Integrated tracking for on screen navigation with small hand held devices

• US 8,842,070 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Oakley, Nicholas W., Goganian, Achod M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fibbi, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US10/803,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,842 Days
• Field of Search: 345/863, 345/158, 345173-178, 715/786, 715/864
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for navigating information displayed on a display of a computer system includes determining movement of the computer system. The movement of the computer system is sensed by a movement sensor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sensing a directional movement of a computer system across a surface with a first movement sensor integrated into a bottom face of a lower section of the computer system having an upper section parallel to the lower section;

sensing an angular position of the computer system in relation to the surface with the first movement sensor and a second movement sensor integrated into the bottom face of the lower section of the computer system;

adjusting information displayed on a display of the computer system, the display being part of the upper section, the display initially showing a first section of a document, the document being larger than the display, adjusting information displayed on the display of the computer system including changing the display to displaying a second section of the document, wherein the position of the second section in the document in relation to the first section is consistent with a pattern of movement of the computer system across the surface sensed by the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor;

sensing external pressure on a frame surrounding the display in the upper section, the external pressure to move a plane of the upper section;

translating the external pressure on the frame of the upper section to a mouse click action associated with an operation corresponding to the movement of the plane of the upper section relative to the lower section of the computer system, wherein translating the external pressure on the frame of the upper section to a mouse click action includes recognizing the mouse click action as one of a left side pressure, right side pressure, or middle pressure, wherein recognizing the middle pressure mouse click action includes recognizing a first mouse click in response to pressure being evenly displaced across the frame of the upper section; and

translating each of the mouse clicks to an operation associated with viewing an aspect of the displayed information of the document at the position sensed by the lower section of the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor are each either an optical sensor or a mechanical sensor, the optical or mechanical sensor being operable to sense movement across surfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

correlating the directional movement across the surface to a cursor movement on the display of the computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the external pressure on the frame of the upper section to a mouse click includes:

translating the external pressure of the first mouse click when the external pressure is applied to a central region of the upper section so that the entire plane of the upper section moves toward the lower section;

translating the external pressure to a second mouse click when the external pressure is applied to a first portion of the upper section so that the plane of the upper section intersects the lower section; and

translating the external pressure to a third mouse click when the external pressure is applied to a second portion of the upper section so that the plane of the upper section intersects the lower section.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is flat.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is in contact with the surface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is a map that is larger than the display of the computer system.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which are executable by a computer system, and which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, comprising:

sensing a directional movement of a computer system across a surface with a first movement sensor integrated into a bottom face of a lower section of the computer system having an upper section parallel to the lower section;

sensing an angular position of the computer system in relation to the surface with the first movement sensor and a second movement sensor integrated into the bottom face of the lower section of the computer system;

adjusting information displayed on a display of the computer system, the display being part of the upper section, the display initially showing a first section of a document, the document being larger than the display, adjusting information displayed on the display of the computer system including changing the display to displaying a second section of the document, wherein the position of the second section in the document in relation to the first section is consistent with a pattern of movement of the computer system across the surface sensed by the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor;

sensing external pressure on a frame surrounding the display in the upper section, the external pressure to move a plane of the upper section relative to the lower section;

translating the external pressure on the frame of the upper section to a mouse click action associated with an operation corresponding to the movement of the plane of the upper section relative to the lower section of the computer system, wherein translating the external pressure on the frame of the upper section to a mouse click action includes recognizing the mouse click action as one of a left side pressure, right side pressure, or middle pressure, wherein recognizing the middle pressure mouse click action includes recognizing a first mouse click in response to pressure being evenly displaced across the frame of the upper section; and

translating each of the mouse clicks to an operation associated with viewing an aspect of the displayed information of the document at the position sensed by the lower section of the computer system.

9. A computer system comprising:

a processor to operate the computer system;

an upper section and a lower section, the upper section and lower section being parallel with each other;

a display, the display being part of the upper section;

a first movement sensor integrated into a bottom face of the lower section, the first movement sensor to sense a directional movement of the computer system across a surface; and

a second movement sensor integrated into the bottom face of the lower section, the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor to sense an angular position of the computer system in relation to the surface;

wherein the processor is to;

adjust information displayed on the display, the display initially showing a first section of a document, the document being larger than the display, wherein adjusting information displayed on the display of the computer system includes changing the display to display a second section of the document, wherein the position of the second section in the document in relation to the first section is consistent with a pattern of movement of the computer system across the surface sensed by the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor,

translate sensed external pressure on a frame surrounding the display in the upper section to a mouse click action associated with an operation corresponding to the movement of a plane of the upper section relative to the lower section of the computer system, wherein translating the external pressure on the frame of the upper section to a mouse click action includes recognizing the mouse click action as one of a left side pressure, right side pressure, or middle pressure, wherein recognizing the middle pressure mouse click action includes recognizing a first mouse click in response to pressure being evenly displaced across the frame of the upper section, and

translate each of the mouse clicks into an operation associated with viewing an aspect of the displayed information of the document at the position sensed by the lower section of the computer system.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor are each either an optical sensor or a mechanical sensor.

11. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising surface contacts to enable movement of the computer system on the surface.

12. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising translation logic to translate information regarding the movement of the computer system across the surface into an operation of the computer system.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first movement sensor and the second movement sensor further detect a rotation of the computer system in relation to the surface.