Soap mobile electronic human interface device

• US 7,626,572 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Wilson, Andrew D., Baudisch, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEUNG, MATTHEW M
• Application Number:
  US11/454,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• 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

Abstract

A new mobile electronic device, referred to as a soap, may be used to control electronic devices, external or internal to the soap, in an intuitive, convenient, and comfortable manner. For example, a soap may serve as an alternative to input devices such as a mouse. A soap device may include a core, and a hull that at least partially encloses the core. The core includes a tracking component capable of tracking movement relative to the hull. The soap input device also includes a transmission component configured to transmit a signal from the tracking component to a computing device, where it may control the position of a pointer and the use of a selector on a monitor. The hull may be soft and flexible, the core may be freely rotatable about at least one axis. The core has a shape such that tangentially applied pressure rotates the core relative to the hull. A user may therefore control an electronic device, simply by rolling and manipulating the soap.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a core;

a transparent, flexible first hull that completely encloses the core;

a transparent, flexible second hull that completely encloses the first hull;

a transparent lubricant disposed between the first hull and the second hull;

an opaque, flexible, removable outer hull, completely enclosing the second hull;

a tracking component, disposed on the core and configured to track movement of the core relative to one or more of the first hull, the second hull, or the outer hull, in which the tracking component comprises an optical sensor having a focal length at least equal to a distance between the optical detector and the outer hull; and

an output component, disposed on the core and configured to output a signal from the tracking component to an electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the core has a longer dimension in one axis than in a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, enabling a tangential pressure applied through the first hull to freely rotate the core relative to the first hull.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the tracking component comprises an optical sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal determines a change in position of a pointer on a monitor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal determines a change in velocity of a pointer on a monitor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal determines a scrolling of a view on a monitor.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the device is configured to enable the scrolling to be performed indefinitely with an uninterrupted motion.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input mechanism indicating a user selection input, wherein the transmission component is further configured to transmit a signal indicating the user selection input to the electronic device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the input mechanism indicating a user selection input comprises a means for detecting substantially non-tangential pressure on the core.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising a means for reversing a time segment of the signal from the tracking component, after a user selection input is indicated.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the input mechanism indicating a user selection input comprises a tilt sensor.

12. The device of claim 1, in which the transmission component comprises a wireless transmitter.

13. The device of claim 1, in which the tracking component comprises an LED.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power component configured to provide power to the tracking component and to the transmission component, and configured to receive power by inductive charging.

15. A device comprising:

a transparent, flexible first hull;

a freely rotatable spheroidal core disposed within the hull, in which the spheroidal core comprises a tracking component configured to generate a tracking signal as a function of a change in position of the tracking component relative to the hull, and in which the hull is sufficiently soft to enable a user to press the hull against the core;

a transparent, flexible second hull that completely encloses the first hull;

a viscous lubricant disposed between the first hull and the second hull;

an opaque, flexible, removable, fuzzy outer hull, completely enclosing the second hull;

one or more pressure sensors disposed on the core; and

an output component, disposed on the core and configured to output a signal from the tracking component to an electronic device, including both a directional signals from the tracking component, and an indication signal from the one or more pressure sensors.

16. The device of claim 15, the device further comprising a communicative component capable of communicating the tracking signal to a graphical user interface of an electronic device.

17. A method comprising:

tracking changes in position of a tracking component of a core relative to a flexible tracking reference hull that completely encloses the core with at least two intervening flexible, transparent hulls between the core and the flexible tracking reference hull;

tracking actuation of one or more pressure sensors disposed on the core;

communicating the changes in position of the tracking component and actuation of one or more pressure sensors to an electronic device;

determining a position of a pointer of a graphical user interface of the electronic device as a function of the changes in position of the tracking component; and

determining selections with the pointer in the graphical user interface of the electronic device as a function of the changes in position of the tracking component.