Capacitive mouse

• US 20020063688A1
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Gillespie, David W., Day, Shawn P., Errington, Andrew M., Shaw, Scott J., Trent, Raymond A. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US09/971,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• 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 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.

Claims

1. A rotary motion detector comprising:

a rotating member,

a capacitance detecting means comprising a plurality of fixed capacitance detecting members and a capacitance measuring circuit that measures the variations of capacitance on said capacitance detecting members, and

processing means to determine the movement of said rotating member based on said capacitance measurements.

2. The rotary motion detector of claim 1 in which said rotating member includes an electrically conductive disc.

3. The rotary motion detector of claim 1 in which said rotating member includes a disc with electrically conductive notches.

4. The rotary motion detector of claim 1 in which said conductive notches are electrically grounded.

5. The rotary motion detector of claim 1 in which said rotating member includes a pattern of conductive material.

6. The rotary motion detector of claim 1 in which said capacitance detecting members comprise conductive plates in close proximity to said rotating member.

7. The rotary motion detector of claim 2 in which said capacitance detecting members comprise conductive plates in close proximity to said conductive disc.

8. The rotary motion detector of claim 3 in which said capacitance detecting members comprise conductive plates in close proximity to said conductive notches of said disc.

9. The rotary motion detector of claim 8, in which said capacitance detector includes at least three of said capacitance detecting members.

10. The rotary motion detector of claim 9, in which said processing means combines the capacitance measurements from said capacitance detecting members to compensate for variations in distance between said capacitance detecting members and said rotating member.

11. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said capacitance measuring circuit produces thresholded capacitance measurements for said processing means.

12. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said capacitance measuring unit produces varying capacitance measurements for said processing means.

13. The rotary motion detector of claim 12, in which said processing means uses said varying capacitance measurements to measure the motion of said rotating member to greater resolution than the size of said capacitance detecting members.

14. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said rotating member is electrically connected to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures capacitance between said rotating member and said capacitance detecting members.

15. The rotary motion detector of claim 14, in which said rotating member and said capacitance measuring circuit are connected to electrical ground.

16. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said rotating member is capacitively coupled to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures transcapacitance between said capacitance measuring circuit and said capacitance detecting members.

17. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said rotating member induces transcapacitance between some of said capacitance detecting members, and said capacitance detector measures said transcapacitance between said capacitance detecting members.

18. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said rotary motion detector detects motion of a pointing device.

19. The rotary motion detector of claim 8, in which said rotary motion detector detects motion of a pointing device.

20. The rotary motion detector of claim 13, in which said rotary motion detector detects motion of a pointing device.

21. The rotary motion detector of claim 1, in which said rotary motion detector detects computer scrolling commands.

22. The rotary motion detector of claim 8, in which said rotary motion detector detects computer scrolling commands.

23. The rotary motion detector of claim 13, in which said rotary motion detectordetects computer scrolling commands.

24. The rotary motion detector of claim 21, in which said rotary motion detector is contained within a computer pointing device.

26. The motion detector of claim 25, in which said conductive patterns are electrically connected to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures capacitance between said conductive patterns and said capacitance detecting members.

27. The motion detector of claim 25, in which said conductive patterns are capacitively coupled to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures transcapacitance between said capacitance measuring circuit and said capacitance detecting members.

28. The motion detector of claim 25, in which said conductive patterns induce transcapacitance between some of said capacitance detecting members, and said capacitance detector measures said transcapacitance between said capacitance detecting members.

29. The motion detector of claim 25, in which said motion detector is used in a computer pointing device.

30. The motion detector of claim 25, in which said pointing device is a mouse.

25. A motion detector comprised of a rotating ball with conductive patterns on or near the surface of said rotating ball, and a capacitance detector comprising a plurality of capacitance detecting members and a capacitance measuring circuit.

