Signal transmitters adapted to a user's behavior and methods for their operation

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a signal transmitter adapted to a user's operating behavior and a method for its operation. The signal transmitter is provided with a microcontroller (201) and a signal transmission circuit (205), wherein the signal transmission circuit (205) serves to establish a connection for transmitting signals between an input device (23) and a computer host (25), while the microcontroller (201) is configured to receive an input signal transmitted by the input device (23) and to derive operating data from the input signal. The operating data may be a touch rate, a rotation rate, or a touch path with which the user operates the input device (23).In this way, the user's operating behavior can be derived from the operating data in order to determine an operating command, which is then transmitted via the signal transmission circuit (205) to the computer host (25) to be executed by an operating system running in the computer host (25).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for processing the operation of an input device by the user, in particular a signal generator which adapts to an operating behavior by determining an operating command on the basis of the operating data provided by the signal generator, and a method for its operation.

[0002] Common wireless input devices such as wireless mice, touchpads, and keyboards must be connected to a computer host via a communication port (e.g., a USB interface) using a transmitter (also called a wireless transceiver or dongle). The transmitter's main circuitry includes a microcontroller for processing incoming and outgoing signals, a transmission circuit for transmitting signals, and an antenna. During operation, the transmitter receives an input signal generated by the wireless input device via the antenna. This signal is then converted by the microcontroller into a signal with a specific transmission format and transmitted to the computer host, where it is processed by the computer's operating system into an input command.

[0003] Accordingly, the operating system in a specific application can generate a feedback signal to the wireless input device, which is also transmitted to the wireless input device via the signal transmitter and indicated by a light, a sound or a vibration on the wireless input device.

[0004] In contrast to the signal processing known from the prior art between a computer operating system and an input device, the present disclosure proposes a signal generator adapted to an operating behavior and a method for its operation, wherein the operating procedure implemented in the signal generator can directly define an operating command based on the operating data generated by the user operating an input device and then make this available to an operating system working in the computer host in order to execute the operating command directly.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior, the main circuit of the signal transmitter comprises a microcontroller and a signal transmission circuit, wherein the signal transmission circuit serves to establish a connection for the transmission of signals between an input device (e.g. a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, etc.) and a computer host.

[0006] In this operating procedure, the microcontroller receives an input signal transmitted from the input device via the signal transmission circuit, extracts operating data from the input signal, defines an operating command based on the operating data, and then transmits the operating command through the signal transmission circuit via a specific communication port to the computer host in order to execute the operating command defined in the signal transmitter by an operating system running in the computer host.

[0007] The operating data generated by the user's operation of the input device may preferably be the rate of touching an input interface on the input device (e.g., a button, a left or right button, or a touch interface), the rate of rotating an input interface (e.g., a scroll wheel), or a touch path for actuating a touchpad.

[0008] Furthermore, the signal transmitter, adapted to an operating behavior, includes a memory in which a control table is stored, in which various operating data and several corresponding operating commands are recorded, so that the microcontroller can determine an operating command based on the received operating data.

[0009] The touch rate can be the number of presses of a key element of the input device in a unit of time, the rotation rate can be the number of revolutions, the number of rotation steps or the length traveled when rotating a scroll input element of the input device in a unit of time, and the touch path can be the distance over which the user glides on the input device with a hand movement or a control device in a unit of time.

[0010] Furthermore, the control table stored in the aforementioned memory is editable, with editing software being executed in the operating system running in the computer host to allow the user to edit the control table.

[0011] According to another explanation, a product identifier is also stored in the memory, on the basis of which the microcontroller can identify the input device in order to enable the determination of the operating command based on the operating data of the input device.

[0012] Furthermore, the memory can store a rate-time curve and operating commands assigned to the individual curve segments, so that the microcontroller can calculate an input rate over time based on the received input signal and derive the operating command from the rate-time curve.

[0013] For a better understanding of the features and technical content of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and the drawings of the present invention, which, however, serve only for illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior; Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows an embodiment of a block diagram for a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior; Fig. Figure 3 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operator's behavior; Fig. Figure 4 shows a flowchart of an embodiment for defining an operating command in a method for operating a signal transmitter; and Fig. Figure 5 shows a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a rate-time curve, on the basis of which an operating command is determined in a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior and in its operating procedure.

