METHOD AND DEVICE TO CONTROL A COMPUTER SYSTEM UTILIZING A FLUID FLOW

• US 20090322675A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inputive Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inputive Corporation
• Inventors: Bonnat, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/16 using a reed

Abstract

A device, to facilitate a user control of a computer system, includes a movable portion movable by a fluid flow of a generated by a user of the device, and a converter to convert movement of the movable portion into an electrical signal to facilitate control of the computer system.

Claims

1. A method to control a computer system, the method including:

converting movement of a movable portion of a user input device into an electrical signal utilizing a conversion device, the movement of the movable portion of the user input device caused by have a flow of a fluid generated by a user, and the electrical signal to facilitate control of the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement of the movable portion is a vibrating movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the movable portion is a segment movably secured to the user input device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid is air, and the flow of the fluid is generated by a breath of a user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the flow of the fluid is a generated from the any one of inspiration and expiration by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal is to provide a user input to a user interface of the computer system.

7. A device to facilitate a user control of a computer system, the device including:

a movable portion movable by a fluid flow generated by a user of the device; and

a converter to convert movement of the movable portion into an electrical signal to facilitate control of the computer system.

8. The device of claim 7, including a body to which the movable portion is secured, and wherein the movable portion comprises a segment having a secured end, secured to the body, and a free end, the segment being pivotally movable about the secured end.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the body defines at least one fluid channel to carry the fluid flow, and wherein the movable portion is secured to the body so as to the movable by the fluid flow through the at least one fluid channel.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the converter includes a piezo-electric transducer.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the converter includes an electromagnetic transducer.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the device includes a light sensor arranged relative to the movable portion so that the movement of the movable portion disturbs illumination of the light sensor.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device includes a light source arranged to illuminate the light sensor.

14. The device of claim 7, including first and second movable portions and the body defining first and second fluid channels, the first and second movable portions being in fluid communication with the first and second fluid channels respectively so that a first fluid flow within the first fluid channel causes movement of the first movable portion and a second fluid flow within the second fluid channel causes movement of the second movable portion.

15. The device of claim 14, including a first converter to convert the movement of the first movable portion into a first electrical signal, and a second converter to convert the movement of the second movable portion into a second electrical signal, the first and second electrical signals comprising different control signals for input to the computer system.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first and second electrical signals are to control movement of a cursor of a user interface.

17. The device of claim 7, including a processor to process the electrical signal so as to conform the electrical signal to a specific protocol.

18. The device of claim 7, including a damper to dampen the movement of the movable portion.