Input devices and methods of operating same

• US 7,330,923 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wenstrand, John S., Panotopoulos, George, Machida, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISIURA, BRIAN THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US11/085,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 361/686
• US Class Current: 710/303
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

Input devices and methods of operating the same are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a housing, a display screen, a main input device, a wireless receiver, a carrier bay, and an auxiliary input device. The main input device translates user manipulations of the main input device into control signals. The auxiliary input device is sized and arranged to be carried in and attached to the carrier bay in a docked state and detached from the carrier bay in an undocked state. In the undocked state, the auxiliary input device translates user manipulations of the auxiliary input device into control signals and wirelessly transmits the control signals for reception by the wireless receiver. In the docked state, the auxiliary input device is unresponsive to user manipulations of the auxiliary input device. The apparatus additionally includes a graphics controller in the housing that presents a graphical user interface on the display screen in accordance with the control signals received by the wireless receiver from the main input device and the auxiliary input device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a display screen coupled to the housing;

a main input device operable to translate user manipulations of the main input device into control signals;

a wireless receiver in the housing;

a carrier bay defined by the housing, wherein the carrier bay has a docking interface;

an auxiliary input device sized and arranged to be carried in and attached to the carrier bay in a docked state and detached from the carrier bay in an undocked state,

wherein

the auxiliary input device has a docking interface that mates with the docking interface of the carrier bay when the auxiliary input device is in the docket state,

in the undocked state, the auxiliary input device translates user manipulations of the auxiliary input device into control signals and wirelessly transmits the control signals for reception by the wireless receiver, and in the docked state, the auxiliary input device is unresponsive to user manipulations of the auxiliary input device;

a graphics controller in the housing and operable to present a graphical user interface on the display screen in accordance with the control signals received from the main input device and the auxiliary input device; and

a manager electrically coupled to the docking interface of the carrier bay and operable to detect the auxiliary input device in the docked state, wherein the manager is operable to generate an alarm-triggering control signal when the manager fails to detect the auxiliary input device in the docked state when the apparatus is powered down into one of a sleep mode and a shutdown mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manager is electrically coupled to the receiver and generates the alarm-triggering control signal in response to signals received from the receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the manager generates the alarm-triggering control signal when signals received by the wireless receiver from the auxiliary input device are below a threshold power level.