Pointing device and associated method of operating

• US 7,990,364 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Adler, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Okebato; Sahlu
• Application Number:
  US11/398,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/158, 345/166, 345/169, 345161-163
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

The pointing device is used in connection with a computer system, and has a sensor for sensing data representing a displacement information in at least two spatial coordinates. The device is capable of toggling between a first and a second mode of operation, and also adjusting the displacement information referring to a first of the two spatial coordinates (i.e. first displacement information) in view of a second of the two spatial coordinates (i.e. second displacement information) when the second mode of operation is activated.

Claims

1. A computer system pointing device comprising:

a plurality of keys;

at least one sensor configured to sense data representing displacement information in x-y plane coordinates;

a mode selector module configured to toggle between a first and a second mode of operation based upon said plurality of keys receiving a desired input sequence; and

an adjuster configured to adjust the displacement information by at least adjusting a first of the x-y plane coordinates defined as first displacement information based upon a second of the x-y plane coordinates defined as second displacement information, when the second mode of operation is selected, and when the first mode of operation is selected, to perform no adjustment to the displacement information;

said adjuster comprising a comparator configured to compare the first and second displacement information, and a resetting unit configured to reset one of the first and second displacement information based upon size of a respective displacement value in the first and second displacement information and the adjuster is configured to adjust the value of the first displacement information to the value of the second displacement information when the value of the first displacement information does not exceed the second displacement information by more than a threshold.

3. The computer system pointing device of claim 1, wherein the threshold is a multiplicative threshold in the range of 0.5 to 2.0.

4. The computer system pointing device of claim 1, wherein the resetting unit comprises an XOR circuit.

2. The computer system pointing device of claim , wherein the pointing device is an optical mouse or a wireless optical mouse.

5. A computer system pointing device comprising:

a plurality of keys;

at least one sensor configured to sense data representing displacement information in x-y plane coordinates;

a mode selector module configured to toggle between a first and a second mode of operation based upon said plurality of keys receiving a desired input sequence; and

an adjuster configured to adjust the displacement information to reflect at least one of diagonal and orthogonal movements based upon a comparison of the displacement information relative to a starting point in the x-y plane coordinates when the second mode of operation is selected, and when the first mode of operation is selected, to perform no adjustment to the displacement information, said adjuster comprising a comparator configured to compare first and second displacement information defined by a first and a second of the x-y plane, coordinates, respectively, and a resetting unit configured to reset one of the first and second displacement information based upon size of a respective displacement value in the first and second displacement information, and the adjuster is configured to adjust the value of the first displacement information to the value of the second displacement information when the value of the first displacement information does not exceed the second displacement information by more than a threshold.

6. The computer system pointing device of claim 5, wherein the threshold is a multiplicative threshold in the range of 0.5 to 2.0.

7. The computer system pointing device of claim 5, wherein the resetting unit comprises an XOR circuit.

8. A method of operating a computer system pointing device having at least one sensor for sensing data representing displacement information in x-y plane coordinates, and a mode selector module to toggle between a first and a second mode of operation based upon a plurality of keys;

receiving a desired input sequence, the method comprising;

verifying when the second mode of operation is selected; and

adjusting the displacement information by at least adjusting a first of the x-y plane coordinates, defined as first displacement information, based upon a second of the x-y plane coordinates, defined as second displacement information, when the second mode of operation is selected, and when the first mode of operation is selected, performing no adjustment to the displacement information, the adjusting comprising comparing the first and second displacement information, and resetting one of the first and second displacement information based upon size of a respective displacement value in the first and second displacement information and adjusting the displacement information comprises;

comparing the first and second displacement information; and

adjusting a value of the first displacement information to a value of the second displacement information when the value of the first displacement information does not exceed the second displacement information by more than a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold is a multiplicative threshold in the range of 0.5 to 2.0.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the pointing device is an optical mouse or a wireless optical mouse.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the resetting uses an XOR circuit.

11. A computer system pointing device comprising:

a plurality of keys;

a sensor configured to sense displacement in x-y plane coordinates;

a mode selector module configured to toggle between a first and a second mode of operation based upon said plurality of keys receiving a desired input sequence; and

an adjuster configured, when in the second mode of operation, to compare first and second x-y plane coordinates and to change the first x-y plane coordinate based upon a size of the second x-y plane coordinate, and when in the first mode of operation, to perform no adjustment to the sensed displacement and the adjuster is configured to adjust the value of the first displacement information to the value of the second displacement information when the value of the first displacement information does not exceed the second displacement information by more than a threshold.

13. The computer system pointing device of claim 11 wherein when the sensed displacement in one of the first and the second x-y plane coordinates is substantially larger than the sensed displacement in the other x-y plane coordinate, said adjuster is configured to reset the x-y plane coordinate with smaller sensed displacement to reflect orthogonal movement.

14. The computer system pointing device of claim 11 wherein when the sensed displacement in the first and the second x-y plane coordinates is substantially equal, said adjuster is configured to change the sensed displacement for each x-y plane coordinate to be equal to reflect diagonal movement.

15. A pointing device comprising:

a plurality of Keys;

a housing;

at least one sensor carried by said housing and being configured to sense data representing displacement information;

a mode selector module carried by said housing and being configured to toggle between a first and a second mode of operation based upon said plurality of keys receiving a desired input sequence; and

an adjuster carried by said housing and being configured to adjust the displacement information by at least adjusting a first of the x-y plane coordinates defined as first displacement information based upon a second of the x-y plane coordinates defined as second displacement information, when the second mode of operation is selected, and when the first mode of operation is selected, to perform no adjustment to the displacement information;

said adjuster comprising a comparator configured to compare the first and second displacement information, and a resetting unit configured to reset one of the first and second displacement information based upon size of a respective displacement value in the first and second displacement information and the adjuster is configured to adjust the value of the first displacement information to the value of the second displacement information when the value of the first displacement information does not exceed the second displacement information by more than a threshold.

16. The pointing device of claim 15, wherein the pointing device is an optical mouse or a wireless optical mouse.

17. The pointing device of claim 15, wherein the resetting unit comprises an XOR circuit.