System and method for processing raw data of track pad device

• US 20060066588A1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Lyon, Benjamin, Hotelling, Steven, Cinereski, Stephanie, Bronstein, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 7,728,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An input device and system are described that acquires (measures) raw track pad sensor data and transmits this data to a host computer where it is analyzed by an application executing on one or more host computer central processing units. The resulting input processing architecture provides a track pad input device that is both lower in cost to manufacture and more flexible than prior art track pad input devices. Lower costs may be realized by eliminating the prior art'"'"'s dedicated track pad hardware for processing sensor data (e.g., a processor and associated firmware memory). Increased flexibility may be realized by providing feature set functionality via software that executes on the host computer. In this architecture, track pad functionality may be modified, updated, and enhanced through software upgrade procedures.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a track pad device having a first communication circuit and a plurality of sensing elements, the track pad device obtaining raw data with the sensing elements in response to a user gesture and transmitting raw data with the first communication circuit;

a second communication circuit operatively coupled to the first communication circuit via a communication path;

one or more host processors operatively coupled to the second communication circuit, at least one of the host processors being responsible, at least in part, for executing user-level tasks of a host application; and

software executing on at least one of the host processors, the software interpreting raw data from the track pad device and making interpreted data available to the host application for execution as a user-level task.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user gesture is selected from the group consisting of a touch of one digit, a touch of two or more digits concurrently, a touch and sliding movement of one or more digits, a touch and sliding movement of one or more digits concurrently with a stationary touch of one or more digits, a touch and contractive movement of two or more digits, a tap of one or more digits, a touch and expansive movement of two or more digits, a touch of one or more digits with a tap of one or more digits, a touch of a portion of a hand, and a touch and movement of a portion of a hand.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-level task of the host application is selected from the group consisting of a mouse operation, an editing operation, a cursor operation, a file operation, an application operation, a browser operation, and a keyboard operation.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the mouse operation is selected from the group consisting of a point, a click, a double click, a right click, a drag/select, and a scroll.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the editing operation is selected from the group-consisting of cut, copy, paste, undo previous operation, and redo previous operation.

6. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the cursor operation is selected from the group consisting of move cursor, select with cursor, tab cursor, move cursor to home, move cursor to end, page up, and page down.

7. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the file operation is selected from the group consisting of open file, close file, save file, new file, print file, next file, and previous file.

8. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the application operation is selected from the group consisting of show desktop, exit application, and switch application window.

9. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the browser operation is selected from the group consisting of back, forward, scroll, zoom in, zoom out, and find in page.

10. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the keyboard operation is selected from the group consisting of shift, control/command, and select key.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication circuits are adapted to operate in accordance with a universal serial bus protocol.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing elements comprises a resistive sensor array or a capacitive sensor array.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the track pad device comprises a data acquisition circuit electrically coupled between the sensing elements and the first communication circuit and encoding digital values measured for each of the plurality of sensing elements.

14. A host module operatively coupled to a track pad device, the track pad device having a first communication circuit and a plurality of sensing elements, the track pad device obtaining raw data with the sensing elements in response to a user gesture and transmitting raw data with the first communication circuit, the host module comprising:

a second communication circuit operatively coupling to the first communication circuit via a communication path;

one or more host processors operatively coupled to the second communication circuit, at least one of the host processors being responsible, at least in part, for executing user-level tasks of a host application; and

software executing on at least one of the host processors, the software interpreting raw data from the track pad device and making interpreted data available to the host application for execution as a user-level task.

15. The host module of claim 14, wherein the user gesture is selected from the group consisting of a touch of one digit, a touch of two or more digits concurrently, a touch with sliding movement of one or more digits, a touch and sliding movement of one or more digits concurrently with a stationary touch of one or more digits, a touch and contractive movement of two or more digits, a tap of one or more digits, a touch and expansive movement of two or more digits, a touch of one or more digits with a tap of one or more digits, a touch of a portion of a hand, and a touch and movement of a portion of a hand.

16. The host module of claim 14, wherein the user-level task is selected from the group consisting of a mouse operation, an editing operation, a cursor operation, a file operation, an application operation, a browser operation, and a keyboard operation.

17. The host module of claim 16, wherein the mouse operation is selected from the group consisting of a point, a click, a double click, a right click, a drag/select, and a scroll.

18. The host module of claim 16, wherein the editing operation is selected from the group consisting of cut, copy, paste, undo previous operation, and redo previous operation.

19. The host module of claim 16, wherein the cursor operation is selected from the group consisting of move cursor, select with cursor, tab cursor, move cursor to home, move cursor to end, page up, and page down.

20. The host module of claim 16, wherein the file operation is selected from the group consisting of open file, close file, save file, new file, print file, next file, and previous file.

21. The host module of claim 16, wherein the application operation is selected from the group consisting of show desktop, exit application, and switch application window.

22. The host module of claim 16, wherein the browser operation is selected from the group consisting of back, forward, scroll, zoom in, zoom out, and find in page.

23. The host module of claim 16, wherein the keyboard operation is selected from the group consisting of shift, control/command, and select key.

24. The host module of claim 14, wherein the second communication circuits is adapted to operate in accordance with a universal serial bus protocol.

25. The host module of claim 14, wherein the software comprises a driver application determining a computer command from raw data and making the computer command available to the host application for execution as the user-level task.

26. A method comprising:

measuring raw data in response to a user gesture made on sensing elements of a track pad device;

transmitting raw data to one or more host processors of a host module, at least one of the host processors being responsible, at least in part, for executing user-level tasks of a host application;

interpreting raw data with software executing on at least one of the host processors; and

making interpreted data available to the host application for execution as a user-level task by the host application.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user gesture is selected from the group consisting of a touch of one digit, a touch of two or more digits concurrently, a touch with sliding movement of one or more digits, a touch and sliding movement of one or more digits concurrently with a stationary touch of one or more digits, a touch and contractive movement of two or more digits, a tap of one or more digits, a touch and expansive movement of two or more digits, a touch of one or more digits with a tap of one or more digits. a touch of a portion of a hand, and a touch and movement of a portion of a hand.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the user-level task is selected from the group consisting of:

a mouse operation, an editing operation, a cursor operation, a file operation, an application operation, a browser operation, and a keyboard operation.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the act of measuring raw data in response to a user gesture made on a track pad device comprises measuring-a characteristic for each of a plurality of sensor elements stimulated by the user gesture, each measurement being encoded by a digital value.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of measuring a characteristic comprises determining a digital value representing a capacitance value or a resistance value.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the act of transmitting raw data comprises transmitting digital values in accordance with a universal serial bus protocol.