Wireless control device

A wireless control device includes a small, lightweight housing worn by an operator, for example on the operator's wrist, and a controlled device, for example a personal computer. Several optical emitters, preferably light emitting diodes operating in the infrared range, and several optical detectors are provided on the housing. At least one x-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect an x-direction of a pointing motion or gesture, and at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect a y-direction of a pointing motion or gesture. This motion can then be used to cause a response in the controlled device. For example, angles of the operator's hand at the wrist can be interpreted to induce motion of a cursor on a computer display. The device may also include a motion sensor, an environmental condition sensor, or a voice recognition sensor, and can also be adapted for gesture recognition and image scanning applications.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A wireless control device, comprising:

a base station including a sensor;

a housing worn on a body of an operator, said housing including a plurality of optical emitters and a plurality of optical detectors;

at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector forming at least one x-axis emitter-detector pair for detecting an x-direction of a pointing motion or gesture;

at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector forming at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair for detecting a y-direction of a pointing motion or gesture; and,

means for distinguishing between optical beams emitted from said plurality of optical emitters when reflected from a body part of the operator or another object and detected by said optical detectors.

2. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said optical emitters are light emitting diodes and said optical beams are beams of infrared light.

3. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said x- and y-axis emitter-detector pairs detect motion of the body part adjacent to a body part on which said housing is worn.

4. The wireless control device according to claim 3, wherein said housing is worn on a wrist of the operator and said x- and y-axis emitter-detector pairs detect motion of a hand of the operator.

5. The wireless control device according to claim 4, wherein said emitters in said at least one x-axis emitter-detector pair illuminate a knife edge of the hand of the operator, said detectors in said at least one x-axis emitter-detector pair detect beams reflected from the knife edge of the hand of the operator, said emitters in said at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair illuminate a heel of the hand of the operator, and said detectors in said at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair detect beams reflected from the heel of the hand of the operator.

6. The wireless control device according to claim 5, wherein said emitters illuminate the knife edge and the heel of the hand of the operator in fan shaped beams.

7. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises an environmental condition sensor.

8. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a voice recognition sensor.

9. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said x- and y-directions of said pointing motions or gestures correspond to x- and y-axis movement of a cursor on a display.

10. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said x- and y-axis emitter-detector pairs detect said x- and y-directions of said pointing motion or gesture in a joystick-like fashion.

11. The wireless control device according to claim 1, further comprising means for resolving at least one of position, orientation, and motion of the body part of the operator over time.

12. The wireless control device according to claim 11, wherein said x- and y-axis emitter-detector pairs detect said x- and y-directions of said pointing motion or gesture in a mouse-like fashion.

13. The wireless control device according to claim 11, wherein said means for resolving motion of the body part of the operator over time is an accelerometer or a gyroscope.

14. The wireless control device according to claim 11, further comprising means for recognizing a plurality of gestures performed by the operator.

15. The wireless control device according to claim 14, wherein said gestures include American Sign Language gestures, Native American Sign Language gestures, or gestures comprising any other gesture-based method of communication.

16. The wireless control device according to claim 14, wherein said means for recognizing a plurality of gestures is context-sensitive.

17. The wireless control device according to claim 1, further comprising demand means for toggling said device between an on state and an off state.

18. The wireless control device according to claim 1, further comprising scanning means for identifying an object.

19. The wireless control device according to claim 18, wherein the object is the body part of the operator.

20. The wireless control device according to claim 19, wherein said scanning means starts a scan at one extreme of motion of the body part of the operator and ends said scan at an opposite extreme of motion of the body part of the operator.

21. The wireless control device according to claim 18, wherein said scanning means further comprises a physically movable optical member.

22. The wireless control device according to claim 21, wherein said physically movable optical member further comprises a rotating or pivoting member.

23. The wireless control device according to claim 21, wherein said physically movable optical member further comprises at least one electrically steerable emitter-detector pair.

24. The wireless control device according to claim 18, wherein said scanning means scans the object in three dimensions.

25. The wireless control device according to claim 1, wherein said optical emitters and said optical detectors are disposed on said housing in two planes.