Unintended displacement identification and correction method and system

• US 9,046,938 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ng, Chern Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): FRY, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US12/297,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,783 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/163, 345/166
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Substantially elevated movement sensitivity of a mouse enables improved control and finer manipulation of an object, for example a pointer, displayed on a display device. However, the elevated movement sensitivity also results in unintended movement of the mouse, generated when a button of the mouse is operated, being translated into displacement of the pointer on the display device. An embodiment of the invention describes a method for transducing movement occurring during an interval into signals in response to the button being operated. The signals are for use in manipulating the object. The method is further for comparing properties of the displacement with pre-defined reference properties to determined whether the movement is intended or unintended. The signals are subsequently terminated to impede manipulation of the object when the movement is determined to be unintended to thereby correct the unintended movement.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a non-transitory storage medium, comprising:

detecting activation of a switch;

sampling displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampling interval having an activation point for initiating the sampling interval and the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by a computing device;

determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement;

identifying the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate, wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals;

providing a function executable for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate;

storing the at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate on a memory device independent of the computing device;

providing at least one function switch operable for varying at least one of the duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate; and

providing a function executable for aggregating a plurality of activations of the switch within a bounce interval into a single activation of the switch and communicating the single activation of the switch to the computing device, and the activation point of the sampling interval is configurable to be activated at any time within the bounce interval,

wherein the at least one function switch is at least one of a graphical user interface means and a first mechanical switch.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals when the unintended displacement is identified.

3. The method as in claim 1, impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals comprising:

at least one of disabling communication of the displacement signals to a processor of the computing device and terminating the displacement signals.

4. The method as in claim 1, detecting activation of a switch comprising:

detecting activation of a switch for executing a function on the computing device.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the switch is one of a second mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the switch is a button of a peripheral device.

7. The method as in claim 1, sampling displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval comprising:

sampling displacement of one of a surface, a peripheral device and a ball rotatably coupled to the peripheral device,

wherein the transducer is coupled to the peripheral device for detecting the displacement.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

9. The method as in claim 1, determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement comprising:

providing a controller formed in one of the computing device and a peripheral device coupled to the computing device, the controller configured for communicating displacement signals between the transducer and a processor of the computing device; and

receiving and processing the displacement signals received by the controller for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom.

10. A system for communication with a computing device, the system comprising:

a peripheral device, the peripheral device having a switch and a transducer;

a controller configured for communication with the computing device,

wherein the controller performs the operations of;

detecting activation of the switch;

determining at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of a sampled displacement detected by the transducer;

identifying the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate, wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals; and

sampling displacement detected by the transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampling interval having an activation point for initiating the sampling interval and the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by the computing device;

the system further comprising;

a function executable by at least one of a processor of the computing device and the controller for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate;

a memory device independent of the computing device for storing the at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate;

at least one function switch in communication with the controller, the at least one function switch being operable for varying at least one of the duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate; and

a function executable by the at least one of the processor of the computing device and the controller for aggregating a plurality of activations of the switch within a bounce interval into a single activation of the switch and communicating the single activation of the switch to the computing device, and the activation point of the sampling interval is configurable to be activated at any time within the bounce interval,

wherein the at least one function switch is at least one of a graphical user interface means and a first mechanical switch.

11. The system as in claim 10, the controller further configured for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals comprises at least one of disabling communication of the displacement signals to a processor of the computing device and terminating the displacement signals.

13. The system as in claim 10, wherein the switch is activatable for executing a function on the computing device.

14. The system as in claim 10, wherein the switch is one of a second mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

15. The system as in claim 10, wherein the switch is a button formed on the peripheral device.

16. The system as in claim 10, wherein the transducer detects the displacement of one of a surface, a peripheral device and a ball rotatably coupled to the peripheral device for transducing into the displacement signals.

17. The system as in claim 10, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

18. The system as in claim 10, the controller further configured for receiving and processing the displacement signals for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom.

19. An apparatus for communication with a computing device, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

non-transitory memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

detect activation of a switch;

ample displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampling interval having an activation point for initiating the sampling interval and the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by a computing device;

determine at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement; and

identify the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate,

wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals;

execute a function for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate;

store the at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate on a memory device independent of the computing device;

vary at least one of the duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate in response to at least one function switch being operable; and

execute a function for aggregating a plurality of activations of the switch within a bounce interval into a single activation of the switch and communicating the single activation of the switch to the computing device, and the activation point of the sampling interval is configurable to be activated at any time within the bounce interval,

wherein the at least one function switch is at least one of a graphical user interface and a first mechanical switch.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19, the controller is further for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals when the unintended displacement is identified.

21. The apparatus as in claim 20, the controller impedes manipulation of the object by the displacement signals by at least one of disabling communication of the displacement signals to the computing device and terminating the displacement signals.

22. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the switch is activatable for executing a function on the computing device.

23. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the switch is one of a second mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

24. The apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising:

a body for housing the controller, the transducer, the switch and the memory device,

wherein the switch is a button formed on the body.

25. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the transducer detects the displacement of one of a surface, the body and a ball rotatably coupled to the body for transducing into the displacement signals.

26. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

27. The apparatus as in claim 19, the controller further for receiving and processing the displacement signals for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom.

28. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause a machine to:

detect activation of a switch;

sample displacement detected by a transducer occurring during a sampling interval in response to the switch being activated, the sampling interval having an activation point for initiating the sampling interval and the sampled displacement being transduced into displacement signals for manipulating an object generated by a computing device;

determine at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement; and

identify the displacement occurring during the sampling interval as an unintended displacement when at least one of the displacement magnitude is less than a reference magnitude and the displacement rate is less than a reference rate,

wherein the unintended displacement is identified for impeding manipulation of the object by the displacement signals;

execute a function for enabling one of varying and defining of at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate;

store the at least one of duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate on a memory device independent of the computing device;

vary at least one of the duration of the sampling interval, the reference magnitude and the reference rate in response to at least one function switch being operable; and

execute a function for aggregating a plurality of activations of the switch within a bounce interval into a single activation of the switch and communicating the single activation of the switch to the computing device, and the activation point of the sampling interval is configurable to be activated at any time within the bounce interval,

wherein the at least one function switch is at least one of a graphical user interface and a first mechanical switch.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

impede manipulation of the object by the displacement signals when the unintended displacement is identified.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

at least one of disable communication of the displacement signals to the processor of the computing device and terminate the displacement signals.

31. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

detect activation of a switch for executing a function on the computing device.

32. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the switch is one of a second mechanical switch, a capacitive switch and an optical switch.

33. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the switch is a button of a peripheral device.

34. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

sample displacement of one of a surface, a peripheral device and a ball rotatably coupled to the peripheral device,

wherein the transducer is coupled to the peripheral device for detecting the displacement.

35. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the transducer is one of an electromagnetic transducer, an electromechanical transducer and a photoelectric transducer.

36. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

receive and process the displacement signals received by a controller for determining the at least one of displacement magnitude and displacement rate of the sampled displacement therefrom,

wherein the controller is formed in one of the computing device and a peripheral device coupled to the computing device, the controller configured for communicating displacement signals between the transducer and a processor of the computing device.