Low Power Input Device

• US 20130080811A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Low, Wing Kong, Mukherjee, Debanjan
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An input device for an electronic device. The input device includes a power source, a processor in communication with the power source. Additionally, the input device includes a main sensor in communication with processor and configured to detect a user input and an auxiliary sensor in communication with the processor and configured to detect a user input. When the input device is in a normal power mode or active state, the main sensor is activated and when the input device is in a low power state the main sensor is deactivate and the auxiliary sensor is activated.

Claims

1. An input device for an electronic device, comprising:

a power source;

a processor in communication with the power source;

a main sensor in communication with processor and configured to detect a user input;

an auxiliary sensor in communication with the processor and configured to detect a user input;

wherein when the input device is in a normal power state the main sensor is activated and when the input device is in a low power state the main sensor is deactivate and the auxiliary sensor is activated.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor have approximately a same sample rate.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the main sensor is one of an optical sensor or a three-axis accelerometer.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary sensor is an accelerometer.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein in the normal power state both the auxiliary sensor and the main sensor are activated.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein in the normal power state only the main sensor is activated.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein when activated the main sensor has a first sampling rate and when deactivated the main sensor has a second sampling rate that is substantially slower than the first sampling rate.

8. The input device of claim 7, wherein a sampling rate of the auxiliary sensor is substantially faster than the second sampling rate of the main sensor.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary sensor further comprises a first auxiliary sensor and a second auxiliary sensor.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the input device an input sampling rate and the auxiliary sensor has a combined sampling rate that is two-thirds the input sampling rate.

11. The input device of claim 10, wherein the main sensor has a sampling rate that is one-third the input sampling rate.

12. A method for reducing power consumption for an input device comprising:

entering the input device into a sleep mode by a processor;

detecting by an auxiliary sensor, a first user input;

waking a main sensor by the processor;

detecting by the auxiliary sensor and the main sensor a second user input; and

sleeping the main sensor after the second user input has been detected.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the first user input further comprises sampling the auxiliary sensor to sense a user input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the second user input further comprises sampling the main sensor to sense a user input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a sampling rate of the auxiliary sensor is faster than a sampling rate of the main sensor.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing a first input of the auxiliary sensor to a second input of the main sensor; and

if the first input does not correspond to the second input, calibrating the auxiliary sensor.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary sensor is an accelerometer and the main sensor is an optical sensor.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary sensor is one of a one axis or two axis accelerometer and the main sensor is a three-axis accelerometer.

19. A mouse for communicating a user input to a computing device comprising:

a processor configured to place the mouse in a first power state and a second power state;

a low power sensor having a first sampling rate and configured to sense at least one parameter;

an accurate sensor having a second sampling rate and configured to sense at least one parameter;

wherein

when the mouse is in the first power state the second sampling rate is slower than the first sampling rate; and

when the mouse is in the second power state the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate are substantially equal.

20. The mouse of claim 19, wherein the accurate sensor is an optical sensor and the low power sensor is an accelerometer.