Methods and apparatus for object tracking on a hand-held device

• US 8,928,602 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Movella Incorporated (Movella Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: mCube, Inc.
• Inventors: Wan, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, IBRAHIM A
• Application Number:
  US12/940,026
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 324/251, 324/252, 324/244, 324/247, 178/18.07
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/06 using galvano-magnetic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A handheld device includes a housing, a display, a MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the housing, wherein the MEMS magnetic field sensor is configured to sense a plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to a perturbation source when the user displaces the perturbation source proximate to the handheld device, and a processor disposed within the housing and coupled to the MEMS magnetic field sensor and to the display, wherein the processor is programmed to receive the plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a plurality of spatial locations in at least two-dimensions in response to the plurality of perturbations, and wherein the processor is programmed output an indication of the plurality of spatial locations on the display.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

a housing;

a display;

a MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the housing, wherein the MEMS magnetic field sensor is configured to sense a plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to a magnetic storage media when the user displaces the magnetic storage media in three-dimensional space relative to the handheld device;

wherein the MEMS magnetic field sensor includes

a substrate member having a surface region and one or more lateral surface regions,

an integrated circuit (IC) layer spatially disposed overlying at least a portion of the surface region,

a first magnetic field sensor element comprising at least a first material and configured to detect at least in a first direction, the first magnetic field sensor element being operably coupled to the IC layer,

a second magnetic field sensor element comprising at least the first material and configured to detect at least in a second direction, the second magnetic field sensing element being operably coupled to the IC layer,

a third magnetic field sensor element comprising at least the first material and configured to detect at least in a third direction, the third magnetic sensing element being operably coupled to the IC layer, and

at least one magnetic field concentrator spatially formed overlying at least one portion of the surface region and a portion of the one or more lateral surface regions;

wherein the first material comprises thin film materials;

wherein the first, second, and third directions are mutually orthogonal; and

a processor disposed within the housing and coupled to the MEMS magnetic field sensor and to the display, wherein the processor is programmed to receive the plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a plurality of stored data in response to the plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields from the magnetic storage media.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the MEMS magnetic sensor comprises a MEMS magnetic sensor manufactured using a foundry compatible process.

3. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the MEMS magnetic sensor comprises a three-axis magnetic field sensor.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising a MEMS pressure sensor disposed within the housing, wherein the MEMS pressure sensor is configured to sense a plurality of perturbations in air pressure in response to the user spatially displacing the handheld device.

5. The handheld device of claim 4 wherein the processor is programmed to receive the plurality of perturbations in air pressure, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a rate of change in pressure in response to the plurality of perturbations in air pressure, and wherein the processor is programmed to output an indication of the rate of change of air pressure on the display.

6. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the MEMS magnetic sensor is configured to determine the plurality of perturbations in the magnetic fields in response to a magnetic storage media selected from a group consisting of:

a credit card, a license card, and a card with one or more magnetic tracks.

7. The handheld device of claim 1

wherein the MEMS magnetic field sensor is configured to sense another plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to a perturbation source when the user displaces the perturbation source in three-dimensional space relative to the handheld device;

wherein the processor is programmed to determine a plurality of spatial locations in three dimensional space in response to the another plurality of perturbations in the magnetic fields; and

wherein the processor is programmed to output an indication of the plurality of spatial location on the display.

8. The handheld device of claim 7 wherein the magnetic fields comprise Earth magnetic fields.

9. The handheld device of claim 7

wherein the user displaces the perturbation source within a plane of a front surface of the display;

and

wherein the display is configured to reflect a two-dimensional path of the perturbation source with respect to the display.

10. The handheld device of claim 7 wherein the processor is programmed to determine a digitized shape from the plurality of spatial locations, wherein the processor is programmed to output an indication of the digitized shape on the display.

11. A method for a handheld computer system for processing data stored in a magnetic storage media, the method comprising:

sensing, in a MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the handheld computer system, a plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to a user spatially displacing the magnetic storage media in three-dimensional space relative to the handheld device;

wherein the MEMS magnetic field sensor includes;

a substrate member having a surface region and one or more lateral surface regions,

an integrated circuit (IC) layer spatially disposed overlying at least a portion of the surface region,

a first magnetic field sensor element comprising at least a first material and configured to detect at least in a first direction, the first magnetic field sensor element being operably coupled to the IC layer,

a second magnetic field sensor element comprising at least the first material and configured to detect at least in a second direction, the second magnetic field sensing element being operably coupled to the IC layer,

a third magnetic field sensor element comprising at least the first material and configured to detect at least in a third direction, the third magnetic sensing element being operably coupled to the IC layer, and

at least one magnetic field concentrator spatially formed overlying at least one portion of the surface region and a portion of the one or more lateral surface regions;

wherein the first material comprises thin film materials;

wherein the first, second, and third directions are mutually orthogonal; and

determining, in a processor, a plurality of stored data in response to the plurality of perturbations in the magnetic fields from the magnetic storage media.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing comprises sensing in a MEMS magnetic sensor manufactured using a foundry compatible process, the handheld computer system, the plurality of perturbations.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing comprises sensing in a three-axis magnetic field MEMS magnetic sensor, the handheld computer system, the plurality of perturbations.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising sensing in a MEMS pressure sensor disposed within the handheld computer system, a plurality of perturbations in air pressure in response to a user spatially displacing the handheld device.

15. The method claim 14 further comprising determining in the processor, a rate of change in pressure in response to the plurality of perturbations in air pressure, and displaying on the display, an indication of the rate of change in air pressure.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing comprises sensing in the MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the handheld computer system, the plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to the user spatially displacing the magnetic storage media relative to the handheld device, wherein the perturbation source is selected from a group consisting of:

a credit card, a license card, a card with one or more magnetic tracks.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising

sensing, in the MEMS magnetic field sensor, another plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to a user spatially displacing a perturbation source in three-dimensional space relative to the handheld device;

determining, in the processor, a plurality of spatial locations in three dimensional space in response to another plurality of perturbations in the magnetic fields; and

displaying, on a display, an indication of the plurality of spatial location.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensing comprising sensing in the MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the handheld computer system, the another plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to the user spatially displacing the perturbation source relative to the handheld device, wherein the magnetic fields comprise Earth magnetic fields.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensing comprises sensing in the MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the handheld computer system, the another plurality of perturbations in magnetic fields in response to the user spatially displacing the perturbation source within a plane of a front surface of the display;

and

wherein the displaying comprises displaying a two-dimensional path of the perturbation source with respect to the display.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining in the processor, a digitized shape from the plurality of spatial locations, and displaying on the display, an indication of the digitized shape.