Interface for transferring signals from a hand-operated signal generator

Abstract

An interface transfers signals from a hand-operated signal generator () to a data processing device (). The hand-operated signal generator () is capable of generating at least two types of signals for moving an image in at least two different ways on a display () associated with the data processing device (). Such an image is a 3D image, for example. Each type of signal corresponds to at least one specific mode of operation of the signal generator () associated with said type of signal. On the basis of signals generated by the hand-operated signal generator (), a value determining circuit () in the interface determines a value for each type of signal. On the basis of the values as determined for each type of signal, a relevance determining circuit () in the interface determines which of the values determined before is more relevant than the other. In response to an output signal from the relevance determining circuit (), the transfer of signals of the type having contributed to the ascertained value that is more relevant is released and all other signals are blocked. In this way, it can be ensured that only rotation signals or only translation signals will be transferred to the data processing device () from a signal generator () arranged to operate six degrees of freedom independently of one another.