Pointer tool

• US 20030169229A1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEX Biometrics ASA
• Original Assignee: Idex ASA
• Inventors: Mathiassen, Svein, Mathiassen, Stig, Nysaether, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• 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 3/03547 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

This invention relates to a pointer tool for connecting to a display device, comprising a number of sensors elements being positioned on a two-dimensional surface, for measuring a predetermined parametre at a surface, the measured quantity being sampled at a chosen rate, and calculating means for comparing the measurements from the sensor elements for detection of movements in two dimension over the elements based on changes in the measured parametre, the time between the changes and the known relative positions between the sensor elements.

Claims

1. Pointer tool for connecting to a display device, characterized in that it comprises a number of sensors elements being positioned on a two-dimensional surface, for measuring a predetermined parametre at a surface, the measured quantity being sampled at a chosen rate, and calculating means for comparing the measurements from the sensor elements for detection of movements in two dimensions over the elements based on changes in the measured parametre, the time between the changes and the known relative positions between the sensor elements.

2. Pointer tool according to claim 1, also comprising storing means for storing the history of the signals sampled from each sensor element, said calculation means being adapted to compare the most recent values of each element with the history of a chosen number of the rest of the elements, thus to calculate the velocity and direction of the surface relative to the sensor elements.

3. Pointer tool according to claim 1, wherein a chosen number of sensor elements define a linear array, said elements being related to a linear finger scanner.

4. Pointer tool according to claim 1, wherein the sensor elements define two perpendicular pairs of sensor element arrays.

5. Pointer tool according to claim 1, comprising a display device coupled to the calculating means for indicating the measured movements on the display, e.g. as a cursor.

6. Pointer tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor element is adapted to respond to measured values exceeding a predetermined value, thus to sense the presence of a surface, e.g. a finger.

7. Pointer tool according to claim 6, wherein it comprises means for measuring the time of the presence and the time between the responces, so as to recognize taps, or double taps on the sensor.