Dual protocol input device

• US 8,711,096 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Shah, Pulkit, Young, Jonathan, Zeng, Ke-Cai, Subramani, Shankar, Mann, Eric, Xu, Yansun
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US12/413,354
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• 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 3/03543 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

A dual protocol input device for use with a host system is provided. In one embodiment, the input device comprises a chip with a number of semiconductor devices integrally formed thereon, including: an optical navigation sensor (ONS) to sense movement of the ONS relative to a surface; a wired protocol block to communicate data from the ONS to the host system by a wired communication protocol; a wireless protocol block to communicate data from the ONS to the host system by a wireless communication protocol; and a micro-controller coupled to the ONS, the wired protocol block and the wireless protocol block, to switch the input device between the wireless communication protocol and the wired communication protocol.

Claims

1. A dual protocol input device comprising:

a chip with a number of semiconductor devices integrally formed thereon, including;

an optical navigation sensor (ONS) to sense movement of the ONS relative to a surface;

a wired protocol block to communicate data from the ONS to a host system by a wired communication protocol;

a wireless protocol block to communicate data from the ONS to the host system by a wireless communication protocol;

a micro-controller directly coupled through on-chip system bus to the ONS, the wired protocol block and the wireless protocol block, to control the ONS, the wired protocol block and the wireless protocol block to switch the input device between the wireless communication protocol and the wired communication protocol without interruption of data between the ONS and the host system or resetting the chip; and

a power system comprising a boost regulator to boost an output voltage from a battery in the input device to an operating voltage of the chip, a linear regulator to regulate power supplied through a wired connection to the input device, and a power controller configured to switch the power system between power supplied from the battery and power supplied through the wired connection independent of the communication protocol selected by the micro-controller.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the micro-controller detects a change in status of the wired connection to the host system, and automatically switches the input device between the wireless and wired communication protocols.

3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the power system is configured to supply power to the chip through the wired connection to operate the input device using the wired communication protocol while charging the battery with electrical power provided through the wired connection.

4. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch to enable a user to select between at least two of the following:

power supplied from the battery, power supplied from the wired connection, and a battery charge mode.

5. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the wired protocol block comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol block to communicate data with the host system through a USB connector.

6. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol block comprises a wireless USB protocol block to communicate data with the host system through a radio.

13. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the mixed-signal array comprises configurable memories, logic blocks, an analog multiplexer (MUX), global analog interconnections (GAI), and General Purpose Input/Outputs (GPIOs).

7. A dual protocol input device comprising:

a chip with a number of semiconductor devices integrally formed thereon, including;

an optical navigation sensor (ONS) to sense movement of the ONS relative to a surface;

a wired protocol block to communicate data from the ONS to a host system by a wired communication protocol;

a wireless protocol block to communicate data from the ONS to the host system by a wireless communication protocol;

a power system including a power controller to switch power supplied to the chip between a battery in the input device, a first wired connection to the host system, and a second wired connection to a power adapter separate from the host system, without resetting the chip; and

a micro-controller directly coupled through an on-chip system bus to the ONS, the power system, the wired protocol block and the wireless protocol block, to control operations thereof, and to switch the input device between the wireless communication protocol and the wired communication protocol without interruption of data between the ONS and the host system.

8. An input device according to claim 7, wherein the power system further comprises a boost regulator to boost an output voltage of the battery to an operating voltage of the chip.

9. An input device according to claim 8, wherein the power system further comprises a linear regulator to regulate power supplied through the wired connection, and a power controller to switch the power system between the boost regulator and the linear regulator.

10. An input device according to claim 8, wherein the power system includes an on-chip battery charger to charge the battery through the wired connection.

11. An input device according to claim 10, further comprising a switch to enable a user to select between at least two of the following:

power supplied from the battery, power supplied from the wired connection, and a battery charge mode.

12. A method of operating an input device comprising:

illuminating a surface to reflect images onto at least a portion of a chip including an optical navigation sensor (ONS), a wired protocol block, a wireless protocol block, and a micro-controller directly coupled through an on-chip system bus to the ONS, the wired protocol block and the wireless protocol block to control operations thereof;

sensing relative movement between the ONS and the surface;

determining status of a first wired connection coupling the wired protocol block to a host system; and

selecting, using the micro-controller, between different modes of operation based on the determined status of the first wired connection without interruption of data between the ONS and the host system or resetting the chip,

wherein the different modes of operation include a mode of operation in which data is communicated to the host system through the wireless protocol block and the wireless connection, and power is supplied to the chip through a second wired connection to a power adapter separate from the host system.