Capacitive mouse

Abstract

A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A rotary motion detector comprising: 
 a rotating member,    a capacitance detecting means comprising a plurality of fixed capacitance detecting members and a capacitance measuring circuit that measures the variations of capacitance on said capacitance detecting members, and    processing means to determine the movement of said rotating member based on said capacitance measurements.    
     
     
         2 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1  in which said rotating member includes an electrically conductive disc.  
     
     
         3 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1  in which said rotating member includes a disc with electrically conductive notches.  
     
     
         4 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1  in which said conductive notches are electrically grounded.  
     
     
         5 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1  in which said rotating member includes a pattern of conductive material.  
     
     
         6 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1  in which said capacitance detecting members comprise conductive plates in close proximity to said rotating member.  
     
     
         7 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 2  in which said capacitance detecting members comprise conductive plates in close proximity to said conductive disc.  
     
     
         8 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 3  in which said capacitance detecting members comprise conductive plates in close proximity to said conductive notches of said disc.  
     
     
         9 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 8 , in which said capacitance detector includes at least three of said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         10 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 9 , in which said processing means combines the capacitance measurements from said capacitance detecting members to compensate for variations in distance between said capacitance detecting members and said rotating member.  
     
     
         11 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said capacitance measuring circuit produces thresholded capacitance measurements for said processing means.  
     
     
         12 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said capacitance measuring unit produces varying capacitance measurements for said processing means.  
     
     
         13 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 12 , in which said processing means uses said varying capacitance measurements to measure the motion of said rotating member to greater resolution than the size of said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         14 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said rotating member is electrically connected to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures capacitance between said rotating member and said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         15 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 14 , in which said rotating member and said capacitance measuring circuit are connected to electrical ground.  
     
     
         16 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said rotating member is capacitively coupled to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures transcapacitance between said capacitance measuring circuit and said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         17 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said rotating member induces transcapacitance between some of said capacitance detecting members, and said capacitance detector measures said transcapacitance between said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         18 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said rotary motion detector detects motion of a pointing device.  
     
     
         19 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 8 , in which said rotary motion detector detects motion of a pointing device.  
     
     
         20 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 13 , in which said rotary motion detector detects motion of a pointing device.  
     
     
         21 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 1 , in which said rotary motion detector detects computer scrolling commands.  
     
     
         22 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 8 , in which said rotary motion detector detects computer scrolling commands.  
     
     
         23 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 13 , in which said rotary motion detectordetects computer scrolling commands.  
     
     
         24 . The rotary motion detector of  claim 21 , in which said rotary motion detector is contained within a computer pointing device.  
     
     
         25 . A motion detector comprised of a rotating ball with conductive patterns on or near the surface of said rotating ball, and a capacitance detector comprising a plurality of capacitance detecting members and a capacitance measuring circuit.  
     
     
         26 . The motion detector of  claim 25 , in which said conductive patterns are electrically connected to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures capacitance between said conductive patterns and said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         27 . The motion detector of  claim 25 , in which said conductive patterns are capacitively coupled to said capacitance measuring circuit, and said capacitance detector measures transcapacitance between said capacitance measuring circuit and said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         28 . The motion detector of  claim 25 , in which said conductive patterns induce transcapacitance between some of said capacitance detecting members, and said capacitance detector measures said transcapacitance between said capacitance detecting members.  
     
     
         29 . The motion detector of  claim 25 , in which said motion detector is used in a computer pointing device.  
     
     
         30 . The motion detector of  claim 25 , in which said pointing device is a mouse.  
     
     
         31 . A computer mouse in which motion of the mouse is measured by capacitive means.  
     
     
         32 . The computer mouse of  claim 31 , in which said mouse includes at least one button whose activation is detected by capacitive means.  
     
     
         33 . The computer mouse of  claim 32 , in which said button comprises capacitive touch sensors.  
     
     
         34 . The computer mouse of  claim 32 , in which said motion and said button activations are detected by the same capacitance measuring means.  
     
     
         35 . A computer mouse in which scrolling commands are detected by capacitive means.  
     
     
         36 . The computer mouse of  claim 35 , in which motion of said mouse is measured by capacitive means.  
     