[0014] The embodiments of the present invention are described below using specific, concrete examples. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the advantages and technical effects of the present invention can be derived from the disclosures in this description. The present invention can be implemented or applied through other concrete embodiments, whereby various modifications or alterations can be made to the details disclosed in this description, depending on requirements and application, without departing from the fundamental ideas of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that the individual components of the present invention are not shown in their actual size, but only schematically.The following embodiments serve to further describe the configurations of the present invention, but the corresponding disclosures do not constitute a limitation of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0015] It is understood that the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used to describe various elements or signals, are not to be interpreted as restrictive. Rather, such terms serve to distinguish one element from another or one signal from another. Furthermore, the term "or" used in this description may, where applicable, encompass any of the listed items or a combination of several such items.

[0016] The present disclosure proposes a signal transmitter adapted to user behavior and a method for its operation. The signal transmitter is a transmitter capable of connecting various input devices to a computer host and can be a wireless transmitter (dongle) connected to a specific communication port (e.g., USB) of the computer host. The input device is preferably a computer mouse, stylus, presenter, wireless keyboard, touch panel, or game console (joystick) wirelessly connected to the computer host. Furthermore, application in a transmission circuit for an input device wired to a computer host is also possible.

[0017] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior.

[0018] The figure shows a computer host 107 connected via specific communication ports to various input devices, which can be wired or wireless. In a preferred embodiment, however, the input device is wireless and must be connected to the computer host 107 via a signal transmitter 105. Examples include input device I 101 (represented as a wireless computer mouse), input device II 102 (represented as a wireless keyboard), and input device III 103 (represented as a wireless touchpad). It should be noted that the drawing shows only an exemplary embodiment and that the input devices to be connected to the signal transmitter 105, adapted to the user's operating behavior as proposed in the present disclosure, are not limited to those shown in the drawing.

[0019] Furthermore, the process running in the signal generator 105 is executed in its firmware. When the user operates the input device I 101, the input device II 102, or the input device III 103 and thereby generates a signal for input to the computer host 107, the main purpose is to actuate a software program running on the computer host 107. The signal generator 105 can derive operating data from the input signal, which varies from input device to input device. In the case of a computer mouse, for example, the operating data includes the number of presses of the left and right buttons per unit of time, which can be used to determine actions such as single click, double click, or rapid multiple click, or the number of rotations of the scroll wheel per unit of time, which can reflect specific operating commands such as turning a page or jumping to a page after a certain number of pages.Computer keyboards primarily measure the number of keystrokes or key combinations per unit of time, or the duration of a long key press, from which the corresponding operating commands can be derived. Touchpads, on the other hand, measure, among other things, the number of consecutive touches per unit of time or the distance traveled across the touchpad surface per unit of time with a specific hand movement, from which the corresponding operating commands can be derived.

[0020] Regarding the design of the signal generator circuit, reference should be made to the section in Fig. Reference is made to 2 schematically illustrated examples of a block diagram for a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior.

[0021] The drawing shows a view of an exemplary embodiment of circuit elements in the signal transmitter 20, wherein the main elements are a microcontroller 201 and several circuit elements electrically connected to the microcontroller 201, such as a signal transmission circuit 205. The signal transmitter 20 serves to establish a connection for transmitting signals between an input device 23 (e.g., input device I 101, input device II 102, or input device III 103) in Fig. 1) and a computer host 25.

[0022] According to the exemplary embodiment, the signal transmitter 20 is provided with a memory 203, which is electrically connected to the microcontroller 201, to store data required for the operation of the signal transmitter 20, such as the control table and the rate-time curve, as described in the following exemplary embodiment. The signal transmitter 20 is equipped with a power supply circuit 206, which serves to manage the power supplied to the signal transmitter 20 by the connected computer host 25.

