MOTION SENSITIVE INPUT CONTROL

• US 20100321286A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mansfield, Robert, Haggerty, Myra Mary
• Granted Patent: US 8,970,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A motion sensitive input control configured to prevent unintended input caused by inadvertent movement of a computing device. In one embodiment, unintended input can be prevented by disregarding an input event if a change in motion of the computing device is detected simultaneously with or immediately prior to the detected input event. In another embodiment, unintended input can be prevented by reducing the sensitivity of an input device during a motion-based state associated with the computing device. In this manner, the likelihood of inadvertent motion of a computing device causing an unintended input event can be reduced.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect a change in motion of the computing device;

an input device configured to detect an input event applied to an input area of the computing device; and

a processor configured to selectively disregard the input event based on the detected change in motion.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to receive output from the motion sensor indicating the detected change in motion,

the processor is configured to receive output from the input device indicating the detected input event, and

the processor is configured to disregard the input event if the output from the motion sensor and the input device indicate that the detected change in motion occurred simultaneously with the detected input event.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to receive output from the motion sensor indicating the detected change in motion,

the processor is configured to receive output from the input device indicating the detected input event, and

the processor is configured to disregard the input event if the output from the motion sensor and the input device indicate that the detected change in motion occurred immediately prior to the detected input event.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to disregard the input event if the detected change in motion indicates a spike in motion.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect when the change in motion occurs along an axis perpendicular to a surface associated with the input area.

6. A method comprising:

detecting a change in motion of a computing device;

detecting an input event applied to the computing device; and

selectively disregarding the input event based on the detected change in motion.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising disregarding the input event if the detected change in motion occurs simultaneously with the detected input event.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising disregarding the input event if the detected change in motion occurs immediately prior to the detected input event.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising disregarding the input event if the detected change in motion indicates a spike in motion.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting when the change in motion occurs along an axis perpendicular to a surface associated with the input area.

11. A computing device comprising:

an input device configured to detect an input event applied to an input area of the computing device; and

a processor configured to

detect a state of the computing device associated with motion, and

reduce a sensitivity of the input device during the detected state.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to detect the state associated with motion based on a network connection state associated with the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to detect the state associated with motion based on when the computing device is operating.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to detect the state associated with motion based on where the computing device is operating.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein

the computing device further comprises a camera, and

the processor is configured to detect the state associated with motion based on output from the camera.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein reducing the sensitivity of the input device comprises increasing a magnitude threshold for detecting the input event.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein reducing the sensitivity of the input device comprises increasing a time threshold for detecting the input event.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computing device is a mobile telephone.

19. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computing device is a media player.

20. A method comprising:

detecting a state of a computing device associated with motion;

reducing a sensitivity of an input device associated with the computing device during the detected state.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising reducing the sensitivity of the input device by increasing a threshold associated with a magnitude of a detected measure of an input that determines whether the input can be recognized as an input event.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising reducing the sensitivity of the input device by increasing a threshold associated with how long an input must be recognized in order for the input to be recognized as an input event.

23. A laptop computing device comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect a change in motion of the computing device;

a capacitive trackpad configured to detect a tap applied to the trackpad; and

a processor configured to

detect a state of the computing device associated with motion, and

reduce a sensitivity of the capacitive trackpad to taps during the detected state.

24. The laptop computing device of claim 23, comprising reducing the sensitivity of the capacitive trackpad by increasing a threshold associated with how hard an object must tap the trackpad to trigger a tap input event.