Apparatus and Method for Providing Wireless Communication and Global Positioning For A Wireless Computer Mouse

• US 20110045770A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Parpia, Vijay, Nguyen, Hien, Zhou, Yi
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

Wireless computer mouse operation may be provided by receiving a user detection signal from a sensor of the wireless computer mouse to determine the presence of a user. In one embodiment, an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse may be determined by a controller based, at least in part, on the user detection signal. Thereafter, the controller can enable at least one of a short range wireless communication module and a global positioning receiver of the wireless computer mouse based on the operation mode determined by the controller.

Claims

1. A method for wireless computer mouse operation, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a user detection signal from a sensor of the wireless computer mouse to determine the presence of a user;

determining an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse, by a controller, based, at least in part, on the user detection signal;

enabling, by the controller, at least one of a short range wireless communication module and a global positioning receiver of the wireless computer mouse based on the operation mode determined by the controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user detection signal indicates the presence of a user, and wherein enabling comprises enabling simultaneous operation of the short range wireless communication module and the global positioning receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling operation of the short range wireless communication module, wherein the user detection signal does not indicate the presence of a user, and wherein enabling comprises enabling operation of the global positioning receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling operation of the global positioning receiver, wherein the user detection signal indicates the presence of a user, and wherein enabling comprises enabling operation of the short range wireless communication module.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting user activation of one or more buttons of the wireless computer mouse to override the operation mode and configuring the wireless computer mouse, by the controller, based on the user activation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the short range wireless communication module, with at least one of a communication port, mobile phone, telephone, personal computer, printer, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, digital camera, and video game console.

7. A wireless computer mouse comprising:

a sensor configured to detect the presence of a user;

a global positioning receiver configured to receive global positioning data;

a short range wireless communication module configured to communicate with a computing device; and

a controller coupled to the a global positioning receiver, short range wireless communication module and sensor, the controller configured to

receive a user detection signal from the sensor,

determine an operation mode of the wireless computer mouse based, at least in part, on the user detection signal, and

enable at least one of the short range wireless communication module and the global positioning receiver of the wireless computer mouse based on a determined operation mode.

8. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the sensor is a reflective sensor configured to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s hand to the wireless computer mouse.

9. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a user within close proximity to the wireless computer mouse.

10. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the output mode relates to one of an operation mode for simultaneous operation of the global positioning receiver and short range wireless communication module, an operation mode for the global positioning receiver, and an operation mode for the short range wireless communication module.

11. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to enable simultaneous operation of the short range wireless communication module and the global positioning receiver based on a user detection signal indicating the presence of a user.

12. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to disable operation of the short range wireless communication module, and enable operation of the global positioning receiver based on a user detection signal indicating that a user is not present.

13. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to disable operation of the global positioning receiver and enable simultaneous operation of the short range wireless communication module when the user detection signal indicates the presence of a user.

14. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to detect user activation of one or more buttons of the wireless computer mouse to override the operation mode and configure the wireless computer mouse based on the user activation.

15. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the short range wireless communication module is configured to communicate with at least one of communication port, mobile phone, telephone, personal computer, printer, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, digital camera, and video game console.

16. The wireless computer mouse of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to override the operation mode based on a detected sequence of input button activation.