     
         37 . The computer mouse of  claim 36 , in which said motion and said scrolling commands are detected by the same capacitance measuring means.  
     
     
         38 . The computer mouse of  claim 35 , in which mouse button activations are detected by capacitive means.  
     
     
         39 . The computer mouse of  claim 38 , in which said button activations and said scrolling commands are detected by the same capacitance measuring means.  
     
     
         40 . A computer mouse including a control member attached to a conductive member, operation of said control member by the user causing deflection of said conductive member, and a capacitance detector that measures said deflection of said conductive member by capacitive means.  
     
     
         41 . The computer mouse of  claim 40 , in which said control member is used to send scrolling commands to a computer.  
     
     
         42 . The computer mouse of  claim 40 , in which said capacitance detector measures operation of said control member in two orthogonal axes.  
     
     
         43 . A computer mouse including a touch sensor measuring the motion of a finger along an axis, said touch sensor operating by capacitive means.  
     
     
         44 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is located between two mouse buttons.  
     
     
         45 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is located on the side of said mouse.  
     
     
         46 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is located on a mouse button.  
     
     
         47 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is used to send a scrolling command to a computer.  
     
     
         48 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is mounted on the surface of said mouse.  
     
     
         49 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is mounted beneath the enclosed surface of said mouse.  
     
     
         50 . The computer mouse of  claim 49 , in which said surface of said mouse is made thinner in the vicinity of said touch sensor in order to increase capacitive coupling of said finger to said touch sensor.  
     
     
         51 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which said touch sensor is embedded within the surface material of said mouse.  
     
     
         52 . The computer mouse of  claim 47 , in which tapping gestures of said finger on said touch sensor are decoded as commands for said computer.  
     
     
         53 . The computer mouse of  claim 47 , in which said scrolling commands continue after said finger lifts from said touch sensor.  
     
     
         54 . The computer mouse of  claim 53 , in which said continuation of said scrolling commands does not occur if said finger was substantially stationary prior to lifting from said touch sensor.  
     
     
         55 . The computer mouse of  claim 53 , in which said continuing scrolling commands cease when said finger again touches said touch sensor.  
     
     
         56 . The computer mouse of  claim 53 , in which said continuing scrolling commands cease a determined amount of time after said finger lifts from said touch sensor.  
     
     
         57 . The computer mouse of  claim 53 , in which said continuing scrolling commands decrease gradually after said finger lifts from said touch sensor.  
     
     
         58 . The computer mouse of  claim 43 , in which motion of said mouse is detected by optical means.  
     
     
         59 . The computer mouse of  claim 58 , in which said mouse has no moving parts.  
     
     
         60 . A computer mouse including a touch sensor measuring the motion of a finger in two dimensions, said touch sensor operating by capacitive means.  
     
     
         61 . The computer mouse of  claim 60 , in which said touch sensor is used to send a scrolling command to a computer.  
     
     
         62 . The computer mouse of  claim 60  in which said motion occurs within an area of the surface of said mouse.  
     
     
         63 . A one-dimensional touch sensor measuring the motion of a conductive object along an axis, said touch sensor operating by capacitive means, said motion generating scrolling commands for a computer.  
     
     
         64 . The one-dimensional touch sensor of  claim 63  in which tapping gestures of said finger on said touch sensor are decoded as commands for said computer.  
     
     
         65 . The one-dimensional touch sensor of  claim 63  in which said scrolling commands continue after said conductive object is lifted from said sensor.  
     
     
         66 . The one-dimensional touch sensor of  claim 63  in which said scrolling commands do not continue after said conductive object is lifted from said sensor.  
     
     
         67 . The one-dimensional touch sensor of  claim 63  in which said touch sensor is mounted in a peripheral device of a computer.  
     
     
         68 . The one-dimensional touch sensor of  claim 63  in which said touch sensor is mounted in an input device of a computer.  
     
     
         69 . The one-dimensional touch sensor of  claim 68  in which said input device is a mouse.  
     
     
         70 . A capacitive touch sensor measuring the motion of a finger along an axis, and in response to said motion generating quadrature signals compatible with those from a rotary motion detector.