Input device with two input signal generating means having a power state where one input means is powered down and the other input means is cycled between a powered up state and a powered down state

• US 6,611,921 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Casebolt, Mark W., Gorman, Sean, Rensberger, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trujillo, James K.
• Application Number:
  US09/991,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 713/330, 345/163, 345/165, 345/166, 345/156, 345/172
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3271 Power saving in keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Power management is provided in a user operated data input device utilizing proximity sensing and switching between three or more power states. Capacitive proximity sensing may be carried out by detecting a relative change in the capacitance of a “scoop” capacitor formed by a conductor and a surrounding ground plane, wherein charge is transferred between the “scoop” capacitor and a relatively large “bucket” capacitor, a voltage of the bucket capacitor is applied to an input threshold switch, and a number of cycles of charge transfer required to reach the state transition is determined. Switching between the power states occurs based upon the presence or absence of input activity, and an operation instrumentality (e.g., a hand) in close proximity to or contact with the device. In an optical surface tracking cursor control device embodiment, switching to and from a BEACON state, which provides a reduced flash rate of a surface illuminating light source, is carried out based upon a detected presence or absence of a trackable surface.

Claims

1. A user operated data input device comprising:

first and second data input signal generating means for generating respective first and second data input signals;

a power supply for selectively supplying electrical power to said first and second input signal generating means;

a sensing system for sensing the presence of an operation instrumentality in contact with or close proximity to said input device and generating a signal indicative of an ON state wherein said operation instrumentality is in contact with or close proximity to said input device, and an OFF state wherein said operation instrumentality is not in contact with or close proximity to said input device;

a power management system for controlling the supply of power to said first and second input signal generating means, said power management system providing switching between at least three power states, wherein;

in a first of said power states each of said first and second input signal generating means is powered-up to a normal operation level and sampled for input activity;

in a second of said power states each of said first and second input signal generating means are cycled between a powered-up state wherein sampling for input activity is carried out, and a powered down state;

in a third of said power states said first signal generating means remains powered down while said second signal generating means is cycled between a powered-up state wherein sampling for input activity is carried out, and a powered down state;

a transition from said first power state to said third power state occurs upon a transition of said sensing system from said ON state to said OFF state;

a transition from said third power state to one of said first and second power states occurs upon a transition of said sensing system from said OFF state to said ON state; and

a transition from said second power state to said first power state occurs upon a detection of input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

2. A user operated data input device according to claim 1, wherein operation of said first input signal generating means consumes a greater amount of power than operation of said second input signal generating means.

3. A user operated data input device according to claim 2, wherein said first input signal generating means comprises an optical tracking engine.

4. A user operated data input device according to claim 1, wherein said input device is a computer peripheral device.

5. A user operated data input device according to claim 4, wherein said input device is an external computer peripheral device linkable to a separate host computer.

6. A user operated data input device according to claim 5, wherein said external computer peripheral device is linkable to said host computer without a hard-wired connection.

7. A user operated data input device according to claim 5, further comprising an RF transmitter for linking said computer peripheral device to said host computer without a hard-wired connection, and wherein said RF transmitter is powered up in said first power state and powered down in said third power state.

8. A user operated data input device according to claim 7, wherein said RF transmitter is powered down also in said second power state.

9. A user operated data input device according to claim 4, wherein said computer peripheral device is a cursor control device.

10. A user operated data input device according to claim 9, wherein said first input signal generating means comprises an optical tracking engine of said cursor control device.

11. A user operated data input device according to claim 10, said power management system providing switching between four power states, wherein:

in a fourth power state a light source of said optical tracking engine is operated at a reduced flash rate;

a transition from at least one of said first and second power states to said fourth power state occurs upon said optical tracking engine detecting the absence of a trackable surface; and

a transition from said fourth power state to at least one of said first and second power states occurs upon said optical tracking engine detecting a trackable surface.

12. A user operated data input device according to claim 10, wherein said cursor control device is linkable to a host computer without a hard-wired connection.

13. A user operated data input device according to claim 10, further comprising an RF transmitter for linking said cursor control device to a host computer without a hard-wired connection, and wherein said RF transmitter is powered up in said first power state and powered down in said third power state.

