Apparatus and method for providing wireless communication and FM transceiver operation for a wireless computer mouse

• US 8,456,423 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hien, Zhou, Yi, Parpia, Vijay
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US12/575,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345163-167, 463/37, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

Wireless computer mouse operation may be provided by receiving a user detection signal from a sensor of the wireless computer mouse to determine the presence of a user. In one embodiment, an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse may be determined by a controller based, at least in part, on the user detection signal. Thereafter, the controller can enable at least one of a short range wireless communication module and a FM transceiver of the wireless computer mouse based on the operation mode determined by the controller.

Claims

1. A method for wireless computer mouse operation, the method comprising:

receiving a user detection signal from a sensor of the wireless computer mouse to determine at least one of the presence of a user or the absence of the user;

determining an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse, by a controller, based, at least in part, on the user detection signal;

enabling, by the controller, operation of a FM transceiver of the wireless computer mouse in response to the operation mode being based on the absence of the user; and

disabling, by the controller, operation of a short range wireless communication module of the wireless computer mouse in response to the operation mode being based on the absence of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the FM transceiver, FM broadcast data associated with at least one broadcast signal; and

transmitting the FM broadcast data by the wireless computer mouse to a peripheral device.

3. A method for wireless computer mouse operation, the method comprising:

receiving a user detection signal from a sensor of the wireless computer mouse to determine the presence of a user;

determining an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse, by a controller, based, at least in part, on the user detection signal;

enabling, by the controller, operation of a short range wireless communication module of the wireless computer mouse in response to the operation mode being based on the presence of the user; and

disabling, by the controller, operation of a FM transceiver of the wireless computer mouse in response to the operation mode being based on the presence of the user.

4. A wireless computer mouse comprising:

a sensor configured to detect the presence of a user;

a FM transceiver configured to receive broadcast data;

a short range wireless communication module configured to communicate with a computing device; and

a controller coupled to the a FM transceiver, short range wireless communication module and sensor, the controller configured to;

receive a user detection signal from the sensor indicating that a user is not present,

determine an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse based, at least in part, on the user detection signal, and

disable operation of the short range wireless communication module, and enable operation of the FM transceiver based on the determined operation mode based, at least in part, on the user detection signal indicating that a user is not present.

5. A wireless computer mouse comprising:

a sensor configured to detect the presence of a user;

a FM transceiver configured to receive broadcast data;

a short range wireless communication module configured to communicate with a computing device; and

a controller coupled to the a FM transceiver, short range wireless communication module and sensor, the controller configured to;

receive a user detection signal from the sensor indicating the presence of a user,

determine an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse based, at least in part, on the user detection signal, and

disable operation of the FM transceiver and enable operation of the short range wireless communication module when the user detection signal indicates the presence of a user.