Apple files new track pad patent

Posted by Dennis Sellers Mar 30, 2006 at 7:15pm

On March 30, the US Patent & Trademark Office revealed an Apple patent titled “System and method for processing raw data of track pad device,’ originally filed on Sept. 21, 2005.

Apple’s abstract

An input device and system are described that acquires (measures) raw track pad sensor data and transmits this data to a host computer where it is analyzed by an application executing on one or more host computer central processing units.

The resulting input processing architecture provides a track pad input device that is both lower in cost to manufacture and more flexible than prior art track pad input devices. Lower costs may be realized by eliminating the prior art’s dedicated track pad hardware for processing sensor data (e.g., a processor and associated firmware memory). Increased flexibility may be realized by providing feature set functionality via software that executes on the host computer. In this architecture, track pad functionality may be modified, updated, and enhanced through software upgrade procedures.

Architecture incorporating a Track Pad

Referring first to FIG. 2, the general architecture of a system incorporating a track pad device in accordance with the invention is illustrated. As shown, system 200 includes track pad device 205 coupled to host module 210 through communication path 215. Track pad device 205 comprises track pad sensor 220 that generates signals based on user manipulation thereof, data acquisition circuit 225 for capturing or measuring the sensors and transmit circuit 230 for aggregating and periodically transmitting the measured sensor data values to host module 210 via communication path 215. At host module 210, receive circuit 235 receives the measured sensor data and passes them to driver application 240. Driver application 240, in turn, processes or analyzes the measured data to determine the user’s conduct (e.g., a “single click,” “double click,” “scroll” or “drag” operation), passing the calculated location and/or movement information to other applications such as, for example, window display subsystem application 245. In accordance with the invention, driver application 240 is executed by host processor 250 which, as shown, is also responsible for executing (at least in part) one or more user applications or processes 255. It is significant to note that track pad device 205 has no capability to process or analyze data signals (values) acquired from sensor 220. In accordance with the invention, sensor data is analyzed by a host computer system’s general-purpose processor or central processing unit (“CPU”).

The architecture of FIG. 2 recognizes and takes unique advantage of the processing power of modern CPUs incorporated in host computer systems (e.g., notebook or other personal computers, workstations and servers). This recognition and the architecture of FIG. 2 permits a computer system 200 that is both lower in cost to manufacture and more flexible than the systems provided by the prior art. Lower costs may be realized by eliminating the prior art’s dedicated hardware for processing track pad sensor data (i.e., a processor and associated firmware memory—see components 130 and 135 in FIG. 1). Increased flexibility may be realized by providing feature set functionality via software that executes on the host computer’s CPU—that is, processing/analyzing measured track pad sensor data on one or more of the host computer’s CPUs. In this architecture, track pad functionality may be modified, updated and enhanced through conventional software upgrade procedures.

M-row by n-column capacitive sensor

Referring to FIG. 3, track pad device 300 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention comprises m-row by n-column capacitive sensor array 305, data acquisition circuit 310 (itself comprising multiplexer (“MUX”) circuit 315, storage capacitor 320 and scan circuit 325) and Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) transmit circuit 330. During operation, MUX circuit 315 is responsible for coupling and stimulating successive sensor array elements (e.g., rows, columns, or individual pixels—that is, an element at the intersection of a row and column) to storage capacitor 320 in a controlled/sequenced manner and indicating that a measurement cycle has begun to scan circuit 325. When the charge on storage capacitor 320 reaches a specified value or threshold, scan circuit 325 records the time required to charge storage capacitor 320 to the specified threshold. Accordingly, scan circuit 325 provides a digital value that is a direct indication of the selected sensor array element’s capacitance. USB transmit circuit 330 is responsible for aggregating the measured capacitance values into packets and transmitting them in accordance with the USB protocol to host module 335 via USB bus 340. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that depending upon the version of USB-used and the bandwidth of bus 340, USB transmit circuit 330 may transfer each frame of data to host module 335 in more than one, one or more than one packet. When the host module’s USB receive circuit 345 receives the measured sensor data from track pad device 300 via USB bus 340, it unpacks and passes the measured capacitance data to driver application 350. Driver application 350, in turn, accepts and processes the raw (measured) capacitance data to provide meaningful cursor movement input to operating system application 355. (One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that scan circuit 325 measures capacitance values from sensor array 305 in a predetermined order or sequence and that this sequence must be known by driver application 350 a priori or conveyed to driver application 350 along with the measured sensor data.) In one embodiment, driver application 350 implements track pad algorithms traditionally provided by a dedicated track pad processor such as, for example, processor 130 and firmware memory 135 of FIG. 1.

Track pad gestures

Various gestures can be detected by the track pad device 300 and interpreted as user-level tasks or operations. For example, the user gesture made on the sensing elements 305 of the track pad device 300 include a touch of one digit, a touch of two or more digits concurrently, a touch with sliding movement of one or more digits, a touch and sliding movement of one or more digits concurrently with a stationary touch of one or more digits, a touch and contractive movement of two or more digits, a tap of one or more digits, a touch and expansive movement of two or more digits, a touch of one or more digits with a tap of one or more digits, a touch of a portion (e.g., palm) of a hand, and a touch and movement of a portion of a hand. Moreover, the digits or portions of one or two hands can also be used for gestures made on the track pad device.