14. A user operated data input device according to claim 13, wherein said RF transmitter is powered down also in said second power state.

15. A user operated data input device according to claim 10, wherein said cursor control device is a computer mouse, and said optical tracking engine is configured to track on a planar surface upon which the mouse rests.

16. A user operated data input device according to claim 10, wherein said second input signal generating means comprises at least one user actuatable two-position switch.

17. A user operated data input device according to claim 16, wherein said second input signal generating means further comprises a scrolling device.

18. A user operated data input device according to claim 1, wherein a transition from said third power state to said first power state further occurs upon a detection of input activity during said sampling of said second input signal generating means.

19. A user operated data input device according to claim 1, wherein a transition from said first power state to said second power state occurs upon an absence, for a first predetermined interval, of detected input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

20. A user operated data input device according to claim 19, said power management system providing switching between four power states, wherein:

in a fourth of said power states each of said first and second input signal generating means is cycled between a powered-up state wherein sampling for input activity is carried out, and a powered down state, the cycling in said fourth power state being carried out at a lower rate than the cycling in said second power state; and

a transition from said second state to said fourth state occurs upon an absence, for a second predetermined interval larger than said first predetermined interval, of detected input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

21. A user operated data input device according to claim 20, wherein a transition from said fourth power state to said third power state occurs upon an absence, for a third predetermined interval larger than said second predetermined interval, of detected input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

22. A user operated data input device according to claim 1, wherein said sensing system is a capacitive sensing system.

23. A user operated data input device according to claim 22, wherein said capacitive sensing system comprises:

a first conductor capacitively coupled to a ground to thereby form a scoop capacitor having a capacitance which varies in relation to the proximity of said operation instrumentality to said conductor;

a pair of second and third conductors forming a bucket capacitor having a capacitance which is larger than a maximum capacitance of said scoop capacitor;

an input threshold switch;

switching means for selectively;

connecting one of said scoop capacitor and said bucket capacitor to a voltage source to charge said one capacitor, transferring charge between said scoop capacitor and said bucket capacitor, and applying a voltage of said bucket capacitor to said input threshold switch;

detector means for detecting an input state of said input threshold switch;

determining means for determining a value (TouchVal) relating to a number of cycles of charge transfer between said scoop capacitor and said bucket capacitor corresponding to a detection of an input state transition of said input threshold switch by said detector means; and

signal generating means for generating, based upon TouchVal, a signal indicative of an ON state wherein said operation instrumentality is in contact with or close proximity to said data input device, and an OFF state wherein said operation instrumentality is not in contact with or close proximity to said data input device.

24. A user operated data input device according to claim 23, wherein said device is a computer peripheral device, and said first conductor is mounted on said computer peripheral device.

25. A user operated data input device according to claim 24, wherein said computer peripheral device is an external computer peripheral device linkable to a separate host computer.

26. A user operated data input device according to claim 25, further comprising an RF transmitter for linking said external computer peripheral device to said host computer, and wherein said RF transmitter is powered up in said first power state and powered down in said third power state.

27. A user operated data input device according to claim 26, wherein said external computer peripheral device is a cursor control device and said first input signal generating means comprises an optical tracking engine.

28. A user operated data input device according to claim 27, further comprising an RF transmitter for linking said cursor control device to a host computer, and wherein said RF transmitter is powered up in said first power state and powered down in said third power state.

29. In a user operated data input device comprising first and second data input signal generating means for generating respective first and second data input signals, and a power supply for selectively supplying electrical power to said first and second input signal generating means, a method of power management comprising:

sensing the presence of an operation instrumentality in contact with or close proximity to said input device and generating a signal indicative of an ON state wherein said operation instrumentality is in contact with or close proximity to said input device, and an OFF state wherein said operation instrumentality is not in contact with or close proximity to said input device;

controlling the supply of power to said first and second input signal generating means by providing switching between at least three power states, wherein;

in a first of said power states each of said first and second input signal generating means is powered-up to a normal operation level and sampled for input activity;

in a second of said power states each of said first and second input signal generating means are cycled between a powered-up state wherein sampling for input activity is carried out, and a powered down state;

in a third of said power states said first signal generating means remains powered down while said second signal generating means is cycled between a powered-up state wherein sampling for input activity is carried out, and a powered down state;

a transition from said first power state to said third power state occurs upon a transition of said sensing system from said ON state to said OFF state;

a transition from said third power state to one of said first and second power states occurs upon a transition of said sensing system from said OFF state to said ON state; and

a transition from said second power state to said first power state occurs upon a detection of input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

