Unintended Displacement Identification and Correction Method and System

• US 20100201624A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• 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 9,046,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

Substantially elevated movement sensitivity of a mouse enables improved control and finer manipulation of an object, for example a pointer, displayed on a display device. However, the elevated movement sensitivity also results in unintended movement of the mouse, generated when a button of the mouse is operated, being translated into displacement of the pointer on the display device. An embodiment of the invention describes a method for transducing movement occurring during an interval into signals in response to the button being operated. The signals are for use in manipulating the object. The method is further for comparing properties of the displacement with pre-defined reference properties to determined whether the movement is intended or unintended. The signals are subsequently terminated to impede manipulation of the object when the movement is determined to be unintended to thereby correct the unintended movement.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting activation of a switch;

sampling displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by a computing device;

determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement; and

identifying the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate,

wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals when the unintended displacement is identified.

3. The method as in claim 1, impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals comprising:

at least one of disabling communication of the displacement signals to a processor of the computing device and terminating the displacement signals.

4. The method as in claim 1, detecting activation of a switch comprising:

detecting activation of a switch for executing a function on the computing device.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the switch is one of a mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the switch is a button of a peripheral device.

7. The method as in claim 1, sampling displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval comprising:

sampling displacement of one of a surface, a peripheral device and a ball rotatably coupled to the peripheral device,

wherein the transducer is coupled to the peripheral device for detecting the displacement.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

9. The method as in claim 1, determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement comprising:

providing a controller formed in one of the computing device and a peripheral device coupled to the computing device, the controller configured for communicating displacement signals between the transducer and a processor of the computing device; and

receiving and processing the displacement signals received by the controller for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a function executable for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

11. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one function switch operable for varying at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

12. A system comprising:

a controller configured for communication with a computing device and a peripheral device, the peripheral device having a switch and a transducer, the controller comprising;

means for detecting activation of the switch;

means for sampling displacement detected by the transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by the computing device;

means for determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement; and

means for identifying the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate,

wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals.

13. The system as in claim 12, the controller further comprising:

means for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals.

14. The system as in claim 13, the means for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals:

means for at least one of disabling communication of the displacement signals to a processor of the computing device and terminating the displacement signals.

15. The system as in claim 12, wherein the switch is activatable for executing a function on the computing device.

16. The system as in claim 12, wherein the switch is one of a mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

17. The system as in claim 12, wherein the switch is a button formed on the peripheral device.

18. The system as in claim 12, wherein the transducer detects the displacement of one of a surface, a peripheral device and a ball rotatably coupled to the peripheral device for transducing into the displacement signals.

19. The system as in claim 12, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

20. The system as in claim 12, the controller further comprising:

means for receiving and processing the displacement signals for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom.

21. The system as in claim 12, wherein a function is executable by at least one of a processor of the computing device and the controller for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

22. The system as in claim 12, wherein the controller is further in communication with at least one function switch, the at least one function switch is operable for varying at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a switch for signal communicating with a computing device;

a transducer; and

a controller being configured for communicating with the computing device, the controller for detecting activation of the switch and for sampling displacement detected by the transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the controller further for determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement and for identifying the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate,

wherein the sampled displacement is transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by the computing device, and the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals.

24. The apparatus as in claim 23, the controller is further for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals when the unintended displacement is identified.

25. The apparatus as in claim 24, the controller impedes manipulation of the object by the displacement signals by at least one of disabling communication of the displacement signals to the computing device and terminating the displacement signals.

26. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein the switch is activatable for executing a function on the computing device.

27. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein the switch is one of a mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

28. The apparatus as in claim 23, further comprising:

a body for housing the controller, the transducer and the switch,

wherein the switch is a button formed on the body.

29. The apparatus as in claim 28, wherein the transducer detects the displacement of one of a surface, the body and a ball rotatably coupled to the body for transducing into the displacement signals.

30. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

31. The apparatus as in claim 23, the controller further for receiving and processing the displacement signals for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom.

32. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein a function is executable by at least one of a processor of the computing device and the controller for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

33. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein the controller is further in communication with at least one function switch, the at least one function switch is operable for varying at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

34. A machine-readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

detect activation of a switch;

sample displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by a computing device;

determine at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement; and

identify the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate,

wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals.

35. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

impede manipulation of the object by the displacement signals when the unintended displacement is identified.

36. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

at least one of disable communication of the displacement signals to the processor of the computing device and terminate the displacement signals.

37. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

detect activation of a switch for executing a function on the computing device.

38. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the switch is one of a mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

39. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the switch is a button of a peripheral device.

40. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

sample displacement of one of a surface, a peripheral device and a ball rotatably coupled to the peripheral device,

wherein the transducer is coupled to the peripheral device for detecting the displacement.

41. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

42. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

receive and process the displacement signals received by a controller for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom,

wherein the controller is formed in one of the computing device and a peripheral device coupled to the computing device, the controller configured for communicating displacement signals between the transducer and a processor of the computing device

43. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

execute a function for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate.

44. The machine-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

vary at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate in respond to at least one function switch being operable.