Navigation system

• US 20070159456A1
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Unkrich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/328,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159456A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2415 adapted for encoders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane

Abstract

A navigation system including a first navigation sensor configured to provide a first set of positional capacitance values, a second navigation sensor configured to provide a second set of positional capacitance values, and a controller configured to select between the first and second sets of positional capacitance values and to provide navigation information selectively based on the first and second sets of positional capacitance values.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a first navigation sensor configured to provide a first set of positional capacitance values;

a second navigation sensor configured to provide a second set of positional capacitance values; and

a controller configured to select between the first and second sets of positional capacitance values and to provide navigation information selectively based on the first and second sets of positional capacitance values.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the navigation information is based only on the first set of positional capacitance values.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the navigation information is based only on the second set of positional capacitance values.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller selects between the first and second sets of positional capacitance values in an alternating fashion and provides the navigation information including a first navigation component based on the first set of positional capacitance values and a second navigation component based on the second set of positional capacitance values.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller selects between the first and second set of positional values at a frequency such that control of first and second objects of a host device based on the first and second navigation components is substantially simultaneous to a user of the host device.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second sensors comprises a slide pad.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second sensors comprises a tilt sensor.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second sets of positional capacitance values is indicative of translational movement relative to a first set of axes.

9. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the translational movement comprises two-axis movement.

10. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the translation movement comprises three-dimensional movement.

11. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second sets of positional capacitance values is indicative of rotational movement relative to a set of axes.

12. The navigation system of claim 11, wherein the rotational movement comprises two axis rotation.

13. The navigation system of claim 11, wherein the rotational movement comprises three-axis rotation.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a first navigation sensor configured to provide a first set of positional capacitance values;

a second navigation sensor configured to provide a second set of positional capacitance values;

a controller configured to select between the first and second sets of positional capacitance values and to provide navigation information selectively based on the first and second sets of positional capacitance values; and

a display having at least one display feature, wherein control of the at least one display feature is based on the navigation information.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to select between the first and second sets of positional capacitance values in an alternating fashion and configured to provide the navigation information having a first navigation component based on the first set of positional capacitance values and a second navigation component based on the second set or positional capacitance values.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the display includes a first and a second display feature, and wherein the controllers is configured to select between the first set of positional capacitance values and the second set of positional capacitance values and is configured to provide the first and second navigation components at a frequency that is imperceptible to human vision such that movement of the first and second display features is substantially simultaneous.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the first navigation sensor comprises a slide pad such that the first set of positional capacitance values comprises a set of translational capacitance values indicative of translational movement of the electronic device, and where the second navigation sensor comprises a tilt sensor such that the second set of positional capacitance values comprises a set of rotational capacitance value indicative of rotational movement of the electronic device.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the tilt sensor comprises a micro-electromechanical type accelerometer.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the set of translational capacitance values are indicative of translational movement relative to at least a pair of perpendicular axes.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the set of rotational capacitance values are indicative of rotational movement about at least a pair of perpendicular axes.

21. A method of providing navigation information, the method comprising

providing a first set of positional capacitance values with a first navigation sensor;

providing a second set of positional capacitance values with a second navigation sensor; and

generating navigation information selectively based on the first and second sets of positional capacitance values.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the navigation information includes:

generating a first navigation component based on the first set of positional capacitance values; and

generating a second navigation component based on the second set of positional capacitance values.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the first and second navigation sensors comprises a slide pad providing a set of capacitive values indicative of translational movement relative to a set of axes.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the first and second navigation sensors comprises a tilt sensor providing a set of capacitive values indicative of rotational movement relative to a set of axes.