Method and apparatus for configuring and selectively sensing use of a device

• US 10,061,405 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2018
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Soelberg, Tino
• Primary Examiner(s): Simpson, Lixi C
• Application Number:
  US15/861,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for subdividing a touch-sensitive interface of a mouse accessory into a first plurality of sectors for defining a first plurality of mouse buttons, where each sector of the first plurality of sectors corresponds to a distinct mouse button. The method can further include receiving a first signal from the touch-sensitive interface of the mouse accessory, detecting, from the first signal a selection of a sector of the first plurality of sectors, and generating a second signal indicating the selection of the sector. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A user input device, comprising:

an adjustable, touch-sensitive interface;

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, from a computing device communicatively coupled to the user input device, user input to identify a plurality of virtual regions of the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface to define a plurality of buttons, wherein the user input is received via a graphical user interface provided at the computing device, wherein the graphical user interface provides an illustration of the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface and the plurality of virtual regions, and wherein the graphical user interface provides a selection of a plurality of software applications to associate the plurality of virtual regions with a plurality of commands for each software application of the plurality of software applications;

configuring the user input device with the user input received through the graphical user interface;

receiving a first signal from the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface, wherein the first signal comprises a coordinate signal; and

receiving a second signal from adjustable, touch-sensitive interface indicating that the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface has been depressed, wherein the second signal is provided to a current software application of the plurality of software applications.

2. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise detecting a selection of a sector of the plurality of virtual regions from the first signal upon receiving the second signal.

3. The user input device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise causing each sector of the plurality of sectors to be distinctly highlighted according to a geographic shape of each of the plurality of virtual regions.

4. The user input device of claim 3, wherein each sector of the plurality of sectors corresponds to a distinct mouse button of the plurality of buttons.

5. The user input device of claim 2, wherein the user input device comprises a computer mouse, wherein the selection of the sector indicates a distinct mouse button associated with the sector based on a location of a physical contact applied to the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface.

6. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise transmitting a selection signal indicating the selection of a sector that corresponds to a distinct mouse button to the computing device.

7. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises subdividing the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface into a plurality of sectors, responsive to the user input defining the plurality of virtual regions.

8. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface comprises a first sensor for detecting physical contact of the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface to provide the first signal and a second sensor for detecting when the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface has been depressed to provide the second signal.

9. The user input device of claim 8, wherein the first sensor comprises a capacitive sensor, wherein the capacitive sensor is divided into a plurality of electrically isolated regions, and wherein each of the plurality of electrically isolated regions corresponds to one of the plurality of virtual regions.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

presenting an interface to identify a plurality of virtual regions of an input accessory according to a user input to define configuration data, wherein the interface comprises a graphical user interface to receive the user input to define the plurality of virtual regions according to the configuration data, wherein the graphical user interface presents an illustration of an adjustable, touch-sensitive interface of the input accessory to receive the user input to define the plurality of virtual regions, wherein the graphical user interface provides a selection of a plurality of software applications to associate the plurality of virtual regions with a plurality of commands for each software application of the plurality of software applications;

receiving the user input to subdivide the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface of the input accessory into a plurality of sectors for defining a plurality of buttons according to the plurality of virtual regions, wherein each sector of the plurality of sectors corresponds to a distinct button;

receiving a first signal from the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface of the input accessory, wherein the first signal comprises an indication of a touching of a sector of the plurality of sectors, and wherein the touching of the sector identifies the distinct button associated with the sector; and

receiving a second signal from a second sensor indicating an activation of the distinct button, wherein the second signal is provided to a current software application of the plurality of software applications.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise detecting, responsive to receiving the first signal and the second signal, a selection of the distinct button.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a plurality of virtual regions map into the plurality of sectors.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second sensor comprises a switch to determine when the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface associated with the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface has been depressed.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the selection of the distinct button to the current software application associated with the input accessory.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface comprises a first sensor for detecting physical contact of the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface to provide the first signal and a second sensor for detecting when the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface has been depressed to provide the second signal.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first sensor comprises a capacitive sensor, wherein the capacitive sensor is divided into a plurality of electrically isolated regions, and wherein each of the plurality of electrically isolated regions corresponds to one of the plurality of virtual regions.

17. A method, comprising:

presenting, by a computing system comprising a processor, a graphical user interface to identify a plurality of virtual regions of an input accessory according to user input, wherein the graphical user interface presents an illustration of an adjustable, touch-sensitive interface of the input accessory to receive the user input to define the plurality of virtual regions, wherein the graphical user interface provides a selection of a plurality of software applications to associate the plurality of virtual regions with a plurality of commands for each software application of the plurality of software applications;

receiving, by the computing system, a first signal from the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface of the input accessory, wherein the first signal comprises a coordinate signal;

receiving, by the computing system, an actuation signal indicating an acceptance of the first signal;

detecting, by the computing system, responsive to receiving both the coordinate signal and the actuation signal, a selection of a sector of a plurality of sectors; and

generating, by the computing system, a second signal indicating a selection of a distinct button associated with the selection of the sector, wherein the second signal is provided to a current software application of the plurality of software applications.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising subdividing, by the computing system, the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface of the input accessory into the plurality of sectors for defining a plurality of buttons according to the plurality of virtual regions, wherein each sector of the plurality of sectors corresponds to the distinct button of the plurality of buttons.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the coordinate signal indicates which of the plurality of sectors has been touched, and wherein the actuation signal indicates that the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface has been depressed.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface comprises a first sensor for detecting physical contact of the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface to provide the first signal and a second sensor for detecting when the adjustable, touch-sensitive interface has been depressed to provide the second signal.