Computer input device providing absolute and relative positional information

• US 7,133,024 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Drake, Victor P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdulselam, Abbas I.
• Application Number:
  US11/098,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 178/18.01, 382/313, 341/21, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/04737 with six degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A computer input system includes a base, a movable member that is displaceable relative to the base, and a sensor that is operably coupled to the movable member. The sensor provides an output signal to circuitry indicative of position of the movable member relative to the base. The circuitry defines movements of the movable member relative to the base as within an absolute motion region and a relative motion region.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium including instructions readable by a computer which, when implemented by a processor, causes the computer to process positional information by performing the steps of:

receiving positional information from a computer input device comprising a base, a movable member displaceable relative to the base, and a sensor operably coupled to the movable member, the sensor providing an output signal indicative of a position of the movable member relative to the base;

defining movements of the movable member relative to the base as within an absolute motion region and a relative motion region, wherein the positional information is based on the regions, and wherein the movable member has a displacement relative to a home position in the relative motion region;

detecting a return stroke of the movable member to a selected position; and

inhibiting providing positional information during at least part of the return stroke.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, and further comprising providing positional information as a function of the absolute motion region and the relative motion region.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, and further comprising storing parameters indicative of characteristics of at least one of the regions.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the movable member has a velocity or acceleration in the relative motion region.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the relative motion region comprises a fine relative motion region and a coarse relative motion region.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the relative motion region is disposed radially from and about the absolute motion region.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the coarse relative motion region is disposed radially from and about the fine relative motion region.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein defining movements comprises defining movements so that movements of the movable member within a dead zone do not change the positional information.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the dead zone is disposed between the fine relative motion region and the coarse relative motion region.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1, and further comprising providing a tactile indication indicative of entry of the movable member into the relative motion regions.

11. A computer readable medium including instructions readable by a computer which, when implemented by a processor, causes the computer to process positional information by performing the steps of:

generating positional information from an input device comprising;

a base;

a movable member displaceable relative to the base;

a sensor operably coupled to the movable member, the sensor providing an output signal indicative of a position of the movable member relative to the base;

receiving the positional information using circuitry operably coupled to the sensor to receive the output signal and define movements of the movable member relative to the base as within an absolute motion region and a relative motion region and provide positional information as a function of the regions, wherein in the relative motion region, the movable member having a displacement relative to a home position;

defining the position of the movable member relative to the base as within the absolute motion region and the relative motion region;

processing the output signal by the processor to provide positional information as a function of one of the defined regions, wherein the computer input device is connected to a host computer, wherein the computer readable medium is located in the host computer and the processor is located in the host computer, wherein the movable member includes a portion cooperative with the base to provide a tactile indication of entry of the movable member into the relative motion region, wherein the instructions include a portion that when executed by the processor processes the output signal to detect the tactile indication, wherein the computer readable medium stores information related to the tactile indication, and the processor compares a parameter of the output signal to the information to detect the tactile indication, and wherein the parameter of the output signal comprises a derivative of the output signal.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the parameter of the output signal comprises a second-order derivative of the output signal.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, and further comprising detecting a return stroke of the movable member to the selected position as a function of an initial movable member position and spring coupling and inhibiting update positional information during at least part of the return stroke.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein inhibiting update positional information comprises inhibiting during a portion of the return stroke in the relative motion region.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, and further comprising calculating at least one of a speed and acceleration of the movable member.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the relative motion region comprises a fine relative motion region and a coarse relative motion region, and wherein the fine relative motion region is disposed radially from and about the absolute motion region, and the coarse relative motion region is disposed radially from and about the fine relative motion region.

17. A position sensing system comprising:

input device comprising;

a base;

a movable member displaceable relative to the base;

a spring coupling joining the movable member and the base to return the movable member to substantially a selected position relative to the base during a return stroke;

a sensor operably coupled to the movable member, the sensor providing an output signal indicative of movements of the movable member relative to the base during the return stroke;

a host computer comprising;

a computer readable medium storing instructions; and

a processor operably coupled to the sensor to receive the output signal and operably coupled to the computer readable medium to execute the instructions, wherein the processor detects the return stroke of the movable member to the selected position as a function of the spring coupling, the processor processing the output signal to provide positional information and where positional information is inhibited during at least part of the return stroke.

18. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the instructions include calculating at least one of a speed and acceleration of the movable member.

19. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the sensor provides the output signal indicative of movements of the movable member relative to the base in an absolute motion region and at least one relative motion region.

20. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the instructions include calculating a first or a second derivative of the movable member relative to the base.