[0023] Using the example of a signal transmitter 20 for a wireless input device, the signal transmission circuit 205 is wirelessly connected to the input device 23 via an antenna unit 207 and connects to the computer host 25 via a transmission interface 209. The examples given here are not intended to limit the scope of the invention presented in the present disclosure. The signal transmission circuit 205 is, for example, a transmission circuit using the Bluetooth communication protocol (Bluetooth™), which is connected to the input device 23 via a Bluetooth antenna and processes input signals transmitted by the input device 23 within the framework of the Bluetooth communication protocol. The signal transmission circuit 205 can be a transmission circuit that, for example,for radio signals in the 2.4 GHz band and is connected to the input device 23 via an antenna in the corresponding frequency band in order to process radio signals in the 2.4 GHz band.

[0024] On the other hand, in one embodiment, the signal transmission circuit 205 can be connected to the computer host 25 via the transmission interface 209, for example in the form of a universal serial bus (USB), wherein the signal transmission circuit 205 converts the radio signals received by the antenna unit 207 into USB signals and transmits these to the computer host 25. Similarly, the USB signals transmitted by the computer host 25 are converted into radio signals and then sent back to the input device 23 as such.

[0025] The microcontroller 201 processes the signals sent and received between the input device 23 and the computer host 25 via the signal transmission circuit 205 and also processes signals generated under various communication protocols and specifications via the signal transmission circuit 205. According to the method proposed in the present disclosure for operating the signal transmitter 20 adapted to an operator behavior, the microcontroller 201 receives an input signal transmitted from the input device 23 via the signal transmission circuit 205, can derive operator data from the input signal, determine an operator command based on the operator data, and then transmit the operator command to the computer host 25 via the signal transmission circuit 205, so that the operating system running in the computer host 25 executes the operator command.

[0026] According to the embodiment, the operating data derived by the microcontroller 201 from the input signal can be the touch pressure rate (e.g., the number of key presses per second), the rotation rate (e.g., the number of rotations per second, the length of rotations per second), and the touch path (e.g., the length of touches per second) during continuous operation of the input device (scroll wheel, touch device), which determines the purpose of the operation, and when the interval between successive operations reaches a threshold, the operating data is recalculated.

[0027] In the case of touch pressure rate, for example, the purpose of a user's operation of the computer mouse buttons can be determined by the number of touches of the left or right button of the computer mouse (or alternatively a touch-enabled touchpad or keyboard) or simultaneous touches of both buttons or another specific button at a single time, including a single click, a double click or multiple consecutive clicks.

[0028] The user interaction data can include the rotation rate of the input device, for example, the distance the user travels with the computer mouse scroll wheel per unit of time, calculated from the number of rotations per unit of time. The user's intention to use the scroll wheel can be assessed based on the distance the scroll wheel is rotated in a short time. Depending on the threshold set by the system, this might, for example, indicate the user scrolling through the content of a web page or a page of a document if the rotation rate is low; if the rotation rate is not low, it means the user intends to scroll through the content of many pages at once; or if the rotation rate is high, it is assumed that the user intends to scroll directly to the end of the page.

[0029] The user interaction data can refer to the touch path taken when operating the input device, for example, the distance traveled by the user during touchpad operation with one hand movement per unit of time. The continuous movement of the user's finger on the touchpad can correspond to the purpose of the user interaction. For example, if only a single touch occurs within a unit of time over a certain distance, this is interpreted as slowly scrolling through the content of a webpage or document; if several slow touches occur within a unit of time over a certain distance, this is interpreted as quickly scrolling through the content; if a single, but rapid, touch occurs within a unit of time over a certain distance, this is interpreted as scrolling through the content of multiple pages at once.

[0030] In the case of a television / computer game device, the input device can be, for example, a controller for a video game, whereby the acceleration can be calculated from the number of times a rocker switch on the controller is activated in a certain direction per unit of time, and thus an operating command to execute an accelerated movement in the game can be determined.

[0031] According to the embodiment, a control table can be created for the above operating commands derived from various operating data, which can be stored in memory 203, wherein various operating data and several corresponding operating commands are recorded in the control table so that the microcontroller 201 can determine an operating command in real time based on the received operating data.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the control table stored in memory 203 is editable, so that the user can execute editing software by operating the operating system running in the computer host in order to edit the said control table, thereby enabling the user to define the operating commands assigned to the various operating behaviors.