31. A computer mouse in which motion of the mouse is measured by capacitive means.

32. The computer mouse of claim 31, in which said mouse includes at least one button whose activation is detected by capacitive means.

33. The computer mouse of claim 32, in which said button comprises capacitive touch sensors.

34. The computer mouse of claim 32, in which said motion and said button activations are detected by the same capacitance measuring means.

36. The computer mouse of claim 35, in which motion of said mouse is measured by capacitive means.

37. The computer mouse of claim 36, in which said motion and said scrolling commands are detected by the same capacitance measuring means.

38. The computer mouse of claim 35, in which mouse button activations are detected by capacitive means.

39. The computer mouse of claim 38, in which said button activations and said scrolling commands are detected by the same capacitance measuring means.

35. A computer mouse in which scrolling commands are detected by capacitive means.

40. A computer mouse including a control member attached to a conductive member, operation of said control member by the user causing deflection of said conductive member, and a capacitance detector that measures said deflection of said conductive member by capacitive means.

41. The computer mouse of claim 40, in which said control member is used to send scrolling commands to a computer.

42. The computer mouse of claim 40, in which said capacitance detector measures operation of said control member in two orthogonal axes.

43. A computer mouse including a touch sensor measuring the motion of a finger along an axis, said touch sensor operating by capacitive means.

44. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is located between two mouse buttons.

45. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is located on the side of said mouse.

46. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is located on a mouse button.

47. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is used to send a scrolling command to a computer.

48. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is mounted on the surface of said mouse.

49. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is mounted beneath the enclosed surface of said mouse.

50. The computer mouse of claim 49, in which said surface of said mouse is made thinner in the vicinity of said touch sensor in order to increase capacitive coupling of said finger to said touch sensor.

51. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which said touch sensor is embedded within the surface material of said mouse.

52. The computer mouse of claim 47, in which tapping gestures of said finger on said touch sensor are decoded as commands for said computer.

53. The computer mouse of claim 47, in which said scrolling commands continue after said finger lifts from said touch sensor.

54. The computer mouse of claim 53, in which said continuation of said scrolling commands does not occur if said finger was substantially stationary prior to lifting from said touch sensor.

55. The computer mouse of claim 53, in which said continuing scrolling commands cease when said finger again touches said touch sensor.

56. The computer mouse of claim 53, in which said continuing scrolling commands cease a determined amount of time after said finger lifts from said touch sensor.

57. The computer mouse of claim 53, in which said continuing scrolling commands decrease gradually after said finger lifts from said touch sensor.

58. The computer mouse of claim 43, in which motion of said mouse is detected by optical means.

59. The computer mouse of claim 58, in which said mouse has no moving parts.

60. A computer mouse including a touch sensor measuring the motion of a finger in two dimensions, said touch sensor operating by capacitive means.

61. The computer mouse of claim 60, in which said touch sensor is used to send a scrolling command to a computer.

62. The computer mouse of claim 60 in which said motion occurs within an area of the surface of said mouse.

63. A one-dimensional touch sensor measuring the motion of a conductive object along an axis, said touch sensor operating by capacitive means, said motion generating scrolling commands for a computer.

64. The one-dimensional touch sensor of claim 63 in which tapping gestures of said finger on said touch sensor are decoded as commands for said computer.

65. The one-dimensional touch sensor of claim 63 in which said scrolling commands continue after said conductive object is lifted from said sensor.

66. The one-dimensional touch sensor of claim 63 in which said scrolling commands do not continue after said conductive object is lifted from said sensor.

67. The one-dimensional touch sensor of claim 63 in which said touch sensor is mounted in a peripheral device of a computer.

68. The one-dimensional touch sensor of claim 63 in which said touch sensor is mounted in an input device of a computer.

69. The one-dimensional touch sensor of claim 68 in which said input device is a mouse.

70. A capacitive touch sensor measuring the motion of a finger along an axis, and in response to said motion generating quadrature signals compatible with those from a rotary motion detector.