Method and system for power conservation in a multi-zone input device

• US 9,489,061 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Ramond, Nicolas, Piot, Julien, Merminod, Baptiste, Dayer, Christophe, White, Niall, Harvey, Stephen, Fortin, Frederic, Meisser, Mathieu, Mathis, Olivier, Croisonnier, Regis
• Primary Examiner(s): Eurice, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/296,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163, 345/166, 345/173, 235/462.45, 713/300, 178/18.06, 178/18.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0332 Ergonomic shaped mouse adjustable to suit one of both hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0334 Ergonomic shaped mouse for vertical grip, whereby the hand controlling the mouse is resting or gripping it with an attitude almost vertical with respect of the working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method includes placing an input device in a passive mode of operation and periodically monitoring a displacement sensor of the input device, receiving an indication of displacement from the displacement sensor, and placing the input device in an active mode of operation characterized by a power consumption level. The method also includes determining a passing of a predetermined time period since receiving the indication of displacement, placing the input device in a second active mode of operation characterized by a second power consumption level less than the power consumption level, and periodically monitoring one or more of a plurality of touch sensors. The method further includes receiving an indication of input from the one or more of the plurality of touch sensors and placing the input device in the active mode of operation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting a motion frame rate of a computer mouse to a first motion frame rate, wherein the computer mouse includes a motion sensor and a touch sensor mounted on a housing of the computer mouse, and wherein the motion frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether the computer mouse is moving along a surface;

setting a touch frame rate of the computer mouse to a first touch frame rate, wherein the touch frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether a user is touching the touch sensor of the computer mouse;

receiving a signal from the motion sensor indicating motion of the computer mouse along a surface;

determining that a user is not touching the touch sensor;

based on receiving the signal from the motion sensor and determining that a user is not touching the touch sensor, placing the computer mouse in a second state of operation, wherein placing the computer mouse in the second state of operation includes;

setting the motion frame rate to a second motion frame rate, wherein the second motion frame rate is higher than the first motion frame rate; and

maintaining the touch frame rate in the first touch frame rate;

receiving a signal from the touch sensor indicating touching of the touch sensor; and

in response to receiving the signal from the touch sensor, placing the computer mouse in a third state of operation, wherein placing the computer mouse in the third state of operation includes;

setting the touch frame rate to a second touch frame rate, wherein the second touch frame rate is higher than the first touch frame rate; and

maintaining the motion frame rate in the second motion frame rate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining a passing of a predetermined time period since receiving the signal from the touch sensor, with no further signal from the touch sensor, placing the computer mouse in the second state of operation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer mouse is placed into a sleep mode if no motion signal and no touch signal is detected for a predetermined period of time.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the computer mouse further comprises an additional touch sensor, the touch sensor and the additional touch sensor being driven by common drive lines.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

setting a touch frame rate of the additional touch sensor to the second touch frame rate in the third state of operation.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the touch sensor is positioned above of a touch screen disposed on the computer mouse, and wherein the touch screen is configured to receive user-configurable commands.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the additional touch sensor is disposed on a different portion of the computer mouse than the touch sensor.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein a zoom-out or stretch functionality is provided by sliding a finger along the touch pad in a first direction and a thumb along the additional touch pad in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction so that the separation between the thumb and finger increases.

9. A method comprising:

setting a motion frame rate of a computer mouse to a first motion frame rate, wherein the computer mouse includes a motion sensor and a touch sensor mounted on a housing of the computer mouse, and wherein the motion frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether the computer mouse is moving along a surface;

setting a touch frame rate of the computer mouse to a first touch frame rate, wherein the touch frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether a user is touching the touch sensor of the computer mouse;

receiving a first signal indicating a user touching the touch sensor of the computer mouse;

determining that the computer mouse is not moving along a surface;

placing the computer mouse in a second state of operation after receiving the first signal and determining that the computer mouse is not moving along the surface, wherein placing the computer mouse in the second state of operation includes;

setting the touch frame rate to a second touch frame rate, wherein the second touch frame rate is higher than the first touch frame rate; and

setting the motion frame rate to a second motion frame rate, wherein the second motion frame rate is one of a low and intermediate rate, but not a high rate;

receiving a second signal indicating motion of the computer mouse along a surface; and

