Method and apparatus for a broadcast pointer system

• US 5,920,306 A
• Filed: 08/31/1995
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PDACO LIMITED
• Original Assignee: Elonex PLC (Elonex Uk Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/522,175
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/179, 178/18, 178/19, 341/22, 341/32, 361/680
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components

Abstract

A general-purpose computer has a compartment for storing a pointer device, such as a mouse or a trackball, such that the pointer may be removed from the compartment and deployed for use. The pointer may be a mouse, a trackball, or other type, and may communicate with the host computer by a cable, an infra-red system, ar by an inductively coupled system. In one embodiment the pointer is a trackball device, in another a mouse device, and in another a combination device that may be used as either a mouse or a trackball. Other embodiments provide a polar input pointer device and a broadcast pointer device.

Claims

1. A broadcast pointer system comprising:

a first and second broadcast antenna in a computer housing configured to broadcast a first and second waveform at the same frequency, and at a phase difference;

a rectifier circuit in a pointer device comprising two antenna connected through a diode;

a receiving antenna in the computer housing configured to receive an echo of the summed waveforms broadcast by the first and second broadcast antennas; and

circuitry in the computer housing connected to the receiving antenna and configured for analyzing the received waveform and determining the position of the pointer from waveform characteristics.

2. A broadcast pointer system as in claim 1 wherein the pointer device is a stylus with the rectifier circuit positioned in a nose region of the stylus.

3. A method for locating a moving pointer device for directing positional input to a computer system, comprising steps of:

(a) broadcasting a first constant-frequency waveform from a first broadcast antenna in a computer housing;

(b) broadcasting a second waveform having the frequency of the first waveform and at a pre-programmed phase angle from the first waveform from a second broadcast antenna in the computer housing;

(c) receiving the broadcast waveforms at a first receiving antenna located in a movable pointer device separate from the computer housing, and summing the waveforms to form a third waveform;

(d) driving a third broadcast antenna with the first receiving antenna through a diode, forming a fourth waveform broadcast from the pointer device;

(e) receiving the fourth waveform at a second receiving antenna located in the computer housing;

(f) analyzing the fourth waveform with circuitry connected to the second receiving antenna and determining the position of the pointer device from characteristics of the fourth waveform; and

(g) transferring the positional information to the computer system.

4. In a computer system having a housing and a separate pointer device, a pointer location system comprising:

a broadcast apparatus located in the computer housing having first and second broadcast antennas in the computer housing configured to broadcast a first and second waveform at the same frequency but at a phase difference;

a broadcast echo apparatus located in the separate pointer device; and

an echo receiver and signal analyzer located in the computer housing;

the hroadcasr echo apparatus in the pointer device receives and echoes a form of the signals, and

the echo receiver and signal analyzer receives the echoed signals and determines the pointer device position from the echoed signals relative to the computer housing.

5. The pointer location system as in claim 4 wherein the echo apparatus comprises two antennas connected through a diode.

6. The pointer location system as in claim 4 wherein the echo receiver and signal analyzer comprises an antenna and a circuitry configured for analyzing the received waveform signal and determining the position of the pointer device from the waveform characteristics.

7. A method for locating a moving pointer device by a computer system, comprising steps of:

(a) broadcasting a first constant-frequency waveform from a first broadcast antenna in a computer housing, and a second waveform having the frequency of the first waveform and at a pre-programmed phase angle from the first waveform from a second broadcast antenna in the computer housing;

(b) receiving the broadcast signals and echoing a form of the signals by an echoing device located in a movable pointer separate from the computer housing; and

(c) receiving and analyzing the echoed signals in the computer housing and determining the pointer device position from the echoed signals relative to the computer housing.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein the step of receiving the broadcast signals includes receiving the broadcast waveforms at a first receiving antenna located in a movable pointer device separate from the computer housing and summing the waveforms to form a third waveform, and wherein the step of echoing a form of signal includes driving a third broadcast antenna with the first receiving antenna through a diode, forming a fourth waveform broadcast from the movable pointer device.

9. The method as in claim 7 wherein the step of receiving and analyzing the echoed signals includes steps for receiving a waveform broadcast from the movable pointer device at a second receiving antenna located in the computer housing, analyzing the received waveform with circuitry connected to the second receiving antenna, determining the position of the movable pointer device from characteristics of the received waveform, and transferring the positional information to the computer system.