One dimensional and three dimensional extensions of the slide pad

• US 20060176270A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sachs, Todd S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a method for providing three-dimensional motion inputs to a device includes measuring characteristics (e.g., capacitances) between sense electrodes and a reference electrode on a movable pad, determining three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad from the capacitances, determining the three-dimensional motion inputs from the three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad, and providing the three-dimensional motion inputs to the device. In another embodiment of the invention, a pointing device mounted on a surface of a host device includes sense electrodes, a frame, a movable pad flexibly mounted in an opening of the frame. The movable pad includes a reference electrode opposite the sense electrodes. The opening limits the motion of the movable pad to a single axis on the surface and to an axis into the surface.

Claims

1. A method for providing three-dimensional motion inputs to a device, comprising:

measuring characteristics between a plurality of sense electrodes opposite a reference electrode on a movable pad;

determining three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad from the characteristics;

determining the three-dimensional motion inputs from the three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad; and

providing the three-dimensional motion inputs to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional motion inputs comprise an up or down input, a left or right input, and an in or out input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional motion inputs comprise a pan up or down input, a pan left or right input, and a zoom in or out input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring characteristics comprises measuring capacitances between (1) a first sense electrode and the reference electrode, (2) a second sense electrode and the reference electrode, (3) a third sense electrode and the reference electrode, and (4) a fourth sense electrode and the reference electrode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring characteristics comprises measuring capacitances as follows:

driving high a first sense electrode and a second sense electrode;

driving low a third sense electrode and a fourth sense electrode; and

measuring a capacitance at the reference electrode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the three-dimensional motion inputs from the three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad is selected from the group consisting of:

(1) providing a one-to-one correspondence between the three-dimensional displacements and the three-dimensional motion inputs;

(2) scaling the three-dimensional displacements into the three-dimensional motion inputs;

(3) translating the three-dimensional displacements into velocities; and

(4) a combination of (1), (2), and (3).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad from the characteristics comprises:

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining three-dimensional displacements of the movable pad from the characteristics comprises:

9. A method for providing inputs to a device, comprising:

measuring characteristics between a plurality of sense electrodes opposite a reference electrode on a movable pad;

determining a first displacement of the movable pad along only one axis on a surface on the device;

determining a second displacement of the movable pad along a second axis into the surface on the device;

determining the inputs from the first and the second displacements of the movable pad; and

providing the inputs to the device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the inputs comprises a scroll up or down input and a select input.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said measuring characteristics comprises measuring capacitances between (1) a first sense electrode and the reference electrode, and (2) a second sense electrode and the reference electrode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said measuring characteristics comprises measuring capacitances as follows:

driving high a first sense electrode and a second sense electrode; and

measuring a capacitance at the reference electrode.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining the inputs from the first and the second displacements is selected from the group consisting of:

(1) providing a one-to-one correspondence between the three-dimensional displacements and the three-dimensional motion inputs;

(2) scaling the three-dimensional displacements into the three-dimensional motion inputs;

(3) translating the three-dimensional displacements into velocities; and

(4) a combination of (1), (2), and (3).

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining a first displacement and said determining a second displacement of the movable pad from the characteristics comprises:

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining a first displacement and said determining a second displacement of the movable pad from the characteristics comprises:

16. A pointing device mounted on a surface of a host device, comprising:

a plurality of sense electrodes;

a movable pad opposite the plurality of sense electrodes, the movable pad comprising a reference electrode; and

a frame defining an opening, wherein the movable pad is flexibly mounted within the opening and the opening limiting motions of the movable pad on the surface along only one axis.

17. The pointing device of claim 16, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the plurality of sense electrodes and the reference electrode; and

springs coupling the movable pad to the frame.

18. The pointing device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sense electrodes comprises only two sense electrodes.

19. The pointing device of claim 16, wherein the movable pad further comprises a sense electrode.

20. The pointing device of claim 16, wherein the frame comprises linear inner sidewalls that define the opening, the linear inner sidewalls limiting the motions of the movable pad.