[0033] According to another embodiment, a product identifier (product ID) can be stored in the memory 203, to which a type of input device is assigned, wherein the microcontroller 201 can identify the input device 23, such as a computer mouse, a touchpad or a keyboard, on the basis of the product identifier, so that the microcontroller 201 can correctly define an operating command based on the operating data of the input device 23.

[0034] In a further embodiment, a rate-time curve can be stored in memory 203. Here, reference can be made to the... Fig. Reference is made to the schematically illustrated embodiment shown, which shows a rate-time curve 500, on the basis of which an operating command is determined in a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior and in its operating procedure, wherein the rate is plotted on the vertical axis and the time on the horizontal axis.

[0035] In addition to the multiple time points t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6 schematically indicated on the depicted horizontal axis, several curve segments are also marked, where, for example, time points t1 to t2 cover a first curve segment, time points t3 to t4 a second curve segment, and time points t5 to t6 a third curve segment. Each of the curve segments can correspond to a specific operating command, so that the microcontroller 201 can calculate an input rate over time based on the received input signal and derive an operating command from the rate-time curve 500.

[0036] For example, if the acceleration from pressing a key or turning a scroll wheel on the input device 23, or the acceleration generated by touching the input device 23 over a certain distance with a hand movement, is calculated from the input signal, an operating command can then be defined if the calculated rate of touching or turning matches the velocity-time ratio of a certain section of the rate-time curve 500.

[0037] The main sequence of an embodiment of a method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operator's behavior is described in Fig. 3 shown.

[0038] According to the in Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the signal transmitter is configured to establish a connection between an input device and a computer host. The connected input device is identified based on a product identifier, and an input signal generated by the user's operation of the input device is received (step S301), from which operating data can be obtained (step S303). The operating data generated by the user's operation of the input device could, for example, be the rate at which an input interface on the input device is touched (e.g., a button, a left or right button, or a touch interface), the rate at which an input interface is rotated (e.g., a scroll wheel), or the touch path for actuating a touchpad.

[0039] Next, the operator data is parsed (step S305), whereby the control table 30 can be queried to enable the microcontroller to determine an operator command in real time based on the operator data (step S307), which is then transmitted by the signal transmission circuit via a specific communication port to the computer host (step S309) to be executed by the operating system running in the computer host.

[0040] One of the methods for determining an operating command based on the operating data is to query the control table 30 stored in the signal transmitter's memory based on the operating data, which records various operating data and the corresponding multiple operating commands, or to calculate the rate and acceleration of various operating behaviors based on the operating data and to derive the operating command from the rate-time curve that is in the Fig. The embodiment shown in section 5 is illustrated.

[0041] With regard to the associated embodiment, reference can be made to the in Fig. Reference is made to the flowchart shown in Figure 4 of an embodiment for defining an operating command in a method for operating a signal transmitter.

[0042] According to the in Fig.In the sequence shown in Figure 4, a signal transmitter connected to a computer host receives user data from an input device (step S401). This data consists of the touch rate, rotation rate, or touch path when the user operates the input device. The touch rate is the number of presses of a key element of the input device (e.g., a mouse button, a keyboard button, or the surface of a touchpad) per unit of time. The rotation rate is the number of revolutions, rotation steps, or the distance traveled when rotating a scrolling input element of the input device (e.g., a scroll wheel or a trackball) per unit of time. The touch path is the distance the user continuously glides a hand or control device (e.g., a stylus) across the input device per unit of time.

[0043] The product identifier allows the type of connected input device to be identified, whereupon the microcontroller in the signal transmitter derives operating data from each received input signal. For computer mice, keyboards, or touchpads, the number of touches of the left and right mouse buttons, a keyboard key, or the touchpad surface per unit of time can be calculated. In the case of a computer mouse scroll wheel, the number of rotations can be calculated. For operating a touchpad with a hand movement, the distance over which the operation is performed can be calculated (step S403). Subsequently, an operating command can be defined by querying the control table (step S405) with the operating data obtained from the above calculation (step S407).