30. A method of power management according to claim 29, wherein operation of said first input signal generating means consumes a greater amount of power than operation of said second input signal generating means.

31. A method of power management according to claim 30, wherein said first input signal generating means comprises an optical tracking engine.

32. A method of power management according to claim 29, wherein said user operated data input device further comprises an RF transmitter for linking said computer peripheral device to a host computer without a hard-wired connection, said method further comprising powering up said RF transmitter in said first power state and powering down said RF transmitter in said third power state.

33. A method of power management according to claim 32, wherein said RF transmitter is powered down also in said second power state.

34. A method of power management according to claim 30, wherein said computer peripheral device is a cursor control device.

35. A method of power management according to claim 34, wherein said first input signal generating means comprises an optical tracking engine of said cursor control device.

36. A method of power management according to claim 35, said method comprising switching between four power states, wherein:

in a fourth power state a light source of said optical tracking engine is operated at a reduced flash rate;

a transition from at least one of said first and second power states to said fourth power state occurs upon said optical tracking engine detecting the absence of a trackable surface; and

a transition from said fourth power state to at least one of said first and second power states occurs upon said optical tracking engine detecting a trackable surface.

37. A method of power management according to claim 36, wherein said user operated data input device further comprises an RF transmitter for linking said cursor control device to a host computer without a hard-wired connection, said method further comprising powering up said RF transmitter in said first power state and powering down said RF transmitter in said third power state.

38. A method of power management according to claim 37, wherein said RF transmitter is powered down also in said second power state.

39. A method of power management according to claim 29, wherein a transition from said third power state to said first power state further occurs upon a detection of input activity during said sampling of said second input signal generating means.

40. A method of power management according to claim 29, wherein a transition from said first power state to said second power state occurs upon an absence, for a first predetermined interval, of detected input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

41. A method of power management according to claim 29, comprising switching between four power states, wherein:

in a fourth of said power states each of said first and second input signal generating means is cycled between a powered-up state wherein sampling for input activity is carried out, and a powered down state, the cycling in said fourth power state being carried out at a lower rate than the cycling in said second power state; and

a transition from said second state to said fourth state occurs upon an absence, for a second predetermined interval larger than said first predetermined interval, of detected input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

42. A method of power management according to claim 41, wherein a transition from said fourth power state to said third power state occurs upon an absence, for a third predetermined interval larger than said second predetermined interval, of detected input activity during said sampling of said first and second input signal generating means.

43. A method of power management according to claim 29, wherein said sensing is carried out utilizing capacitive sensing.

44. A method of power management according to claim 43, wherein said capacitive sensing comprises:

providing a first conductor capacitively coupled to a ground to thereby form a scoop capacitor having a capacitance which varies in relation to the proximity of said operation instrumentality to said conductor;

a pair of second and third conductors forming a bucket capacitor having a capacitance which is larger than a maximum capacitance of said scoop capacitor; and

an input threshold switch;

performing switching to selectively;

connect one of said scoop capacitor and said bucket capacitor to a voltage source to charge said one capacitor, transfer charge between said scoop capacitor and said bucket capacitor, and apply a voltage of said bucket capacitor to said input threshold switch;

detecting an input state of said input threshold switch;

determining a value (TouchVal) relating to a number of cycles of charge transfer between said scoop capacitor and said bucket capacitor corresponding to a detection of an input state transition of said input high threshold switch; and

generating, based upon TouchVal, a signal indicative of an ON state wherein said operation instrumentality is in contact with or close proximity to said data input device, and an OFF state wherein said operation instrumentality is not in contact with or close proximity to said data input device.