Acceleration reference devices, cellular communication terminal systems, and methods that sense terminal movement for cursor control

• US 7,616,186 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nilsson, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US11/298,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345/163, 345/166
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

An acceleration reference device comprises an accelerometer that is configured to generate acceleration information that is indicative of movement of the device; a communication interface that is configured to be communicatively coupled to a proximately located computer; a controller that is configured to generate movement information based on the acceleration information from the accelerometer and to communicate the acceleration information through the communication interface to the proximately located computer. The acceleration reference device cooperates with a cellular communication terminal configured to function as a mouse for the proximately located computer or for itself. Related terminal systems and methods are disclosed for using the device to provide mouse type functions.

Claims

1. A cellular communication terminal system comprising a cellular communication terminal and an acceleration reference device,

the cellular communication terminal comprising:

a cellular transceiver that is configured to communicate over a wireless cellular interface with a cellular network;

a display device;

a first accelerometer that is configured to generate acceleration information that is indicative of movement of the cellular communication terminal; and

a first controller that is configured to communicate through the cellular transceiver with the cellular network according to a cellular communication protocol, and to display on the display device information and an indicative of a user'"'"'s selection among the displayed information, and configured to selectively operate in a mouse mode during which the controller moves the displayed indication responsive to the relative movement of the cellular communication terminal;

the acceleration reference device comprising;

a second accelerometer that is configured to generate acceleration information that is indicative of movement of the acceleration reference device, separately from the information that is indicative of movement of the cellular communication terminal;

a second communication interface that is configured to be communicatively coupled to the cellular communication terminal;

a second controller that is configured to generate movement information based on the acceleration information from the second accelerometer and to communicate the acceleration information through the second communication interface to the cellular communication terminal; and

the cellular communication terminal being configured to calculate the relative terminal movement by subtracting the acceleration information of the second accelerometer from the acceleration information of the first accelerometer.

2. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 1, wherein the displayed indication of a user'"'"'s selection among displayed information comprises a cursor, and the controller is configured to move the displayed cursor responsive to the calculated relative terminal movement when in the mouse mode.

3. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and second communication interface comprise a short-range communication transceiver that is configured to communicate over a wireless interface with the proximately located cellular communication terminal; and

the second controller is configured to transmit the acceleration reference device movement information through the short-range communication transceiver to the proximately located second cellular communication terminal.

4. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 3, wherein the second communication interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) module;

and

the second controller is configured to communicate the acceleration reference device movement information through the USB module to the proximately located second communication terminal.

5. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 3, wherein the acceleration reference device is configured to be attached to one of the first and second terminals.

6. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 5, wherein the acceleration reference device comprises a connector that is connectable to one of the first and second terminals.

7. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 6, wherein the connector is a USB connector.

8. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 3, wherein the short-range communication transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver that is configured to communicate over a Bluetooth wireless interface.

9. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 3, wherein the short-range communication transceiver comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver that is configured to communicate over a WLAN wireless interface.

10. A cellular communication terminal system according to claim 3, wherein the short-range communication transceiver comprises an optical transceiver that is configured to communicate over an optical wireless interface via infra-red signals.

14. A cellular communication system according to claim 1, wherein said cellular communication terminal is the first terminal and the system further comprising:

a first communication interface that is configured to be communicatively coupled to a proximately located second communication terminal, said second terminal comprising a second display device for displaying the information and indicative of the user'"'"'s selection among the displayed information;

said first controller generates terminal movement information based on the acceleration information from the first accelerometer and communicates the acceleration information through the first communication interface to the proximately located second terminal; and

wherein one of the first and second terminals being configured to calculate the relative terminal movement by subtracting the acceleration information of the second accelerometer from the acceleration information of the first accelerometer.

11. A computer comprising:

a first communication interface that is configured to be communicatively coupled to a proximately located terminal, said terminal comprising;

a second communication interface that is configured to be communicatively coupled to said computer;

a first accelerometer that is configured to generate acceleration information that is indicative of movement of the terminal; and

a first controller that is configured to selectively operate in a mouse mode during which the first controller generates terminal movement information based on the acceleration information from the first accelerometer and to communicate the acceleration information through the communication interface to said computer;

said computer further comprising;

a second accelerometer that is configured to generate acceleration information that is indicative of movement of the computer;

a second controller that is configured to selectively operate in a terminal mouse mode during which the second controller generates relative terminal movement information based on the acceleration information from the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer.

12. A computer according to claim 11, wherein the first communication interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) module;

and the second controller is configured to receive the terminal movement information through the USB module from the proximately located terminal.

13. A computer according to claim 11, wherein the second controller is configured to calculate the relative terminal movement by subtracting the acceleration information of the second accelerometer from the acceleration information of the first accelerometer.

15. A computer according to claim 11, wherein:

the first communication interface comprises a short-range communication transceiver that is configured to communicate over a wireless interface with the proximately located terminal; and

the second controller is configured to receive the terminal movement information through the short-range communication transceiver from the proximately located terminal.

16. A computer according to claim 11, wherein the short-range communication transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver that is configured to communicate over a Bluetooth wireless interface.

17. A computer according to claim 11, wherein the short-range communication transceiver comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver that is configured to communicate over a WLAN wireless interface.

18. A computer according to claim 11, wherein the short-range communication transceiver comprises an optical transceiver that is configured to communicate over an optical wireless interface via infra-red signals.

19. A method of using a cellular communication terminal as a computer mouse, the method comprising:

establishing communication through a communication interface in the terminal with a proximately located computer;

selectively operating the cellular communication terminal in a mouse mode responsive to a command from a user and/or and from the proximately located computer;

sensing acceleration information from a first accelerometer that is indicative of movement of the terminal;

sensing acceleration information from a second accelerometer that is indicative of movement of a reference frame in which the computer and the terminal may be moving;

selectively communicating terminal movement information that is based on the acceleration information through the communication interface to the proximately located computer when the terminal is operating in the mouse mode; and

calculating the relative terminal movement by subtracting the acceleration information of the second accelerometer from the acceleration information of the first accelerometer.

20. A method of using a cellular communication terminal, the method comprising:

selectively operating the cellular communication terminal in a mouse mode responsive to a command from a user;

sensing at the cellular communication terminal acceleration information from a first accelerometer that is indicative of movement of the cellular communication terminal;

sensing at an acceleration reference device acceleration information from a second accelerometer that is indicative of movement of the acceleration reference device;

calculating the relative terminal movement by subtracting the acceleration information of the second accelerometer from the acceleration information of the first accelerometer; and

displaying on a display device of the cellular communication terminal information and an indication of a user'"'"'s selection among the displayed information; and

moving the displayed indication of a users selection in response to the calculated relative terminal movement when the cellular communication terminal is operating in the mouse mode.