Integration of navigation device functionality into handheld devices

• US 7,796,118 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Groom, David J., Brown, Shawn M., Siddiqui, Kabir
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US11/135,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20060267940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system that integrates navigational device (e.g., mouse) functionality into a cellular telephone or other handheld device (e.g., personal organizer, personal media player). A device can employ existing optics from an image capture device (e.g., camera) as the optics for the mouse. A mouse engine can receive an input from the optics and route the input via a Bluetooth™, or other existing connection (e.g., wired or wireless) to transfer the mouse coordinates to a desktop. In another example, a device can employ a touch sensitive pad to supply motion input to a mouse engine. Further, a device (e.g., personal organizer, pocket personal computer) can utilize an existing touch screen as a touch sensitive input to a mouse engine. A laser pointer can be integrated into a device thereby enabling presenters to use the device to point to slides and other target visuals.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates navigating on a display of a computer, comprising:

a mouse engine component that provides mouse functionality, including detecting at least one of location information or movement information of a mouse;

an interface component that integrates the mouse engine into a handheld communication device having a front portion and a rear portion wherein one or more components that provide telecommunication functionality are deployed on the front portion;

a communication component that transmits information including at least one of the location information or the movement information from the handheld communication device to the computer, wherein the mouse functionality effects navigation on the display of the computer; and

a touch pad component that receives an input from a user based at least in part on the location information, wherein the touch pad component is deployed on the rear portion to allow concurrent use of the mouse functionality and the telecommunication functionality.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld communication device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone and a personal data assistant (PDA).

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor component that detects a location of the mouse.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an optics component that is integrated into an image capture system of the handheld communication device;

a light source component that illuminates a surface such that the optics component can acquire spatial information related to the location; and

a sensor component that receives the spatial information from the optics component and communicates the spatial information to the mouse engine.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the light source is at least one of a light emitting diode (LED) and a laser diode.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control input component that facilitates input of a selection instruction by at least one of a control key and an audible prompt command.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a laser pointer device that facilitates emitting a laser beam that identifies a desired target.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component that infers an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

9. A method of integrating navigational functionality into a handheld communication device that provides telecommunication functionality, comprising:

supplying power to the handheld communication device having a front portion and a rear portion wherein one or more components that provide the telecommunication functionality are deployed on the front portion;

interfacing a mouse engine, providing mouse functionality including detecting at least one of location information or movement information of a mouse, into the handheld communication device;

initiating the mouse engine;

employing a touch pad, deployed on the rear portion, to detect spatial movement of the mouse to allow concurrent use of the mouse functionality and the telecommunication functionality;

processing the spatial movement; and

communicating the spatial movement from the handheld communication device to a computer, wherein the mouse functionality effects navigation on a display of the computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the handheld communication device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone and a PDA.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of detecting spatial movement further comprises employing an image capture device and a light source that determine the spatial movement.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of detecting spatial movement further comprises employing a roller ball that determines the spatial movement.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor implement the method of claim 9.

14. A system that facilitates navigating on a display of a computer system, comprising:

means for integrating a pointing device into a handheld device having a front portion and a rear portion wherein one or more components that provide telecommunication functionality are deployed on the front portion;

means for providing spatial position detection functionality for detecting a spatial position of a mouse on a surface, the means for providing spatial position detection functionality deployed on the rear portion to allow concurrent use of the mouse functionality and the telecommunication functionality;

means for converting the spatial position of the mouse on the surface to a location on the display; and

means for communicating the location to the computer system, wherein the spatial position detection functionality and the telecommunication functionality are concurrently available and the spatial position detection functionality effects navigation on the display of the computer system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting a spatial position is at least one of an image capture device, a touch pad, a touch screen and a roller ball.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for emitting a light beam that identifies a desired target.