Multi-Sensor Device

• US 20120113044A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Strazisar, Bradley Park, Morris, Julie Anne, Rutledge, James S., Stewart, Aaron Michael, Johnson, Jay Wesley, Ganey, Harriss Christopher Neil
• Application Number:
  US12/943,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A multi-sensor device includes an optical sensor portion and a capacitive sensor portion where the capacitive sensor portion borders the optical sensor portion. Various other devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an optical sensor portion; and

a capacitive sensor portion wherein the capacitive sensor portion borders the optical sensor portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical sensor portion comprises an emitter to emit radiation and a detector to detect emitted radiation reflected by an object to thereby track movement of the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising control circuitry configured to control output to a display based on input received from the optical sensor portion, based on input received from the capacitive sensor portion or based on input received from the optical sensor portion and the capacitive sensor portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control position of an image on a display based on input from the optical sensor portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the image comprises an image selected from a group consisting of a graphic image, a text image, and a photographic image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the graphic image comprises a cursor image.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control size of an image on a display based on input from the capacitive sensor portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the capacitive sensor portion comprises a multi-touch capacitive sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising control circuitry configured to control output to a display based at least in part on multi-touch input from the capacitive sensor portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising control circuitry configured to prioritize input from the optical sensor portion over input from the capacitive sensor portion or to prioritize input from the capacitive sensor portion over input from the optical sensor portion.

11. A method comprising:

receiving input from an optical sensor;

associating the input from the optical sensor with a first command;

receiving input from a capacitive sensor;

associating the input from the capacitive sensor with a second command; and

controlling output to a display based on the first command and the second command.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first command comprises a selection command to select a displayed object.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second command comprises an alteration command to alter display of an object.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first command comprises a selection command to select a displayed object and wherein the second command comprises an alteration command to alter display of the selected object.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the commands comprise a selection command to select an object and an action command to perform an action with respect to the selected object.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving input from the capacitive sensor comprises receiving multi-touch input.

17. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions to instruct a computer to:

associate input from an optical sensor and input from a capacitive sensor with a first action and a second action; and

execute the second action based at least in part on the first action.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 wherein the first action comprises a selection action to select an object and wherein the second action comprises an action that acts on the selected object.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 further comprising computer-executable instructions to instruct a computer to display a graphical user interface with selectable controls to associate input from an optical sensor with an action.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 further comprising computer-executable instructions to instruct a computer to display a graphical user interface with selectable controls to associate input from a capacitive sensor with an action.