Force touch mouse
AssigneeSynaptics Incorporated
InventorMohamed Ashraf Sheik-Nainar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, systems and devices are described for operating an electronic device with a mouse, wherein the mouse includes a mouse movement sensor, a force sensor, and an input object position sensor. Operation of the mouse involves generating a first signal representing movement of the mouse relative to a working surface, generating a second signal representing force manually applied to the mouse, generating a third signal based on an input object in a sensing region of the mouse, and processing the first, second, and third signals to determine an interface action represented on a display of the electronic device.
Claims20
An input module for use with an electronic device, the input module comprising:
- a first sensor configured to detect movement of the module and generate a first signal;
- a second sensor configured to detect force applied to the module and generate a second signal;
- and
- a third sensor configured to detect the presence of an input object in a sensing region of the module and generate a third signal;
- wherein the first signal is used to position a cursor on a display associated with the electronic device, and the second and third signals are used to determine an interface action.
A method of operating an electronic device with a mouse, the mouse comprising a mouse movement sensor, a force sensor, and an input object position sensor, and the method comprising:
- generating a first signal representing movement of the mouse relative to a working surface;
- generating a second signal representing force manually applied to the mouse;
- generating a third signal based on an input object in a sensing region of the mouse;
- and
- processing the first, second, and third signals to determine an interface action represented on a display of the electronic device.
The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the interface action from the mouse to the computer.
The method of claim 17, further comprising modifying the interface action by changing one of the first, second, and third signals.
A processing system for use with a mouse, the processing system comprising:
- a sensor module configured to acquire a first signal corresponding to movement of the mouse relative to a working surface, a second signal corresponding to force applied by an input object to a transmitting surface of the mouse, and a third signal corresponding to positional information for an input object interacting with a sensing region of the mouse;
- and
- a determination module configured to position a cursor on a display based on the first signal, and to determine an interface action based on the second and third signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.