Pointing device enabling means, input device and portable device incorporating same

• US 7,495,652 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Klinghult, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moon; Seokyun
• Application Number:
  US10/511,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 345/167, 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/173, 345/184, 713/323, 713/321, 713/310, 341/33, 341/34, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• 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 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The invention relates to means for enabling actuation of a pointing device and more particularly a means for detecting activity of a pointing device, so that the pointing is energized only when it needs to be in operation. The means include an activity sensor for sensing activation of the pointing device, said activity sensor comprising a threshold comparator, wherein the activity sensor is adapted to enable energization of the pointing device when the sensed activation of the pointing device exceeds a threshold. The pointing device is used for moving a pointer or prompt in a display, e.g. in mobile telephone. The present invention also relates to an input device with such a pointing device and a portable device incorporating same. The invention is directed to saving energy in portable devices avoiding accidental activation of the pointing device and automatic switching off to reduce the power consumption.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a pointing device that includes a user-manipulable member that is moveable with a finger of a user and the user-manipulable member having a conductive part covered by a non-conductive cover;

an activity sensor for sensing activation of the pointing device, wherein the activity sensor comprises;

a detector device for sensing a capacitance change in the pointing device;

a threshold comparator connected to receive an output of the detector device; and

a resonant circuit that is capacitively coupled to the conductive part of the user-manipulable member by a member disposed with respect to the user-manipulable member, the resonant circuit having a frequency that changes when a finger of a user approaches or touches the user-manipulable member by establishment of a capacitance between the finger and the conductive part; and

wherein the detector device detects the capacitance change by detecting the change in frequency of the resonant circuit and an output of the threshold comparator activates movement sensing of the user-manipulable member; and

a movement sensor that senses movement of the user-manipulable member and outputs a pointing command signal in response to sensed movement of the user-manipulable member; and

wherein the activity sensor is adapted to enable energization of the movement sensor when the sensed activation of the pointing device exceeds a threshold, and the activity sensor further comprises a timer adapted to switch off the energization of the movement sensor after a time has elapsed without any sensed activation of the pointing device.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold is adjustable.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the time is adjustable.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detector device comprises a high impedance amplifier.

5. The device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a display for showing menus in which navigation is performed by means of the input device.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the device is a mobile telephone.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the user-manipulable member is a ball.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the ball is a metallized plastic ball with a plastic or rubber coating.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the detector device further comprises an oscillator with the resonant circuit, wherein a capacitance of the ball forms a part of the resonant circuit.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the conductive part is a metallized layer that covers a core of the ball and the metallized layer is covered by the non-conductive cover.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the member disposed with respect to the user-manipulable member is an antenna.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the member disposed with respect to the user-manipulable member is spaced apart from the non-conductive cover.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movement sensor is one or more Hall element sensors.