Some one-finger gestures include a one-finger tap on the track pad device to implement a left click mouse operation and a one-finger down and hold on the track pad device to implement a cursor motion. Some two-finger gestures on the track pad device include: (1) two fingers down together and a vertical movement to implement a vertical scroll operation; (2) two fingers down together and a horizontal movement to implement a horizontal scroll operation; (3) a two-finger tap to implement an operation; (4) two fingers both down and then spread apart and back together to implement a zoom operation; (5) two fingers down together and rotated in a circular motion either clockwise/counter-clockwise to implement a rotate operation; (6) one finger down and then a second finger down to implement an operation; (7) one finger down and then a second finger tap to implement an operation; and (8) two fingers down together and a diagonal movement to implement an operation.

Some three-finger and four-finger gestures on the track pad device to implement user-level tasks or operations are shown in the Table below. TABLE-US-00001 Three-Finger Gestures Four-Finger Gestures three-finger tap four-finger tap three fingers down together four fingers down together and sweep and sweep away or towards away from or towards self on the track from self pad three fingers down together four fingers down together and sweep and sweep sideways towards left or right on the track pad left or right three fingers down together four fingers down together and a vertical, and a vertical, a horizontal, a horizontal, or a diagonal movement or a diagonal movement three fingers down together four fingers down together and rotate in a and rotate in circular motion circular motion either clockwise/counter- either clockwise/ clockwise counter-clockwise two fingers down and then three fingers down and then a fourth third finger down or tap finger down or tap one finger down and then two fingers down and then two fingers two fingers down or tap down or tap one finger down and then three fingers down or tap.

Referring to FIG. 7, additional user gestures 700 on the track pad device can be used to implement various editing and cursor operations or tasks of a host application. The editing operations can include, but are not limited to, cut, copy, paste, undo previous operation, and redo previous operation. The cursor operations can include, but are not limited to, move cursor, select with cursor, tab cursor, move cursor to home, move cursor to end, page up, and page down.

For example, a cut operation can be implemented with a first gesture 702 involving a touch and pinch of the thumb and middle finger on the track pad device. A copy operation can be implemented with a second gesture 704 involving a tap of the thumb and middle finger on the track pad device. A paste operation can be implemented with a third gesture 706 involving a touch and expansion of the thumb and middle finger on the track pad device. An Undo/Redo operation can be implemented with a fourth gesture 708 involving a touch and slide of the thumb and middle finger up/down on the track pad device. Undoing just one operational step can be implemented by sliding quickly, or multiple steps can be implemented by sliding gradually. A Tab/BackTab operation can be implemented with a fifth gesture 710 involving a touch and slide of the thumb and middle finger right/left on the track pad device. Just one tab can be implemented by sliding-quickly, and repetitive tabs can be implemented by sliding gradually.

Referring to FIG. 8, additional user gestures 800 on the sensing elements of the track pad can be used to implement various file and application operations or tasks of a host application. The file operations can include, but are not limited to, open file, close file, save file, new file, print file, next file, and previous file. The application operations can include, but are not limited to, show desktop, exit application, and switch application window.

For example, an open file operation can be implemented with a first gesture 802 involving a touch with counter-clockwise rotation of the thumb and three fingers on the track pad device. A close file operation can be implemented with a second gesture 804 involving a touch with clockwise rotation of the thumb and three fingers on the track pad device. A save file operation can be implemented with a third gesture 806 involving a touch with contraction of the thumb and three fingers on the track pad device. A new file operation can be implemented with a fourth gesture 808 involving a touch with expansion of the thumb and three inner fingers on the track pad device. A print file operation can be implemented with a fifth gesture 810 involving pre-spreading of the hand and then a touch with further expansion of the thumb and three outer fingers on the track pad device. A next file operation can be implemented with a sixth gesture 812 involving a touch with a slide of the thumb and three fingertips to the left on the track pad device. A previous file operation can be implemented with a seventh gesture 814 involving a touch with a slide of the thumb and three fingertips to the right on the track pad device.

Referring to FIG. 9, additional user gestures 900 on the track pad device can be used to perform various web-browsing and keyboard operations or tasks of a host application. The browser operations can include, but are not limited to, back, forward, scroll, zoom in, zoom out, and find in page. The keyboard operations can include, but are not limited to, shift, control/command, and select key.

The Track Pad computer system

Referring to FIG. 10, a computer system 1000 according to certain teachings of the present disclosure is illustrated. The system 1000 includes track pad device 1010 having sensor array 1012, data acquisition circuit 1014, first communication circuit 1016, host module 1040 having second communication circuit 1042, one or more host processors 1044, software 1046, and host application 1048, each of which is similar to previous embodiments discussed above. For example, the second communication circuit 1042 is operatively coupled to the first communication circuit 1016 via communication path 1030, such as a USB bus. The one or more host processors 1044 are operatively coupled to the second communication circuit 1042, and at least one of the host processors 1044 is responsible, at least in part, for executing user-level tasks of the host application 1048.

Sensing elements of the track pad array 1012 measure data values 1120 (e.g., raw data) in response to a user performing a user gesture (e.g., the two-finger gesture shown) on the array 1012. The touch pad device 1010 does not process the raw, measured data values representative of the user gesture. Instead, the data acquisition circuit 1014 obtains the measured data values 1020 of the array 1012, and the first communication circuit 1016 transmits the measured data values 1020 to the second communication circuit 1042 of the host module 1040. The gesture processing software 1046 on the host module 1040 executes on at least one of the host processors 1044. Upon receiving the raw data values-1020, the gesture processing software 1046 interprets the raw data values 1020 communicated from the track pad device 1010 and makes interpreted data 1122 available to the host application 1048 for execution as a user-level task.

Notice

Macsimum News presents only a brief summary of patents with associated graphic(s) for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application and/or grant is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent applications and/or grants should be read in its entirety for further details.

Inventors listed on patent 20060066588 include Benjamin Lyon, Stephanie Cinereski, Chad Bronstein and Steve Hotelling.

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