in response to receiving the second signal, placing the computer mouse in a third state of operation, wherein placing the computer mouse in the third state of operation includes;

setting the motion frame rate to a third motion frame rate, wherein the third motion frame rate is higher than the second motion frame rate and the first motion frame rate; and

maintaining the touch frame rate in the second touch frame rate.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising placing the computer mouse into a sleep mode if no motion and no touch signal is detected for a predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer mouse further comprises an additional touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor and the additional touch sensor are driven by common drive lines.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the second motion frame rate is the intermediate rate, and wherein the intermediate rate is higher than the first motion frame rate.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

in response to determining that the computer mouse is not moving along the surface for a predetermined period of time, placing the computer mouse in the second state of operation.

14. A computer mouse comprising:

a motion sensor to provide a signal indicating motion of the computer mouse along a surface, wherein the motion sensor includes a motion frame rate, and wherein the motion frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether the computer mouse is moving along a surface;

a touch pad to provide a signal indicating a user touching the touch pad, wherein the touch pad includes a touch frame rate, and wherein the touch frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether a user is touching the touch pad;

a processor coupled to the motion sensor and the touch pad; and

non-transitory, computer readable media coupled to the processor, and containing instructions including;

set the motion frame rate of to a first motion frame rate;

set the touch frame rate to a first touch frame rate;

receive a first signal indicating a user touching the touch pad;

determine that the computer mouse is not moving along a surface;

place the computer mouse in a second state of operation after receiving the first signal and determining that the computer mouse is not moving along the surface, wherein placing the computer mouse in the second state of operation includes;

setting the touch frame rate to a second touch frame rate, wherein the second touch frame rate is higher than the first touch frame rate; and

setting the motion frame rate to a second motion frame rate, wherein the second motion frame rate is one of a low and intermediate rate, but not a high rate;

receive a second signal indicating motion of the computer mouse along a surface; and

in response to receiving the second signal, place the computer mouse in a third state of operation, wherein placing the computer mouse in the third state of operation includes;

setting the motion frame rate to a third motion frame rate, wherein the third motion frame rate is higher than the second motion frame rate and the first motion frame rate; and

maintaining the touch frame rate in the second touch frame rate.

15. The computer mouse of claim 14 wherein the frame rate of the motion sensor is an intermediate frame rate between the high frame rate and a sleep mode frame rate, and wherein the non-transitory, computer readable media further contains instructions for transitioning the motion sensor from a sleep mode frame rate to the intermediate frame rate in response to a signal from the touch pad and an absence of a signal from the motion sensor.

16. The computer mouse of claim 14 wherein the low frame rate of the touch pad is an intermediate frame rate between the high frame rate and a sleep mode frame rate, and wherein the non-transitory, computer readable media further contains instructions for transitioning the touch pad from a sleep mode frame rate to the intermediate frame rate in response to a signal from the motion sensor and an absence of a signal from the touch pad.

17. A computer mouse comprising:

a motion sensor to provide a signal indicating motion of the computer mouse along a surface, wherein the motion sensor includes a motion frame rate, and wherein the motion frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether the computer mouse is moving along a surface;

a touch pad to provide a signal indicating a user touching the touch pad, wherein the touch pad includes a touch frame rate, and wherein the touch frame rate corresponds to a rate of detecting whether a user is touching the touch pad;

a processor coupled to the motion sensor and the touch pad; and

non-transitory, computer readable media coupled to the processor, and containing instructions including;

set the motion frame rate to a first motion frame rate;

set the touch frame rate to a first touch frame rate;

receive a signal from the motion sensor indicating motion of the computer mouse along a surface;

determine that a user is not touching the touch pad;

based on receiving the signal from the motion sensor and determining that a user is not touching the touch pad, place the computer mouse in a second state of operation, wherein placing the computer mouse in the second state of operation includes;

setting the motion frame rate to a second motion frame rate, wherein the second motion frame rate is higher than the first motion frame rate; and

maintaining the touch frame rate in the first touch frame rate;

receive a signal from the touch pad indicating touching of the touch pad; and

in response to receiving the signal from the touch pad, place the computer mouse in a third state of operation, wherein placing the computer mouse in the third state of operation includes;

setting the touch frame rate to a second touch frame rate, wherein the second touch frame rate is higher than the first touch frame rate; and

maintaining the motion frame rate in the second motion frame rate.