Systems and methods for selectably suppressing computing input events triggered by variable pressure and variable displacement sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696793-B2
Application number	US-201414271055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2014
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein that may be implemented to selectably suppress computing input events that are generated for an information handling system based on output signals received from a variable pressure or displacement (VPD) sensor that correspond to one or more pressure or displacement zones defined for the VPD sensor. Using the disclosed systems and methods, computing input events based on sensor output signals from one or more given VPD sensing zones may be selectably suppressed and/or withheld during sensor pressure or displacement changes from further host system processing according to a time delay, e.g., as a function of the elapsed time taken for a user to depress or release a given VPD sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable pressure or displacement (VPD) sensor system, comprising:
at least one VPD sensor coupled to provide a VPD sensor output signal that includes raw sensor data that is representative of the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor; and
VPD circuitry coupled to receive the VPD sensor output signal from the at least one VPD sensor, the VPD circuitry comprising at least one first processing device configured to:
process the raw sensor data of the received VPD sensor output signal to determine whether the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor corresponds to one of a defined first zone of lower sensed pressure or displacement being currently applied to the VPD sensor or a defined second zone of higher sensed pressure or displacement being currently applied to the VPD sensor, each of the defined first and second VPD zones being associated with a particular computing input event,
select the computing input event associated with the particular defined VPD zone which corresponds to the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor, and
generate a VPD circuitry output signal including the selected computing input event to a second processing device only after a duration of a time delay period that begins when pressure or displacement is at least partially applied to the VPD sensor or when existing pressure or displacement is at least partially released from the VPD sensor;

where the first processing device of the VPD circuitry is further configured to generate a VPD circuitry output signal including the selected computing input event to a second processing device only after a duration of a sensor depression time delay period that begins when pressure or displacement is at least partially applied to the VPD sensor, and only after a duration of a sensor release time delay period that begins when existing pressure or displacement is at least partially released from the VPD sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , where the sensor depression time delay period begins when pressure or displacement is first applied to the VPD sensor while it is in a non-depressed state.

3. The system of claim 1 , where the VPD system comprises at least one of a keyboard system having at least one VPD key sensor, a computer mouse system having at least one VPD mouse button sensor, a game controller having at least one VPD game controller button sensor, or a touchpad having at least one VPD sensor touchpad area.

4. The system of claim 1 , where each of the defined first and second VPD zones is associated with a different computing input event.

5. The system of claim 1 , where each of the computing events associated with each of the defined first and second VPD zones include one or more pressure or displacement-based key codes or an alternating high and low (high/low) digital output bit stream signal of a particular frequency.

6. The system of claim 1 , where the VPD circuitry further comprises user configuration information stored on at least one storage device that is accessible by the first processing device, the user configuration information including the duration of the time delay periods; where the storage device is accessible by a user to allow the user to change the duration of the time delay periods; and where the first processing device is configured to access the user configuration information to determine the duration of the time delay periods.

7. The system of claim 1 , where the VPD circuitry further comprises user configuration information stored on at least one storage device that is accessible by the first processing device, the user configuration information including information that defines the upper and lower boundaries of each of the VPD zones; where the storage device is accessible by a user to allow the user to change the upper and lower boundaries of each of the VPD zones; and where the first processing device is configured to access the user configuration information to determine the upper and lower boundaries of each of the VPD zones.

8. The system of claim 1 , where the VPD circuitry further comprises user configuration information stored on at least one storage device that is accessible by the first processing device, the user configuration information including information that associates each of the VPD zones with a corresponding computing input event; where the storage device is accessible by a user to allow a user to change computing input events associated with each of the VPD zones; and where the first processing device is configured to access the user configuration information to the computing input event associated with the particular defined VPD zone which corresponds to the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 , where the sensor depression time delay period begins when pressure or displacement applied to the VPD sensor enters the defined first zone of lower sensed pressure or displacement.

10. An information handling system comprising:
a variable pressure or displacement (VPD) sensor system comprising VPD circuitry that includes at least one first processing device; and
a second processing device that is configured as a host processing device to execute at least one application;
where the VPD sensor system is coupled to exchange information and data with the host processing device; and where the VPD sensor system further comprises at least one VPD sensor coupled to provide a VPD sensor output signal to the VPD circuitry, the VPD sensor output signal including raw sensor data that is representative of the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor; and
where the first processing device of the VPD circuitry is configured to:
process the raw sensor data of the received VPD sensor output signal to determine whether the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor corresponds to one of a defined first zone of lower sensed pressure or displacement being currently applied to the VPD sensor or a defined second zone of higher sensed pressure or displacement being currently applied to the VPD sensor, each of the defined first and second VPD zones being associated with a particular computing input event,
select the computing input event associated with the particular defined VPD zone which corresponds to the real time pressure or displacement currently being applied to the VPD sensor, and
generate a VPD circuitry output signal including the selected computing input event to a second processing device only after a duration of a time delay period that begins when pressure or displacement is at least partially applied to the VPD sensor or when existing pressure or displacement is at least partially released from the VPD sensor;

where the first processing device of the VPD circuitry is further configured to generate a VPD circuitry output signal including the selected computing input event to a second processing device only after a duration of a sensor depression time delay period that begins when pressure or displacement is at least partially applied to the VPD sensor, and only after a duration of a sensor release time delay period that begins when existing pressure or displacement is at least partially released from the VPD sensor.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 , the VPD circuitry further comprises user configuration information stored on at least one storage device that is accessible by the first processing device, the user configuration information including the duration of the time delay periods; where the storage device is acce

Assignees

• Ross Carlos L
• Sierra Danae
• Medina Eyzen
• Seay Alonzo F
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Ross Carlos L
• Sierra Danae
• Medina Eyzen
• Seay Alonzo F

Classifications

• G06F3/023 Primary

  Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes · CPC title

• G06F3/033

  Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user {, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks}; Accessories therefor (digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041) · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/01 Primary

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title