COMPUTER MOUSE PROVIDING A TOUCHLESS INPUT INTERFACE

Abstract

A computer input device, such as a mouse, has a processing circuit, a memory having instructions for controlling operations of the processing circuit, a surface movement sensor in communication with the processing circuit providing to the processing circuit first signals indicative of sensed movement of the computer input device upon a surface, and one or more touchless sensor subsystems in communication with the processing circuit providing to the processing circuit second signals indicative of sensed surface movements relative to the computer input device occurring in spaced proximity to the computer input device. A transmission circuit under control of the processing circuit issues transmissions to a computer representative of the first and second signals to cause regions or locations on a computer display screen to be pointed to, to cause information which is represented on the computer display screen to be moved and/or selected, to cause locations on the computer display screen to be designated, etc.

Claims

1. A computer input device, comprising: a housing in which is carried a processing circuit; a memory having instructions for controlling operations of the processing circuit; first and second touchless sensor subsystems in communication with the processing circuit, each of the first and second touchless sensor subsystems determining a direction, magnitude, and speed of a corresponding one of a first object and a second object being moved in each of three-dimensions relative to the housing in spaced proximity to the housing by using differences in successively received energy from a surface of each the corresponding one of the first object and the second object and providing to the processing circuit the determined direction, magnitude, and speed of each of the corresponding one of the first object and second object being moved in each of three-dimensions relative to the housing in spaced proximity to the housing; and a transmission circuit under control of the processing circuit for issuing transmission signals to a computer, the transmission signals comprising the determined direction, magnitude, and speed of the first object being moved in each of three-dimensions relative to the housing in spaced proximity to the housing and the determined direction, magnitude, and speed of the second object being moved in each of three-dimensions relative to the housing in spaced proximity to the housing; wherein the first and second touchless sensor subsystems are spaced from each other on the housing and wherein the first and second objects are different, discrete objects.

2. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second touchless sensor subsystems are disposed on opposites sides of the housing.

3. The computer input device as recited in claim 2, wherein the first and second touchless sensor subsystems are optical sensing subsystems.

4. The computer input device as recited in claim 3, wherein light is generated for use by the first and second touchless sensor subsystems from a source of light energy external to the first and second touchless sensor subsystems.

5. The computer input device as recited in claim 2, wherein the first and second touchless sensor subsystems are thermal sensing subsystems.

6. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second touchless sensor subsystems are sound sensing subsystems.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For use in better understanding of the exemplary computer input device described hereinafter reference may be had to the following drawings in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary computer mouse constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of exemplary components of the exemplary computer mouse of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] With reference to the figures, the following discloses a computer input device 100, or mouse, having a touchless user interface. To this end, the computer input device 100 may include, as needed for a particular application, a processor 102 coupled to a memory 104, a mouse button or key matrix 106, a scroll wheel 108, a surface movement sensor 110, and a transmission or transceiver circuit 112. To control the operation of the computer input device 100, the memory 104 may include executable instructions that are intended to be executed by the processor 102. In this manner, the processor 102 may be programmed to control the various electronic components within the computer input device 100, e.g., to monitor a power supply (not shown), to cause the transmission of signals via the transmission circuit 112 to a computer in response to user interactions with the computer input device 100, i.e., sensed events, etc. The memory 104 may also function to store setup data and parameters as necessary. The memory 304 may be comprised of any type of readable media, such as ROM, RAM, SRAM, FLASH, EEPROM, or the like. In addition, the memory 104 may take the form of a chip, a hard disk, a magnetic disk, and/or an optical disk.

[0014] As noted above, the computer input device 100 is adapted to be responsive to events, such as a sensed user interaction with the scroll wheel 108, mouse buttons 106, movement of the computer input device 100 over a surface as sensed by sensor 110 (e.g., a trackball, optical sensor, or the like), etc. In response to such events appropriate instructions within the memory 104 may be executed. For example, when a function button 106 is activated on the computer input device 100, the computer input device 100 may execute appropriate instructions to cause the transmission circuit 112 to transmit a signal indicative of a sensed event to a computer. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the computer input device 100 may transmit signals to the computer via a wired or wireless (e.g., IR or RF) connection.

[0015] For providing a touchless user interface by which events may be provided to the computer input device 100, the computer input device 100 may include left and/or right touchless sensor subsystems 114L/114R which are to be used to sense movements of surface, e.g., a user's hand or fingers, proximate to the left and/or rights sides of the computer input device 100. By way of example only, each of the touchless sensor subsystems 114L/114R can be implemented by using one or more commercially available integrated, optical sensor packages, e.g., an Agilent ADNS-2030 sensor package which includes a digital signal processor (“DSP”), memory, and self-contained programming with which to process incoming image frames. Thus, in keeping with this example, when an integrated sensor subsystem is enabled by the processor 102, the optical sensor subsystem 114L/114R functions to emit a light, e.g., via a LED 116, for the purpose of illuminating a surface (e.g., a finger) positioned proximate to the computer input device 100, to capture sequential images of surface features (frames) via a lens and a light sensor 118, to thereby perform a mathematical analysis of the differences between successive frames in order to determine direction, magnitude, and/or speed of movement of the surface relative to the computer input device 100, which surface movement information is reported back to processor 200 for onward transmission to the computer via transmitter 112. As will be apparent, the surface movement information reported back by the sensor subsystems 114L/114R can be representative of finger gestures, such as finger taps, fingers swipes, etc. proximate to one or both of the left and right sides of the computer input device 100, that, in turn, may be used, when provided to a computer, to cause regions or locations on a computer display screen to be pointed to, to cause information which is represented on the computer display screen to be moved and/or selected, to cause locations on the computer display screen to be designated, etc. Furthermore, while described in the context of an integrated, optical, touchless sensor subsystem, it will be appreciated that other touchless subsystems may be employed for this purpose.

[0016] As will be appreciated from the foregoing, because any gesture that is performed proximate to the computer input device 100 is capable of being sensed and reported to a computer, the computer can be programmed to map any sensed gesture(s) to any action on the computer. By way of example only, and not intended to be limiting, the driver and software of the computer can be programmed to recognize signals received from the computer input device 100 that indicative of a simultaneous double tap gesture being performed on both sides of the computer input device 100 and thereby cause an activation of the gesture based input mode of the computer input device 100. Similarly, the driver and software of the computer can be programmed to recognize signals received from the computer input device 100 indicative of a double swipe down gesture performed on at least one side of the computer input and thereby cause a scroll up or a page up operation to be performed on the computer display. Yet further, the driver and software of the computer can be programmed to recognize signals received from the computer input device 100 that are indicative of a tapping gesture being performed on the right side of the computer input device 100 with a surface being sensed as being anchored on the left side of the computer input device 100 and thereby cause a cursor displayed on a display screen to move in the right direction, to cause a display to pan right, etc. It is to be understood that these gesture inputs and corresponding operations are provided by way of example only and are not intended to be limiting. Rather, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that signals received from the computer input device 100 indicative of gestures performed on one or more sides of the computer input device can be mapped within the computer to any type of action to, for example, cause regions or locations on a computer display screen to be pointed to, to cause information which is represented on the computer display screen to be moved and/or selected, to cause locations on the computer display screen to be designated, to change operating modes associated with the computer device, etc.

[0017] While various concepts have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those concepts could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. For example, because the computer input device is adapted to be receive touchless, gesture commands, the computer input device need not include one or more of the scroll wheel 108 or the mouse keys 106. Furthermore, while described in the context of an integrated sensor package, it will be appreciated that the light energy that is to be received by the described light energy sensor need not be provided by the sensor subsystem itself but could be provided from an alternative source of light energy which light energy source may be external to the computer input device or resident on the computer input device, such as a generated, sweeping light beam, without limitation. Still further, while a light sensing system was described as being used by the sensor subsystems 114L/114R, it will be appreciated that any form of energy that is reflective, such as sound, may be similarly used to determine direction, magnitude, and/or speed of movement of a surface relative to the computer input device. Yet further, it is to be appreciated that the sensor subsystems 114L/114R may determine direction, magnitude, and/or speed of movement of a surface relative to the computer input device by sensing energy that is emitted from the surface itself, e.g., heat. As such, the particular embodiments that have been described are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.