[0044] In summary, the present disclosure proposes a signal generator adapted to an operator's behavior and a method for its operation. In contrast to known signal processing methods between a computer operating system and an input device, the method proposed in the present disclosure is based on the cooperation of firmware or hardware and software in a signal generator to derive operator data from an input signal in real time, based on which an operator command is determined so that the computer operating system can directly receive an executable operator command.

[0045] The above disclosure merely presents preferred possible embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention, so that all equivalent technical modifications made by applying the content of the description and the drawings of the present invention are included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention. Reference symbol list 101 Input device I 102 Input Device II 103 Input device III 105 signal transmitters 107 Computer host 20 signal transmitters 201 microcontrollers 203 storage 205 Signal transmission circuit 206 Power supply circuit 207 Antenna unit 209 Transmission interface 23 Input device 25 Computer host 500 Rate-Time Curve t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6 time point Steps S301 to S309 Operating sequence of a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior Steps S401 to S407: Procedure for defining an operating command

Claims

[1] Signal transmitters adapted to a user's behavior, comprising: - a microcontroller (201) and - a signal transmission circuit (205) that is electrically connected to the microcontroller (201) and serves to establish a connection for the transmission of signals between an input device (23) and a computer host (25), wherein the microcontroller (201) receives an input signal transmitted from the input device (23) by the signal transmission circuit (205), derives operating data from the input signal, determines an operating command based on the operating data and then transmits the operating command via the signal transmission circuit (205) to the computer host (25) in order to execute the operating command by an operating system running in the computer host (25). [2] Signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 1, wherein the operating data is a touch rate, a rotation rate or a touch path for operating the input device (23). [3] Signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a memory (203) which is electrically connected to the microcontroller (201) and in which a control table is stored in which various operating data and several corresponding operating commands are recorded, which enables the microcontroller (201) to determine the operating command in real time based on the operating data. [4] Signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 3, wherein the control table stored in the memory (203) is editable, wherein the operating system running in the computer host (25) executes editing software for editing the control table. [5] Signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a product identifier is stored in the memory (203) on the basis of which the microcontroller (201) identifies the input device (23) in order to enable the determination of the operating command based on the operating data of the input device (23). [6] A signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a memory (203) which is electrically connected to the microcontroller (201) and in which a rate-time curve and operating commands assigned to the individual curve sections are stored, wherein the microcontroller (201) calculates an input rate over time on the basis of the received input signal and derives the operating command from the rate-time curve. [7] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operator's behavior, which is carried out by a microcontroller (201) of the signal transmitter and comprises the following: - Receiving an input signal transmitted from an input device (23) to a signal transmission circuit (205); - Extracting operator data from the input signal; - Defining an operating command based on the operating data; and - Transmission of the operating command via the signal transmission circuit (205) to a computer host (25) for execution of the operating command by an operating system running in the computer host (25). [8] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 7, wherein the operating data is a touch rate, a rotation rate or a touch path for operating the input device (23). [9] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the touch rate is the number of actuations of a key element of the input device (23) in a unit of time. [10] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the rotation rate is the number of revolutions, the number of rotation steps or the length traveled when rotating a scroll input element of the input device (23) in a unit of time. [11] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the touch path is a distance over which the user glides with a hand movement or a control device on the input device (23) in a unit of time. [12] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the signal transmitter further comprises a memory (203) which is electrically connected to the microcontroller (201) and in which a control table is stored in which various operating data and several corresponding operating commands are recorded, which enables the microcontroller (201) to determine the operating command in real time based on the operating data. [13] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 12, wherein the control table stored in the memory (203) is editable, wherein the operating system running in the computer host (25) executes editing software for editing the control table. [14] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a product identifier is stored in the memory (203) on the basis of which the microcontroller (201) identifies the input device (23) in order to enable the determination of the operating command based on the operating data of the input device (23). [15] Method for operating a signal transmitter adapted to an operating behavior according to one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the signal transmitter further comprises a memory (203) which is electrically connected to the microcontroller (201) and in which a rate-time curve and operating commands assigned to the individual curve segments are stored, wherein the microcontroller (201) calculates an input rate over time on the basis of the received input signal and derives the operating command from the rate-time curve.

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