POWER USAGE MANAGEMENT OF WIRELESS INPUT DEVICES

• US 20090215402A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: NG, Chern Ann
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Input devices such as computer mice are commonly used for interacting with personal computers (PCs). Increasingly, wireless computer mice are becoming popular with users due to their ability to provide cordless accessibility for interaction with the PCs. The wireless computer mice are usually powered using batteries and uses radio frequencies (RF) for transmitting the users'"'"' input to the PCs. The wireless computer mice usually have a fixed transmission power, thus resulting in a fixed transmission range. Notably, the battery life and transmission range of the wireless mice share an inversely proportional relationship. Hence, a long battery life cannot be obtained without decreasing the transmission range and vice versa. However, existing wireless computer mice typically do not have provisions for making such adjustments. An embodiment of the invention describes an apparatus and a method for managing power usage of wireless input devices.

Claims

1. A wireless input device communicable with a processor-based device, the wireless input device comprising:

a transducer operable for generating instruction data; and

a transceiver for transmitting the instruction data as instruction signals for reception by the processor-based device, the instruction signals having a signal strength, the signal strength determining the transmission range of the instruction signals, the transceiver further for receiving control signals from the processor-based device;

a controller for controlling the transceiver, the controller for controlling the signal strength and consequently the transmission range of the instruction signals based on control data contained in the received control signals,

wherein the signal strength of the instruction signals is controlled by controlling rate of power consumption from a battery module, the battery module for powering the transceiver.

2. The wireless input device as in claim 1, wherein the control data is generated based on and in response to a function on the processor-based device being operatively manipulated.

3. The wireless input device as in claim 2, wherein the function on the processor-based device is operatively manipulated by the instruction data contained in the instruction signals.

4. The wireless input device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a battery module.

5. The wireless input device as in claim 4, further comprising:

a body for housing the battery module, the transducer and the transceiver, the body having a base for being supported on a surface when in use and a support surface outwardly opposing the base.

6. The wireless input device as in claim 5, wherein the transducer is formed on the base of the body of the wireless input device.

7. The wireless input device as in claim 5, further comprising:

a display formed on the support surface of the wireless input device for indicating states of at least one of the rate of power consumption and the transmission range.

8. The wireless input device as in claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator being operable for varying rate of power consumption of the battery module by the transceiver.

9. The wireless input device as in claim 8, wherein the actuator is one of a slider and a tactile sensor.

10. The wireless input device as in claim 9, wherein the tactile sensor is one of a capacitive sensor and a resistive sensor.

11. The wireless input device as in claim 1, wherein the instruction signals are transmitted within a predetermined duration and at a predetermined frequency using the frame bursting transmission technique.

12. The wireless input device as in claim 11, wherein the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency are determined by the control data.

13. The wireless input device as in claim 11, wherein the rate of power consumption from the battery module is further determined by at least one of the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency of the instruction signals transmitted using the frame bursting transmission technique.

14. A power usage management method for a wireless input device communicable with a processor-based device, the method comprising:

receiving control signals from the processor-based device by the wireless input device, the wireless input device comprising;

a transducer operable for generating instruction data; and

a transceiver for transmitting the instruction data as instruction signals for reception by the processor-based device, the instruction signals having a signal strength, the signal strength determining the transmission range of the instruction signals, the transceiver further for receiving the control signals from the processor-based device,

wherein the signal strength and consequently the transmission range of the instruction signals are controllable based on control data contained in the received control signals,

wherein the signal strength of the instruction signals is controlled by controlling rate of power consumption from a battery module, the battery module for powering the transceiver.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the control data is generated based on and in response to a function on the processor-based device being operatively manipulated.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein transmitting the instruction signals to the processor-based device comprises:

operatively manipulating the function on the processor-based device by the instruction data contained in the instruction signals.

17. The method as in claim 14, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

a battery module.

18. The method as in claim 14, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

a body for housing the battery module, the transducer and the transceiver, the body having a base for being supported on a surface when in use and a support surface outwardly opposing the base.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the transducer is formed on the base of the body of the wireless input device.

20. The method as in claim 18, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

a display formed on the support surface of the wireless input device for indicating states of at least one of the rate of power consumption and the transmission range.

