Systems and methods for controlling a cursor on a display using a trackpad input device

• US 8,194,036 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Braun, Max, Geiss, Ryan, Ho, Harvey, Starner, Thad Eugene, Taubman, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Xiao, Ke
• Application Number:
  US13/172,344
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 345157-167, 345173-178, 178 1801- 2004, 715856-862
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a cursor on a display using a trackpad input device are disclosed. The systems and methods may be directed to controlling the cursor on a display separate from the trackpad input device, based on information identified about a motion of a trackpad input device or a computing device. A conversion factor may be determined to relate input to the trackpad input device with control of the cursor on the display in response to the input. The conversion factor can be adjusted when the motion information indicates that the trackpad input device or computing device is in motion. An input signal from an input to the trackpad input device may be smoothed by filtering out a mechanical vibration signal within the input signal. The input signal may also be smoothed by subtracting the absolute motion of the trackpad input device from the input signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying information about a motion of a trackpad input device configured to control a cursor on a separate display, the display being coupled to a computing device;

receiving an input signal from the trackpad input device indicating an input to a sensing region of the trackpad input device, the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device including a sliding motion within the sensing region of the trackpad input device;

determining a nonzero conversion factor between the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device and a distance in a virtual space of the display the cursor moves in response to the input signal; and

when the identified information indicates that the trackpad input device is in motion, adjusting the nonzero conversion factor based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the nonzero conversion factor comprises changing a threshold for sensing contact with a surface on the trackpad input device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device; and

based on the magnitude of the motion, changing the threshold for sensing contact with the surface on the trackpad input device relative to the magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the nonzero conversion factor comprises adjusting a gain controlling movement of the cursor in response to the input signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the nonzero conversion factor comprises adjusting an acceleration factor of the cursor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

smoothing the input signal by filtering out a mechanical vibration signal within the input signal, wherein the mechanical vibration signal has a frequency above a frequency threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

smoothing the input signal by subtracting the motion of the trackpad input device from the input signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying information about the motion of the trackpad input device comprises receiving an output from an accelerometer that is coupled to the trackpad input device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an output from an accelerometer that is coupled to the trackpad input device; and

when the output from the accelerometer indicates motion of the trackpad input device;

comparing the motion of the trackpad input device with the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device; and

determining a correction to the input signal from the trackpad input device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the output from the accelerometer indicates motion of the trackpad input device normal to a surface of the trackpad input device during the input to the sensing region, wherein the input to the sensing region comprises a tap to the surface, the method further comprising, based on a direction of the motion normal to the surface, demoting the tap to a non-tap by removing information indicating the tap from the input signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the output from the accelerometer indicates motion of the trackpad input device normal to a surface of the trackpad input device during the input to the sensing region, wherein the input to the sensing region comprises a near-tap to the surface, the method further comprising, based on a direction of the motion normal to the surface, promoting the near-tap to a tap by adding information indicating the tap to the input signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the nonzero conversion factor comprises controlling inputs to the trackpad input device in a relative mode, wherein a movement within the sensing region of the trackpad input device is received in relative amounts of motion in component directions with respect to a fixed coordinate system of the trackpad input device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a magnitude of the motion of the trackpad input device is above a threshold;

changing functions that are performed in response to the input signal from the trackpad input device indicating the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions of:

identifying information about a motion of a trackpad input device, wherein the trackpad input device is configured to control a cursor on a separate display, the display being coupled to the computing device;

receiving an input signal from the trackpad input device indicating an input to a sensing region of the trackpad input device, the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device including a sliding motion within the sensing region of the trackpad input device;

determining a nonzero conversion factor between the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device and a distance in a virtual space of the display the cursor moves in response to the input signal; and

when the identified information indicates that the trackpad input device is in motion, adjusting the nonzero conversion factor based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.

15. A computing device comprising:

a display;

a trackpad input device separate from the display, the trackpad input device configured to control a cursor on the display;

a data storage indicating instructions executable by the computing device to perform functions of;

identifying information about a motion of the trackpad input device;

receiving an input signal from the trackpad input device indicating an input to a sensing region of the trackpad input device, the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device including a sliding motion within the sensing region of the trackpad input device;

determining a nonzero conversion factor between the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device and a distance in a virtual space of the display the cursor moves in response to the input signal; and

when the identified information indicates that the trackpad input device is in motion, adjusting the nonzero conversion factor based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the trackpad input device is coupled to the computing device, the method further comprising identifying information about the motion of the computing device.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device comprises a wearable computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising an accelerometer configured to provide an output indicating the motion of the user of the wearable computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the input to the sensing region of the trackpad input device is a sliding motion across a surface of the trackpad input device.

20. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a relationship between the input to the sensing region and a direction a cursor moves in response to the input signal; and

adjusting the direction the cursor moves based on the identified information about the motion of the trackpad input device.