Human interface input acceleration system

• US 7,649,522 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aplix IP Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fish & Richardson PC
• Inventors: Marcus, Beth, Chen, Elaine, Wheeler, Lorraine, Podoloff, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/519,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting data to and from a hand-held host device are disclosed. An accessory device for interfacing with a host device includes a communication channel designed to establish a bidirectional data link between the accessory device and the host device. The accessory device also includes a storage unit communicatively coupled to the communication channel. The storage unit is designed to store various data. In addition, at least a first data is selectively transmitted from the stored data of the accessory device to the host device through the established bidirectional data link.

Claims

1. An accessory device for interfacing with a host device, the accessory device comprising:

a communication channel operable to establish a bidirectional data link between the accessory device and the host device;

a storage unit communicatively coupled to the communication channel, the storage unit configured to store a plurality of data;

wherein at least a first data is selectively transmitted from the stored data of the accessory device to the host device through the established bidirectional data link; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the communication channel, the processor operable to determine whether to execute the first data on the accessory device or whether to transmit the first data to the host device to be executed on the host device by determining a computing resource allocation for the host device.

2. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the stored data includes a software application.

3. The accessory device of claim 1, further comprising a download manager communicatively coupled to the communication channel, the download manager operable to download or update the plurality of data from an external source.

4. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the first data is selectively transmitted based on a command from the host device in response to a user interaction with a host input assembly disposed on the host device.

5. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the first data selectively transmitted comprises an output data of an application executing on the accessory device.

6. The accessory device of claim 5, wherein the application executing on the accessory device includes a game application, and the output data includes streaming video.

7. The accessory device of claim 1 further comprising:

an input assembly including a plurality of input elements, each input element selectively mapped to one or more input functions based on the selectively transmitted data; and

an input controller communicatively coupled to the input assembly and the communication channel, the input controller operable to generate an input signal upon actuation of at least one of the plurality of input elements and further operable to relay the input signal to the communication channel for transmission to the host device to control a plurality of input functions of the first data.

8. The accessory device of claim 7, wherein the input assembly further comprises a first input assembly comprising at least a first one of the plurality of input elements, the first one of the plurality of input elements being located on a first surface.

9. The accessory device of claim 8, wherein at least one input element comprises at least one of an analog button, a digital button, a key, a rocker, a slider, a dial, a touch pad, a touch stick, a pressure sensor, a force sensitive resistor, a piezoelectric resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a positional sensor, a rotary encoder, a linear potentiometer, a D-pad, a trackball, and a miniature analog thumb joystick.

10. The accessory device of claim 7, wherein the input assembly is further configured to optimize a biomechanical effect of the human user'"'"'s opposing thumb and fingers.

11. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input functions of the selectively transmitted first data are controlled by a user interaction with a combination of the input assembly and a host input assembly disposed on the host device.

12. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the communication channel comprises a wired data connection including at least one of a Universal Serial Bus port, a IEEE 1394 Firewire port, a serial port, a parallel port, a headphone port, and a data port.

13. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the communication channel further comprises a wireless data connection including at least one of a Bluetooth connection, an Infrared connection, a Wi-Fi connection, or a Wi-Max connection.

14. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises a removable memory unit including at least one of a SD memory card, a mini-SD memory card, a micro-SD memory card, an XD memory card, and a compact flash card.

15. The accessory device of claim 1, further comprising a processor communicatively coupled to the communication channel, the processor operable to determine whether to execute the first data on the accessory device or whether to transmit the first data to the host device to be executed on the host device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to determine whether to execute the first data on the accessory device or whether to transmit the first data to the host device to be executed on the host device by determining a computing resource allocation based on a quantity of applications already running on the host device.

17. A method for configuring an accessory device, the method comprising:

providing a communication channel configured to transmit information bi-directionally between a host device and the accessory device;

providing a storage unit communicatively coupled to the communication channel, the storage unit configured to store a plurality of data;

disposing on one or more surfaces an input assembly comprising a plurality of input elements configured to receive human input through manipulation of the input elements, wherein at least one of the input elements is further configured to be selectively mapped to one or more functions of a selected data from the stored data; and

providing an accessory processor communicatively coupled to the storage unit, the communication channel, and the input assembly, wherein the accessory processor is operable to determine whether to execute the selected data on the accessory device or whether to transmit the selected data to the host device to be executed on the host device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing the input assembly on one or more surfaces further comprises disposing at least a first input assembly configured to optimize a biomechanical effect of the human user'"'"'s opposing thumb and fingers.

19. A method of controlling a plurality of host devices, the method comprising:

providing an accessory device comprising;

a communication channel configured to transmit data bi-directionally between the plurality of host devices and the accessory device,

a storage unit communicatively coupled to the communication channel and configured to store a plurality of data,

an input assembly comprising a plurality of input elements, each input element being configured to be selectively mapped to one or more input functions of a selected one of the stored data, and

a processor communicatively coupled to the communication channel and the input assembly, wherein the processor is operable to determine whether to execute the selected data on the accessory device or whether to transmit the selected data to one or more of the plurality of host devices to be executed on one or more of the plurality of host device; and

actuating at least one of the plurality of input elements to transfer the selected data to at least one of the host devices using the communication channel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the accessory device further comprises configuring the input assembly to include at least a first input assembly comprising at least a first one of the plurality of input elements, the first one of the plurality of input elements being located on a first surface;

and

wherein the first input assembly is further configured to optimize a biomechanical effect of the human user'"'"'s opposing thumb and fingers.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising actuating an input element on one of the plurality of host devices in conjunction with the first input assembly to accelerate input functions of the selected data.