a length of the underlying surface corresponding to a mouse movement on the underlying surface and for receiving influences of physical effects on the outer surface and the ball obtained from the rolling on the underlying surface; and a sensor part, a processor part, and a wireless communication part that detect movements of the ball on the underlying surface including at least rotational movements of the ball on the underlying surface, produce data related to said movements and transmit said data to the electric appliance being controlled, said sensor part, said processor part, and said wireless communication part located inside the ball ( 2 ) in integrated relationship with the ball, said sensor part comprising i) at least one magnetic field sensor for detecting an orientation of the ball with respect to the underlying surface and providing orientation data in the form of magnetic field orientation values, ii) at least one pressure sensor for detecting at least a first pressure and a greater second pressure directed on said outer surface, and iii) at least one accelerometer ( 3 ) providing accelerometer values during the rolling of the ball on the underlying surface, said processor part comprising a CPU that establishes a reference direction of the movement of the ball via a user input by rotating the ball to a pre-determined direction or by placing the ball on a certain start orientation where a visible clue of the orientation of the ball is viewed by the user, wherein rolling the ball on the underlying surface corresponds to 2-D movements of a mouse on a surface, and data corresponding to the mouse 2-D movements is sent to the appliance, the processor part calculating movement values of the ball along the underlying surface by converting the accelerometer values and the magnetic field orientation values into a motion and rotational co-ordinates of the ball, said accelerometer is placed to the center of gravity of said user operable device and said magnetic sensor is positioned to the half of the device with the least amount of electrical wires, said device configured for use as a motion-controlled device for a game device and as a computer mouse.