Integration of navigation device functionality into handheld devices

• US 20060267940A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Shawn M., Siddiqui, Kabir, Groom, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system that integrates navigational device (e.g., mouse) functionality into a cellular telephone or other handheld device (e.g., personal organizer, personal media player). A device can employ existing optics from an image capture device (e.g., camera) as the optics for the mouse. A mouse engine can receive an input from the optics and route the input via a Bluetooth™, or other existing connection (e.g., wired or wireless) to transfer the mouse coordinates to a desktop. In another example, a device can employ a touch sensitive pad to supply motion input to a mouse engine. Further, a device (e.g., personal organizer, pocket personal computer) can utilize an existing touch screen as a touch sensitive input to a mouse engine. A laser pointer can be integrated into a device thereby enabling presenters to use the device to point to slides and other target visuals.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates navigating on a display, comprising:

a mouse engine component that detects a location; and

an interface component that integrates the mouse engine into a handheld communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, the handheld communication device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone and a personal data assistant (PDA).

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor component that detects the location.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication component that transmits information based at least in part on the location to a processor, which facilitates rendering the location to a user.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an optics component that is integrated into an image capture system of the handheld communication device;

a light source component that illuminates a surface such that the optics component can acquire spatial information related to the location; and

a sensor component that receives the spatial information from the optics component and communicates the spatial information to the mouse engine.

6. The system of claim 5, the light source is at least one of a light emitting diode (LED) and a laser diode.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a touch pad component that receives an input from a user based at least in part on the location.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a control input component that facilitates input of a selection instruction by at least one of a control key and an audible prompt command.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a laser pointer device that facilitates emitting a laser beam that identifies a desired target.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (Al) component that infers an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon the components of claim 1.

12. A method of integrating navigational functionality into a handheld communication device, comprising:

supplying power to the handheld communication device;

interfacing a mouse engine into the handheld communication device;

initiating the mouse engine;

detecting spatial movement;

processing the spatial movement; and

communicating the spatial movement to a processor of a computer.

13. The method of claim 12, the handheld communication device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone and a PDA.

14. The method of claim 12, the act of detecting further comprises employing an image capture device and a light source that determine the spatial movement.

15. The method of claim 12, the act of detecting further comprises employing a touch pad that determines the spatial movement.

16. The method of claim 12, the act of detecting further comprises employing a roller ball that determines the spatial movement.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 12.

18. A system that facilitates navigating on a display, comprising:

means for integrating a pointing device into a handheld device;

means for detecting a spatial position on a surface; and

means for converting the spatial position on the surface to a location on the display.

19. The system of claim 18, the means for detecting is at least one of an image capture device, a touch pad, a touch screen and a roller ball.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for emitting a light beam that identifies a desired target.