Systems and Methods for Controlling a Cursor on a Display Using a Trackpad Input Device

• US 20130002534A1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Braun, Max, Geiss, Ryan, Ho, Harvey, Starner, Thad Eugene, Taubman, Gabriel
• Application Number:
  US13/465,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a cursor on a display using a trackpad input device are disclosed. The systems and methods may be directed to controlling the cursor on a display separate from the trackpad input device, based on information identified about a motion of a trackpad input device or a computing device. A conversion factor may be determined to relate input to the trackpad input device with control of the cursor on the display in response to the input. The conversion factor can be adjusted when the motion information indicates that the trackpad input device or computing device is in motion. An input signal from an input to the trackpad input device may be smoothed by filtering out a mechanical vibration signal within the input signal. The input signal may also be smoothed by subtracting the absolute motion of the trackpad input device from the input signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying information about a motion of a trackpad input device;

receiving an input to a sensing region of the trackpad input device, the received input including a sliding motion within the sensing region of the trackpad input device; and

based on a comparison of a magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device and a predetermined threshold, adjusting a conversion of the received input to an amount of movement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of movement is a distance in a virtual space of a display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance in the virtual space of the display is a distance that an object displayed on the display moves in response to the received input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a conversion of the received input to a direction based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the conversion of the received input to an amount of movement based on the magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the conversion of the received input to an amount of movement when the magnitude of motion is above the predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an output for a computing device in response to the received input based on an adjusted conversion of the received input to an amount of movement.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

identifying information about a motion of a trackpad input device;

receiving an input to a sensing region of the trackpad input device, the received input including a sliding motion within the sensing region of the trackpad input device; and

based on a comparison of a magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device and a predetermined threshold, adjusting a conversion of the received input to an amount of movement.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the amount of movement is a distance in a virtual space of a display.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the distance in the virtual space of the display is a distance that an object displayed on the display moves in response to the received input.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

adjusting a conversion of the received input to a direction based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

adjusting the conversion of the received input to an amount of movement based on the magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

adjusting the conversion of the received input to an amount of movement when the magnitude of motion is above the predetermined threshold.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining an output for a computing device in response to the received input based on an adjusted conversion of the received input to an amount of movement

15. A computing device comprising:

a trackpad input device;

a motion identifier configured to identify information about motion of the trackpad input device; and

a data storage indicating instructions executable by the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving an input to a sensing region of the trackpad input device, the received input including a sliding motion within the sensing region of the trackpad input device; and

based on a comparison of a magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device and a predetermined threshold, adjusting a conversion of the received input to an amount of movement.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device is coupled to a wearable computing device.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the wearable computing device is a head-mounted device.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the amount of movement is a distance in a virtual space of a display.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the data storage further comprises instructions executable by the computing device to perform functions comprising:

adjusting a conversion of the received input to a direction based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the data storage further comprises instructions executable by the computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining an output for the computing device in response to the received input based on an adjusted conversion of the received input to an amount of movement