21. The method as in claim 14, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

an actuator being operable for varying rate of power consumption of the battery module by the transceiver.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the actuator is one of a slider and a tactile sensor.

23. The method as in claim 22, wherein the tactile sensor is one of a capacitive sensor and a resistive sensor.

24. The method as in claim 14, wherein the instruction signals are transmitted within a predetermined duration and at a predetermined frequency using the frame bursting transmission technique.

25. The method as in claim 24, wherein the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency are determined by the control data.

26. The method as in claim 24, wherein the rate of power consumption from the battery module is further determined by at least one of the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency of the instruction signals transmitted using the frame bursting transmission technique.

27. A device readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed by a wireless input device, the instructions cause the wireless input device to:

receive control signals from a processor-based device, the wireless input device comprising;

a transducer operable for generating instruction data; and

a transceiver for transmitting the instruction data as instruction signals for reception by the processor-based device, the instruction signals having a signal strength, the signal strength determining the transmission range of the instruction signals, the transceiver further for receiving the control signals from the processor-based device; and

control the signal strength and consequently the transmission range of the instruction signals are controllable based on control data contained in the received control signals,

wherein the signal strength of the instruction signals is controlled by controlling rate of power consumption from a battery module, the battery module for powering the transceiver.

28. The device readable medium as in claim 27, wherein the control data is generated based on and in response to a function on the processor-based device being operatively manipulated.

29. The device readable medium as in claim 28, wherein transmitting the instruction signals to the processor-based device comprises:

operatively manipulating the function on the processor-based device by the instruction data contained in the instruction signals.

30. The device readable medium as in claim 27, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

a battery module.

31. The device readable medium as in claim 27, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

a body for the wireless input device for housing the battery module, the transducer and the transceiver, the body having a base for being supported on a surface when in use and a support surface outwardly opposing the base.

32. The device readable medium as in claim 31, wherein the transducer is formed on the base of the body of the wireless input device.

33. The device readable medium as in claim 31, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

a display formed on the support surface of the wireless input device for indicating states of at least one of the rate of power consumption and the transmission range.

34. The device readable medium as in claim 27, wherein the wireless input device further comprises:

an actuator being operable for varying rate of power consumption of the battery module by the transceiver.

35. The device readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the actuator is one of a slider and a tactile sensor.

36. The device readable medium as in claim 35, wherein the tactile sensor is one of a capacitive sensor and a resistive sensor.

37. The device readable medium as in claim 27, wherein the instruction signals are transmitted within a predetermined duration and at a predetermined frequency using the frame bursting transmission technique.

38. The device readable medium as in claim 37, wherein the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency are determined by the control data.

39. The device readable medium as in claim 37, wherein the rate of power consumption from the battery module is further determined by at least one of the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency of the instruction signals transmitted using the frame bursting transmission technique.

40. A device readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed by a processor-based device, the instructions cause the processor-based device to:

transmit control signals to a wireless input device, the wireless input device comprising;

a transducer operable for generating instruction data; and

a transceiver for transmitting the instruction data as instruction signals for reception by the processor-based device, the instruction signals having a signal strength, the signal strength determining the transmission range of the instruction signals, the transceiver further for receiving the control signals from the processor-based device,

wherein the signal strength and consequently the transmission range of the instruction signals are controllable based on control data contained in the received control signals,

wherein the signal strength of the instruction signals is controlled by controlling rate of power consumption from a battery module, the battery module for powering the transceiver.

41. The device readable medium as in claim 40, wherein the control data is generated based on and in response to a function on the processor-based device being operatively manipulated.

42. The device readable medium as in claim 41, wherein transmitting the instruction signals to the processor-based device comprises:

operatively manipulating the function on the processor-based device by the instruction data contained in the instruction signals.

43. The device readable medium as in claim 40, wherein the instruction signals are transmitted within a predetermined duration and at a predetermined frequency using the frame bursting transmission technique.

44. The device readable medium as in claim 43, wherein the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency are determined by the control data.

45. The device readable medium as in claim 43, wherein the rate of power consumption from the battery module is further determined by at least one of the predetermined duration and the predetermined frequency of the instruction signals transmitted using the frame bursting transmission technique.