Pointing device with hand detection

• US 20020093481A1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Kehlstadt, Florian Max
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An input device having a housing and electronic circuitry for detecting user inputs, and transmitting signals corresponding to those inputs to an electronic device, such as a computer. A sleep mode is provided for the electronic circuitry to conserve power. A hand detection circuit is provided for detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to the housing and producing a hand detect signal in response. The hand detect signal will awaken the input device from its sleep mode.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a housing;

electronic circuitry for detecting user inputs and transmitting signals corresponding to said inputs to an electronic device;

a sleep-mode circuit, coupled to said electronic circuitry, for activating a reduced power operation of said electronic circuitry;

a hand detection circuit for detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said housing and producing a hand detect signal; and

said sleep mode circuit being responsive to said hand detect signal to awaken said electronic circuitry from said reduced power operation.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said input device is a pointing device and said electronic device is a computer.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said hand detection circuit detects the touch of a hand.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said hand detection circuit is a capacitive detection circuit.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said capacitive detection circuit comprises:

first and second electrodes on said housing for capacitive connection with a user'"'"'s hand;

a first circuit, coupled to said first electrode, for determining an amount of time for charging of a capacitance connected to said first circuit; and

a second circuit, coupled to said second electrode, for determining an amount of time for discharging of a capacitance connected to said second circuit.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said first circuit comprises:

a comparator;

a controller coupled to an output of said comparator;

a voltage divider feedback circuit coupled between an output and a reference voltage input of said comparator;

a detection capacitor coupled between said first electrode and a signal input of said comparator; and

a switching circuit selectively coupling said signal input of said comparator to high and low voltage supplies.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein said hand detection circuit includes first and second electrodes covering more than 25 percent of the underside surface of a top surface of said housing.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein said electrodes are mounted on first and second opposed sides of said housing where they can be directly contacted simultaneously by the grasping of said user'"'"'s hand.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said sleep mode circuit includes an interrupt input, and said hand detection circuit periodically activates, and provides an interrupt signal to said interrupt input when said user'"'"'s hand is detected.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said input device is a mouse, and said electronic circuitry is an optical module for reflecting light off a surface and detecting movement of said mouse relative to said surface.

11. A mouse comprising:

a housing;

electronic circuitry for detecting user inputs and transmitting said inputs to an electronic device, said electronic circuitry including an optical module for reflecting light off a surface and detecting movement of said mouse relative to said surface;

a sleep-mode circuit, coupled to said electronic circuitry, for activating a reduced power operation of said electronic circuitry, said sleep mode circuit being responsive to a wake-up signal to awaken said electronic circuitry from said reduced power operation; and

a hand detection circuit for detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said housing and producing said wake up signal, said hand detection circuit comprising

first and second electrodes on said housing for capacitive connection with a user'"'"'s hand,

a first circuit, coupled to said first electrode, for determining an amount of time for charging of a capacitance connected to said first circuit, and

a second circuit, coupled to said second electrode, for determining an amount of time for discharging of a capacitance connected to said second circuit.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand detects a change in capacitance due to said proximity of a user'"'"'s hand.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said change in capacitance is determined using the simultaneous charging and a discharging of a capacitances coupled to two electrodes.

17. The mouse of claim 16 wherein said function comprises waking up said mouse from a sleep mode.

18. The mouse of claim 16 wherein said function comprises activating a light in said mouse.

19. The mouse of claim 16 wherein said function comprises providing a message on a display for said computer.

12. A method for operating an input device comprising:

detecting user inputs and transmitting said inputs to an electronic device external to said input device;

activating a reduced power mode of said input device in the absence of user inputs for a period of time;

detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said input device and producing a hand detect signal; and

awakening said input device from said reduced power mode in response to said hand detect signal.

15. A method for operating an optical mouse comprising:

detecting movement of said optical mouse using optical detection and transmitting said movement signals to an electronic device external to said optical mouse;

activating a reduced power mode of said optical mouse in the absence of movement signals or other user input for a period of time;

detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said optical mouse by detecting a change in capacitance using the simultaneous charging and a discharging of capacitances coupled to two electrodes, and producing a hand detect signal; and

awakening said input device from said reduced power mode in response to said hand detect signal.

16. A computer mouse comprising:

a housing;

electronic circuitry for detecting movement of said mouse and transmitting movement signals to a computer;

a hand detection circuit for detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said housing and producing a hand detect signal; and

a response element, in one of said computer mouse and said computer, for activating a function in response to said hand detect signal.

20. An input device comprising:

a housing;

electronic circuitry for detecting user inputs and transmitting signals corresponding to said inputs to an electronic device; and

an optical hand detection circuit for optically detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said housing and producing a hand detect signal.

21. The input device of claim 20 wherein said optical hand detection circuit comprises:

a light emitter mounted in a housing of said device; and

a light detector mounted in said housing and positioned to receive light from said light emitter reflected off a hand proximate said device.

22. The input device of claim 21 wherein said light emitter is an infrared emitter.

23. The input device of claim 21 wherein said light emitter and detector are mounted in a recess in said housing.

24. The input device of claim 23 further comprising a shunt barrier mounted between said light emitter and said light detector.

25. The input device of claim 24 wherein said shunt barrier is aluminum, and extends from below the top of said light emitter to above the top of said light emitter, but below the top surface of said device.

26. The input device of claim 20 further comprising a controller for turning on and off said light emitter, and providing said hand detect signal only after a predetermined number of on cycles provides a reflection to said detector above a threshold.

27. The input device of claim 26 wherein said controller further:

filters ambient light frequencies different from a frequency of said light emitter;

cycles said light emitter on and off at a first rate before a hand detection, and at a second rate after a hand detection; and

requires detection of a hand for a predetermined number of cycles before issuing said hand detect signal.

28. The input device of claim 27 wherein said controller removes said hand detect signal in the absence of a control input to said input device for a predetermined amount of time after a detection of a hand.

29. The input device of claim 20 wherein said input device is a mouse.

30. The input device of claim 20 further comprising:

a sleep-mode circuit, coupled to said electronic circuitry, for activating a reduced power operation of said electronic circuitry, said sleep mode circuit being responsive to said hand detect signal to awaken said electronic circuitry from said reduced power operation.

31. An input device comprising:

a housing;

electronic circuitry for detecting user inputs and transmitting signals corresponding to said inputs to an electronic device; and

an optical hand detection circuit for optically detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to said housing and producing a hand detect signal, said optical hand detection circuit including

a light emitter mounted in a housing of said device, and

a light detector mounted in said housing and positioned to receive light from said light emitter reflected off a hand proximate said device;

a recess in said housing for enclosing said light emitter and light detector, including a shunt barrier mounted in said recess between said light emitter and said light detector; and

a sleep-mode circuit, coupled to said electronic circuitry, for activating a reduced power operation of said electronic circuitry, said sleep mode circuit being responsive to said hand detect signal to awaken said electronic circuitry from said reduced power operation.