User control input device

• US 20070109272A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Machida, Akihiro, Xie, Tong, Orsley, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/144 Devices controlled by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

An optical input card is shaped and sized for removable slidable insertion within a slot of a portable computer. The optical input card comprises an optical navigation sensor, a control panel and a wireless communication module. The optical navigation sensor is disposed on the first side of the card for exposure to a navigation surface and is configured to capture a first user control input. The control panel on a second side of the card is configured to capture at least one second user control input. The wireless communication module is configured to wirelessly communicate the first user control input and the at least one second user control input to the portable computer.

Claims

1. A method of computing comprising:

providing an input card with an optical navigation sensor on a first side of the input card and a control panel on a second side of the input card opposite the first side, and configuring the input card with a size and a shape for slidably removable storage within a slot of a housing of a portable computer;

providing a first navigation surface on an upper surface of a housing of a computing device and a second navigation surface independent of and separate from the portable computer; and

applying fingertip control to operate the input card, alternatively in a first mode of relative motion between the optical navigation sensor and the first navigation surface and in a second mode of relative motion between the optical navigation sensor and the second navigation surface, to capture at least one user control input for controlling a function of the computing device via communication between the input card and the portable computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the input card comprises:

configuring the slot of the portable computer to recharge a battery of the input card upon removable insertion of the input card into the slot of the portable computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein applying fingertip control comprises:

orienting a longitudinal axis of the input card and an elongate array of buttons of the control panel of the input card to be generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of an arm of a user that supports the finger-controlled positioning of the input card.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the housing of the portable computer comprises a keyboard portion and a wrist-rest portion wherein the first navigation surface is located on the wrist-rest portion.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein applying fingertip control comprises substantially concurrently:

applying fingertip control on a second side of the optical input card to cause slidable movement of the input card relative to the first navigation surface to capture the at least one user control input as a first user control input based on an x-y position of the input card relative to the first navigation surface; and

applying fingertip activation of the control panel on the second side of the input card to capture the at least one user control input as a second user control input.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first user control input comprises a position of a cursor on a display screen of the portable computer and the second user control input comprises activation of a parameter of a computer software program based on the position of the cursor on the display screen.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein capturing the second user control input via the fingertip activation of the control panel comprises activation of a scrolling function on a graphical user interface on the portable computer and wherein capturing the first user control input via the fingertip-controlled slidable movement of the input card comprises scrolling on the graphical user interface via the activated scrolling function.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein capturing the second user control input via the fingertip activation of the control panel comprises activation of a drag function on a graphical user interface of the portable computer and wherein capturing the first user control input via the fingertip-controlled slidable movement of the input card comprises dragging an object on the graphical user interface via the activated drag function.

9. A user control input device, comprising:

a card defining a generally rectangular shape and having a substantially uniform thickness, the card including a first side and a second side opposite the first side with the second side defining a substantially continuous planar surface and the card being shaped and sized for removable slidable insertion within a slot of a portable computer, the card comprising;

an optical navigation sensor disposed on the first side of the card for exposure to a navigation surface and configured to capture a first user control input;

a control panel on the second side of the card configured to capture at least one second user control input;

a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate the first user control input and the at least one second user control input to the portable computer.

10. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the card comprises:

a first connector disposed on at least one edge of the card and configured to releasably connect to a second connector within the slot of the housing of the portable computer, the first connector configured to enable the portable computer to recharge a battery of the card.

11. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the control panel of the second side of the card comprises an elongate array of buttons aligned generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the card, the array of buttons configured to capture the at least one second user control input.

12. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the thickness of the card is about five to ten times less than a width of the card.

13. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the size and shape of the card generally correspond to a size and shape of at least one of a PC Card and an Express Card.

14. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the card further comprises:

a biometric identification mechanism configured, via the optical navigation sensor on the first side of the card, to uniquely identify an individual for granting access for the computing device.

15. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the card further comprises:

a remote control display mechanism configured, via the optical navigation sensor on the first side of the card, to control a video display function associated with a portable computer.

16. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the card comprises a control button, independent of the control panel on the second side of the card, configured to capture a third user control input for remotely controlling a visual display function of the portable computer via the wireless communication module.

17. The user control input device of claim 9 wherein the card is sized and shaped to enable removable placement of the card onto, and for slidable movement over, the navigation surface when the navigation surface partially defines an upper surface of a housing of the portable computer.

18. The user control input device of claim 9, further comprising a system including:

a mouse shell including a recess sized and shaped to removably slidably receive the card, the recess positioned adjacent a bottom portion of the mouse and configured to position the first side of the card to expose the optical navigation sensor of the card to a second navigation surface to enable detection of relative motion between the optical navigation sensor of the card and the second navigation surface; and

at least one button configured for electrical communication to the control panel on the second side of the card to enable activation of the at least one button of the mouse shell to cause activation of a corresponding function of the control panel on the second side of the card.

19. A portable computer comprising:

a display;

a housing pivotally connected to the display and defining;

a side portion including a slot sized and shaped for removable insertion of an optical input card;

an upper portion including an input interface defining a first navigation surface sized and shaped to support slidable movement of the optical input card; and

a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with the optical input card to capture at least one user control input, via relative motion between the optical input card and the first navigation surface, to control a function of the portable computer.

20. The portable computer of claim 19 wherein the housing comprises a power recharge station releasably connectable, via the slot in the side portion, to the optical input card for recharging a power supply of the optical input card.

21. The portable computer of claim 19 wherein the first navigation surface of the input interface of the housing defines a contrast pattern sized and shaped to enable capturing the at least one user control input as absolute positioning of a pointer on the display of portable computer based on a direct correspondence between a position of the optical input card on the first navigation surface and a position of the pointer on the display of the portable computer.

22. The portable computer of claim 19 wherein the upper portion of the housing of the portable computer defines a keyboard portion and a wrist-rest portion, wherein the input interface is disposed on the wrist-rest portion and the input interface comprises only the first navigation surface exclusive from any control buttons.

23. The portable computer of claim 22 wherein the input interface defines a recess within the upper portion of the housing of the computer, the recess defining an edge for limiting a range of motion of x-y movement of the optical input card.

24. An input device comprising:

a shell including;

a wireless communication module;

a control panel configured to capture a first user control input for controlling at least one function of a computing device via the wireless communication module; and

a slot sized and shaped for slidable removable insertion of an optical navigation card into the slot to position the optical navigation card for detection of relative motion between the optical navigation card and a navigation surface to capture a second user control input for controlling the at least one function of the computing device via the wireless communication module.

25. The input device of claim 24 wherein the shell comprises a stationary member and the navigation surface comprises a spherical member rotatably coupled to the shell to enable detection, internally within the shell, of relative motion between the spherical member and the optical navigation card.

26. The input device of claim 24 wherein the shell comprises a freely movable member and the navigation surface is external to and independent of the shell, the shell including a bottom portion configured for slidable movement over the navigation surface, the bottom portion defining the slot which is configured to position the optical navigation card to detect relative motion between the optical navigation card and the navigation surface to capture the at least one user control input.

27. The input device of claim 24 wherein the optical navigation card comprises a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the computing device and a controller within the shell of the input device.

28. The input device of claim 24 wherein the slot of the shell comprises a connector for releasably fixed wired communication between the optical navigation card and a controller within the shell of the input device and the control panel of the shell is coupled to a control panel of the optical navigation card.

29. A user control input device, comprising:

a card including a first side and a second side opposite the first side and the card being shaped and sized as at least one of a PCCard and an ExpressCard for removable slidable insertion within a PCCard slot or ExpressCard slot of a portable computer, the card comprising;

an optical navigation sensor disposed on the first side of the card for exposure to a navigation surface and configured to capture a first user control input;

a control panel on the second side of the card configured to capture at least one second user control input;

a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate the first user control input and the at least one second user control input to the portable computer.

30. The user control input device of claim 29 wherein the optical navigation sensor comprises a housing including a sensor array and a micro-lens array with the micro-lens array interposed between the navigation surface and a sensor array of the optical navigation sensor.