COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED COMPUTING DEVICES, SOFTWARE, AND METHODS

• US 20100207880A1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: David S. D'Ascenzo, Gregory A. Shaver, Ian D. Gates
• Inventors: Gates, Ian D., Shaver, Gregory A., D'Ascenzo, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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

Abstract

Computer input devices include a detector adapted to detect relative movement of an input member in x-, y-, and z-dimensions relative to a base point in a base plane, and a controller adapted to send a signal to an associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the input member. Associated computing devices, software, and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer input device, comprising:

a detector adapted to detect relative movement of at least a portion of an input member in x-, y-, and z-dimensions relative to a base point in a base plane; and

a controller adapted to send a signal to an associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the input member.

2. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the detector includes:

a first detector adapted to detect relative movement of a first portion of the input member in the x- and y-dimensions relative to the base point;

a second detector adapted to detect relative movement of a second portion of the input member in the z-dimension relative to the base point; and

wherein the controller is adapted to send a first signal to the associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the first portion in the x- and y-dimensions relative to the base point, and further wherein the controller is adapted to send a second signal to the associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the second portion in the z-dimension relative to the base point.

3. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the detector includes a plurality of distance sensors, each distance sensor adapted to detect a distance from the respective distance sensor to the at least a portion of the input member.

4. The computer input device of claim 1, wherein the input member includes a stylus.

5. The computer input device of claim 1, wherein the input member includes a mouse.

6. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the input member includes a first portion, and wherein the detector is adapted to detect relative movement of the first portion of the input member in the x- and y-dimensions relative to the base point;

and

wherein the input member includes a second portion, and wherein the detector is adapted to detect relative movement of the second portion of the input member in the z-dimension relative to the base point.

7. The computer input device of claim 6, wherein the input member includes a mouse, wherein the mouse includes a base portion and a finger-receiving portion, wherein the first portion of the input member includes the base portion, wherein the second portion of the input member includes the finger-receiving portion, wherein the finger-receiving portion defines a finger-receiving region adapted to receive a user'"'"'s finger for manipulation of the finger-receiving portion in the z-dimension relative to the base portion.

8. The computer input device of claim 1, wherein the input member is a human hand.

9. The computer input device of claim 1, wherein the detector is adapted to not require sensing of contact between the input member and the computer input device to detect relative movement of the input member.

10. The computer input device of claim 1, wherein the detector includes a touch-sensitive screen.

11. The computer input device of claim 10, wherein the touch-sensitive screen is a display device of the associated computing device.

12. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the detector is adapted to detect relative movement of at least a portion of the input member in the x- and y-dimensions relative to the base point;

and

wherein the detector is adapted to detect a position of at least a portion of the input member within a set of discrete strata of space, each stratum spaced away from the base plane in the z-dimension.

13. The computer input device of claim 12,

wherein the controller is adapted to send a first signal to the associated computing device when a given portion of the input member is within a first stratum;

and

wherein the controller is adapted to send a second signal to the associated computing device when the given portion of the input member is within a second stratum, and wherein the second stratum is spaced further away from the base plane than the first stratum.

14. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the detector includes a volume of fluid and a flexible touch screen adjacent to and covering at least a portion of the volume of fluid, wherein the flexible touch screen is adapted to be engaged by the input member, and wherein the detector is adapted to detect a depth in which a portion of the flexible touch screen is pressed into the volume of fluid by the input member.

15. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the detector includes a volume of fluid and a flexible touch screen adjacent to and covering at least a portion of the volume of fluid, wherein the flexible touch screen is adapted to be engaged by the input member, and wherein the detector is adapted to detect a plurality of thicknesses of the volume of fluid across the x- and y-dimensions of the base plane.

16. The computer input device of claim 1,

wherein the input member is a first input member and the signal is a first signal;

wherein the detector is further adapted to detect relative movement of at least a portion of a second input member in x-, y-, and z-dimensions relative to the base point simultaneously with detection of relative movement of the first input member; and

wherein the controller is further adapted to send a second signal to the associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the second input member.

17. The computer input device of claim 1, in combination with computer readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the associated computing device to:

display, on a display device, manipulation of indicia based at least in part on the signal.

18. The computer input device and computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further direct the associated computing device to:

display manipulation of the indicia according to a first attribute based at least in part on relative movement of a portion of the input member in the x- and y-dimensions when the portion of the input member is a first distance away from the base plane in the z-dimension; and

display manipulation of the indicia according to a second attribute based at least in part on relative movement of the portion of the input member in the x- and y-dimensions when the portion of the input member is a second distance away from the base plane in the z-dimension.

19. The computer input device and computer readable storage media of claim 17,

wherein the input member is a first input member and the signal is a first signal;

wherein the detector is further adapted to detect relative movement of at least a portion of a second input member in x-, y-, and z-dimensions relative to the base point simultaneously with detection of relative movement of the first input member;

wherein the controller is further adapted to send a second signal to the associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the second input member; and

wherein the computer-executable instructions further direct the associated computing device to display, on the display device, manipulation of second indicia based at least in part on the second signal.

20. The computer input device and computer readable storage media of claim 17,

wherein the controller is further adapted to send a first signal to the associated computing device when a portion of the input member is a first distance from the base plane, and to send a second signal to the associated computing device when the portion of the input member is a second distance from the base plane;

and

wherein the computer-executable instructions further direct the associated computing device to;

display, on the display device, manipulation of the indicia based at least in part on the first signal; and

control a predetermined aspect of the associated computing device based at least in part on the second signal, wherein the predetermined aspect does not include the display of manipulation of indicia based at least in part on the detecting user-imparted relative movement of the input member.

21. The computer input device and computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further direct the associated computing device to:

display manipulation of indicia according to a first user-defined setting when a portion of the input member is a first distance away from the base plane; and

display manipulation of indicia according to a second user-defined setting when the portion of the input member is a second distance away from the base plane.

22. The computer input device and computer readable storage media of claim 17, in combination with an associated computing device.

23. The computer input device, computer readable storage media, and associated computing device of claim 22, wherein the associated computing device includes at least a portion of the computer readable storage media.

24. The computer input device and computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the computer input device includes at least a portion of the computer readable storage media.

25. A method for displaying, by a display device, manipulation of indicia based at least in part on detecting movement of an input member, the method comprising:

detecting, by a computer input device, user-imparted relative movement of the input member in x-, y-, and z-dimensions relative to a base point in a base plane;

sending a first signal when a given portion of the input member is within a first stratum; and

sending a second signal when the given portion of the input member is within a second stratum, the second stratum spaced further away from the base plane than the first stratum.

26. A computing device configured to perform the method of claim 25.

27. Computer readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to perform the method of claim 25.