Using vibration to determine the motion of an input device

• US 9,639,187 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Amm, David T., Leung, Omar S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafari, Sepideh
• Application Number:
  US12/235,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20100073292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,144 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the speed and/or position of an input device from vibrational signals is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a response spectrum is generated as the input device moves across a surface. Amplitude and frequency data associated with the response spectrum is analyzed to determine the magnitude of the velocity.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a first module for detecting vibrations as the input device is moved across a surface, wherein the first module outputs a first signal corresponding to the detected vibrations;

a second module for storing data corresponding to the first signal; and

a third module for estimating a speed of the input device based on a first filtered signal, a second filtered signal, and a third filtered signal generated in parallel,

wherein the first filtered signal is generated by applying a first bandpass filter to the first signal, the second filtered signal generated by applying a second bandpass filter to the first signal, and the third filtered signal is generated by averaging the first signal over a period of time, and

wherein the first bandpass filter filters the first signal according to a first frequency band, the second bandpass filter filters the first signal according to a second frequency band, and the second frequency band is at least partially different than the first frequency band.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first module comprises a vibrometer.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first module comprises an accelerometer.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the third module is adapted to estimate the speed of the input device by processing at least one filtered signal.

5. The input device of claim 4, wherein said processing the at least one filtered signal comprises measuring the amplitude of the at least one filtered signal.

6. The input device of claim 5, wherein said measuring the amplitude of the at least one filtered signal comprises taking a root mean square level of the at least one filtered signal.

7. The input device of claim 5, wherein said measuring the amplitude of the at least one filtered signal comprises taking an absolute value of the at least one filtered signal.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the third module is adapted to estimate the speed of the input device by processing a plurality of acceleration metrics;

wherein at least one of the metrics is based at least in part upon a measured amplitude of a filtered signal.

9. The input device of claim 8, wherein the third module is further adapted to assign a weight to each acceleration metric of the plurality.

10. A method of tracking a motion of an input device comprising:

estimating a velocity of the input device based upon a first set of data and a second set of data; and

positioning a display object based at least in part upon said velocity,

wherein the first set of data is based at least in part upon a sensory value, and the second set of data comprises a first signal corresponding to vibrations associated with the input device moving across a surface;

filtering the first signal with a first bandpass filter and a second bandpass filter in parallel, wherein the first bandpass filter filters the first signal according to a first frequency band, the second bandpass filter filters the first signal according to a second frequency band, and the second frequency band is at least partially different than the first frequency band;

determining an average of the first signal over a period of time, and

estimating the velocity of the input device based on the output of the first bandpass filter and the second bandpass filter and the average of the first signal over the period of time.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting the vibrations using an accelerometer disposed within the input device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the accelerometer comprises a micro electro-mechanical system.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting the vibrations using a vibrometer disposed within the input device.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting the vibrations using a microphone disposed within the input device.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting the sensory value using a two-dimensional force sensor.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said positioning a display object comprises updating a set of coordinates associated with the display object.

17. A method of tracking a motion of an input device comprising:

estimating a velocity of the input device based upon a first set of data and a second set of data; and

positioning a display object based at least in part upon said velocity,

wherein the first set of data is based at least in part upon a sensory value, and the second set of data comprises a first signal corresponding to vibrations associated with the input device moving across a surface;

filtering the first signal with a first bandpass filter and a second bandpass filter in parallel, wherein the first bandpass filter filters the first signal according to a first frequency band, the second bandpass filter filters the first signal according to a second frequency band, and the second frequency band is at least partially different than the first frequency band; and

estimating the velocity of the input device based on the output of the first bandpass filter and the second bandpass filter,

wherein said positioning a display object comprises updating a set of coordinates associated with the display object, and

wherein said updating a set of coordinates associated with a display object comprises storing a fractional residue in an accumulator.

18. A computer readable storage device storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, performs a process comprising:

receiving a signal generated by a vibration sensor indicative of contact with a surface; and

determining a speed of the input device based at least in part upon the signal, including;

filtering the signal through a first bandpass filter and a second bandpass filter in parallel, wherein the first bandpass filter filters the signal according to a first frequency band, the second bandpass filter filters the signal according to a second frequency band, and the second frequency band is at least partially different than the first frequency band and

determining an average of the first signal over a period of time.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the process further comprises:

receiving an input from a force sensor; and

updating a set of coordinates based at least in part upon the input and based at least in part upon the signal.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the input comprises an indication of direction.

21. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the input comprises an estimate of speed.

22. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein said updating a set of coordinates is adapted to orient a graphical object upon a display screen.

23. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the vibration sensor comprises a vibrometer.

24. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer.

25. A system comprising:

an input device adapted to interact with a surface;

a computing device adapted to receive a signal from the input device; and

a graphical object adapted to respond to a command issued by the computing device,

wherein the signal comprises a value representing a speed of the input device, in which the value is determined at least in part based upon a vibration induced by the input device moving upon a surface and wherein the value is determined by;

filtering a measurement signal corresponding to the vibration with a first bandpass filter and with a second bandpass filter in parallel, wherein the first bandpass filter filters the measurement signal according to a first frequency band, the second bandpass filter filters the measurement signal according to a second frequency band, and the second frequency band is at least partially different than the first frequency band; and

determining an average of the measurement signal over a period of time.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the input device comprises a computer mouse.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the computing device comprises a console.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the graphical object comprises a cursor.