Multi-function pointing device

• US 20040212586A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Denny, Trueman H. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

A multi-function pointing device is disclosed. The multi-function pointing device is operative to initiate an action in an electronic device in response to a movement of a pointing implement that is movably positioned in a holster. At least one sensor detects the movement (e.g. translation and rotation) of the pointing implement in the holster and outputs a signal indicative of that motion. The action initiated by the electronic device can include manipulating images on a display or a touch sensitive display, scrolling of the display, cursor movement, zooming in and zooming out on an image, and moving between various icons or objects on the display. The pointing implement can be a stylus for manipulating images displayed on a device such as a PDA, cell phone, digital camera, portable computing device, or the like. The multi-function pointing device can be a peripheral component that is connected with the electronic device.

Claims

1. A multifunction pointing device connected with an electronic device, comprising:

a pointing implement including a shaft;

a holster connected with the electronic device and including an aperture through which the pointing implement is inserted into and removed from the holster, a portion of the shaft is positioned in the holster and is movable in a rotation about an axis and is movable in a translation along the axis; and

a first sensor positioned to detect the translation and the rotation of the portion of the shaft and operative to generate a first signal in response to the translation and the rotation, and

wherein the electronic device receives the first signal and processes the first signal to initiate an action.

2. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

a second sensor positioned to detect the translation of the portion of the shaft and operative to generate a second signal in response to the translation,

wherein the first sensor detects only the rotation of the portion of the shaft and is operative to generate the first signal in response to the rotation, and

wherein the electronic device receives the first and second signals and processes the first and second signals to initiate the action.

3. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

a second sensor positioned to detect the rotation of the portion of the shaft and operative to generate a second signal in response to the rotation,

wherein the first sensor detects only the translation of the portion of the shaft and is operative to generate the first signal in response to the translation, and

wherein the electronic device receives the first and second signals and processes the first and second signals to initiate the action.

4. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

a third sensor positioned to detect a movement of the pointing implement from a rest position in the holster and operative to generate a first motion signal in response to the movement from the rest position, and

wherein the electronic device receives the first motion signal and processes the first motion signal to initiate a first motion action.

5. The multifunction pointing device of claim 4, wherein the first motion action is an action selected from the group consisting of powering up the electronic device, awakening the electronic device from a standby state, activating the first sensor, causing an algorithm to execute on the electronic device, turning on a backlight, causing the electronic device to transmit information, causing the electronic device to receive information, causing the electronic device to transceive information, causing the electronic device to update information, causing the electronic device to synchronize information, causing information to be displayed on the electronic device, and initiating a playback function on the electronic device.

6. The multifunction pointing device of claim 4, wherein the third sensor is operative to generate a second motion signal when the pointing implement is returned to the rest position, and

wherein the electronic device receives the second motion signal and processes the second motion signal to initiate a second motion action.

7. The multifunction pointing device of claim 6, wherein the second motion action is an action selected from the group consisting of powering down the electronic device, placing the electronic device in a standby state, de-activating the first sensor, halting execution of an algorithm on the electronic device, turning off a backlight, causing the electronic device to terminate a transmission of information, causing the electronic device to terminate a reception of information, causing the electronic device to terminate transceiving of information, causing the electronic device to update information, causing the electronic device to synchronize information, terminating a display of information on the electronic device, and terminating a playback function on the electronic device.

8. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

an alignment element connected with the holster and in contact with the shaft and operative to substantially align the pointing implement with the axis when the pointing implement is moved in the translation along the axis and in the rotation about the axis.

9. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

a resistance element connected with the holster and in contact with the shaft and operative to resist a movement of the pointing implement in a direction selected from the group consisting of a translational movement along the axis, a rotational movement about the axis, and a combination of a translational movement along the axis and a rotational movement about the axis.

10. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

an alignment-resistance element connected with the holster and in contact with the shaft, the alignment-resistance element is operative to substantially align the pointing implement with the axis when the pointing implement is moved in the translation along the axis and in the rotation about the axis and is operative to resist a movement of the pointing implement in a direction selected from the group consisting of a translational movement along the axis, a rotational movement about the axis, and a combination of a translational movement along the axis and a rotational movement about the axis.

11. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1, wherein the holster is positioned on a side of the electronic device selected from the group consisting of a left hand side, a right hand side, a top side, and a bottom side.

12. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1, wherein the holster has an orientation selected from the group consisting of a vertical orientation, a horizontal orientation and an angular orientation.

13. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

a fourth sensor including a collar with an opening therein through which the pointing implement is inserted into and removed from the holster, the collar is in contact with a sub-portion of the shaft,

wherein a multi-directional motion of the pointing implement urges the sub-portion into contact with the collar with a first force, the collar is operative to induce a stress force on the fourth sensor in response to the first force, and the fourth sensor is operative to generate a fourth signal in response to the stress force, and

wherein the electronic device receives the fourth signal and processes the fourth signal to initiate the action.

14. The multifunction pointing device of claim 13, wherein the fourth sensor is a component selected from the group consisting of a multi-axis strain gauge sensor and an isometric joystick.

15. The multifunction pointing device of claim 13, wherein the multi-directional motion of the pointing implement is a motion along two axes selected from the group consisting of a X-axis and a Y-axis, a X-axis and a Z-axis, and a Y-axis and a Z-axis.

16. The multifunction pointing device of claim 13, wherein the multi-directional motion of the pointing implement is a motion along two axes consisting of a X-axis and a Y-axis and wherein a selected one or both of the translation and the rotation of the portion of the shaft comprises a Z-axis motion.

17. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1 and further comprising:

a first port connected with the electronic device; and

a peripheral component including the holster, the first sensor, the pointing implement, and a second port connected with the peripheral component and operative to electrically communicate with the first port; and

wherein the peripheral component is connected with the electronic device by docking the peripheral component with the electronic device and at least the first signal is electrically communicated between first port and the second port to initiate the action in the electronic device in response to the first signal.

18. The multifunction pointing device of claim 17, wherein the first signal is electrically communicated using a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of a USB protocol, a serial protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an IrDA protocol, and an IEEE 1394 protocol.

19. The multifunction pointing device of claim 17 and further comprising:

a first alignment element connected with the electronic device;

a second alignment element connected with the peripheral component, the first and second alignment elements include profiles adapted to complement each other; and

wherein the first and second alignment elements are operative to mate with each other when the electronic device and the peripheral component are docked and are operative to align the peripheral component and the electronic device with each other.

20. The multifunction pointing device of claim 17, wherein the peripheral component is docked with the electronic device on a side of the electronic device selected from the group consisting of a left hand side, a right hand side, a top side, and a bottom side.

21. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a display and the action initiated by the electronic device includes manipulating a data displayed on the display when the pointing implement is positioned in the holster.

22. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1, wherein the pointing implement includes a tip and the electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display, the action initiated by the electronic device electronic device includes manipulating a data displayed on the touch-sensitive display when the pointing implement is positioned in the holster, and the pointing implement when completely removed from the holster is operative to initiate a stylus mode action in the electronic device by a contact of the tip with the touch-sensitive display.

23. The multifunction pointing device of claim 1, wherein the holster includes a stop, the pointing implement includes a keeper, and the keeper is operative to engage with the stop to prevent the pointing implement from being removed from the holster.