Data input device and method for detecting lift-off from a tracking surface by electrical impedance measurement
First Claim
1. A handheld mouse device for tracking relative movement between said handheld mouse device and a tracking surface, comprising:
- an impedance sensor arranged with respect to a tracking surface, said impedance sensor having a measurement zone within which said impedance sensor measures an electrical capacitance; and
a controller responsive to the measured capacitance of said impedance sensor for determining a distance of spatial separation between the handheld mouse device and the tracking surface relative to one another as a function of the measured capacitance, the handheld mouse being removable from the tracking surface, said controller initiating a non-tracking mode in which said controller suspends tracking of relative movement between said handheld mouse device and said tracking surface when said handheld mouse device is removed from the tracking surface and is spatially separated from said tracking surface by at least a lift-off detection distance, said controller further being responsive to the measured capacitance of said impedance sensor for determining a direction of relative movement between said handheld mouse device and said tracking surface as a function of the measured capacitance.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data input device comprising an impedance sensor arranged with respect to a tracking surface. The impedance sensor has a measurement zone within which the impedance sensor measures an electrical impedance. A controller of the device receives data from and is responsive to the impedance sensor for determining if the data input device is spatially separated from the tracking surface by at least a lift-off detection distance as a function of a measured impedance. The controller further initiates a non-tracking mode in which the controller suspends tracking of relative movement between the data input device and the tracking surface when the data input device is spatially separated from the tracking surface by at least the lift-off detection distance.
26 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A handheld mouse device for tracking relative movement between said handheld mouse device and a tracking surface, comprising:
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an impedance sensor arranged with respect to a tracking surface, said impedance sensor having a measurement zone within which said impedance sensor measures an electrical capacitance; and a controller responsive to the measured capacitance of said impedance sensor for determining a distance of spatial separation between the handheld mouse device and the tracking surface relative to one another as a function of the measured capacitance, the handheld mouse being removable from the tracking surface, said controller initiating a non-tracking mode in which said controller suspends tracking of relative movement between said handheld mouse device and said tracking surface when said handheld mouse device is removed from the tracking surface and is spatially separated from said tracking surface by at least a lift-off detection distance, said controller further being responsive to the measured capacitance of said impedance sensor for determining a direction of relative movement between said handheld mouse device and said tracking surface as a function of the measured capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A handheld mouse device comprising:
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a resistance sensor arranged with respect to a tracking surface, said resistance sensor having a measurement zone within which said resistance sensor measures an electrical resistance; and a controller responsive to the measured resistance of said resistance sensor for; determining spatial separation between the tracking surface and the handheld mouse, said handheld device being removable from the tracking surface, said controller initiating a non-tracking mode in which said controller suspends tracking of relative movement between said handheld mouse device and said tracking surface when said handheld mouse device is removed from the tracking surface and is spatially separated from said tracking surface by at least a lift-off detection distance; and determining a speed of relative movement between the handheld mouse device and the tracking surface. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification