Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Microsoft Corporation

Mihai Albulet

Gary Rensberger

Steven Nabil Bathiche

Mark William Casebolt

Nathan C Sherman

Peter E H Hauser

Ceasar Barcenas De Leon

A pointing device is provided for reporting motion information about the pointing device. Counts representing movement in two dimensions are processed so that a packet data stream may accommodate the motion information. One aspect of the invention utilizes the value of count to determine whether compression of the motion information should be performed. When it is determined that compression should be performed, a compression function is selected, the count is processed by the compression function, and an indicator is set to indicate that the count is processed by the compression function. Reporting information, which includes the processed count and the indicator, is then transmitted to computer system. A user input interface that is associated with the computer system recovers the counts using appropriate inverse functions in accordance with the indicators.

RF data compression for a high-speed mouse

Interference between collocated wireless devices sharing the same RF channel is avoided or minimized by a new header format provided for the first data packet in an RF transmission. By inclusion of an invalid pulse in the header of each isolated data packet, an FM receiver that 'captures' a desired signal from a closest device, midstream of processing an undesired signal (pertubation) from a more distant collocated device, is caused to abort the invalid packet and reinitialize. The receiver is then able to properly process the first packet in the desired transmission (from the closest device).

Data packet transmission for channel-sharing collocated wireless devices

The present invention reduces adjacent channel interference for a wireless peripheral device. A direct digital synthesizer generates a waveform having intermediate angular changes during a transition time between symbol intervals. After the transition time, the direct digital synthesizer generates the waveform with an angular value that corresponds to the symbol being transmitted. In an exemplary embodiment, a generated waveform is characterized by one of two designated frequencies in response to a value of an input information bit. The waveform is further characterized by at least one intermediate frequency during a transition time between a change of the designated frequency. Another embodiment of the invention utilizes phase changes rather than frequency changes during reduce adjacent channel interference. With another aspect of the invention, methods are provided to determine waveform parameters for reducing adjacent channel power (ACP) to a maximum level of interference.

Data pulse spectrum control

A wireless input device may negotiate a predefined transmit/receive schedule with a receiving device (i.e., PC, PDA, cellular device). To conserve power, the wireless components of the input device are powered down during periods of non-transmission. The wireless input device detects intermediate user input and corresponding data according to a detection rate during periods of non-transmission. The intermediate data is then transmitted to the receiving device during a transmission period along with a current data detected at the time of transmission. The wireless device may further discard any intermediate data which does not reflect a significant change. Additionally, the system and method may include a detection rate that adapts to degrees of user activity detected by the wireless input device.

Performance and efficiency of wireless devices

The present invention provides a system and method for conserving power consumption of a wireless device such as a BLUETOOTH slave device. A master device polls a slave device in a polling period. The slave responds by transmitting a data packet. If there is an error in transmission of the data, the master device may transmit an ARQ (Automatic Repeat Request) to the slave device in a TIMEOUT period to indicate that the data packet was not received. The slave device may reduce power consumption or power off during that TIMEOUT and receive a retransmit ARQ in a subsequent polling period.

Reducing power consumption of a wireless device

A wireless device determines characteristics of a connection established (or being established) with a remote device and implements a power management algorithm based on those characteristics. The wireless device includes a battery power source, a radio transceiver powered by the battery, a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to create, via the transceiver, wireless connections with remote devices in any of a plurality of connection configurations. The controller detects the presence, in a wireless transmission from a remote device, of one or more parameters identifying one of the plurality of configurations. Based on the configuration identified, the controller implements one of a plurality of power management algorithms.

Modifying a power management algorithm based on wireless communication parameters

Systems and methods for evaluating a signal containing pulses received from a wireless computer peripheral device are provided. A received signal is analyzed to measure the strength of the received signal and determine whether sources of interference exist. Correction action is recommended based on the analysis of the received signal.

Smart receiver for wireless peripherals

Capacitive proximity sensing is carried out by detecting a relative change in the capacitance of a 'scoop' capacitor formed by a conductor and a surrounding ground plane. Charge is transferred between the 'scoop' capacitor and a relatively large &#x201c;bucket&#x201d; capacitor, and a voltage of the bucket capacitor is applied to an input threshold switch. A state transition (e.g., from low to high, or high to low) of the input threshold switch is detected and a value (TouchVal) indicative of a number of cycles of charge transfer required to reach the state transition is determined. The presence or absence of an object or body portion in close proximity to or contact with a device can be determined by comparing TouchVal with a predetermined threshold value (TouchOff). In order to lessen the time required for detection, and/or improve the sensitivity thereof, the bucket capacitor may initially be charged to a repeatable non-zero reference level closer to the charge level that will cause a state transition. TouchOff can be adjusted to take into account environmentally induced (non-touch related) changes in the capacitance of the scoop capacitor. Power management may be provided in a user operated data input device utilizing the inventive proximity sensing.

Capacitive sensing employing a repeatable offset charge

RF data compression for a high speed mouse

An imaging compensation or transformation method for signals detected by a sensor which is placed arbitrarily away from its ideal location into signals which would result if the sensor were in the ideal location. This method links movement of the on-screen cursor to the movement of the ball by a user. The actual location of the sensor in the device can be at any necessary location relative to the other components of the device within the housing, and the necessary transformation functions can be calculated and applied to the signals. Enabling placement of the sensor at a location which is displaced from the ideal location provides degrees of design freedom to optimize ergonomic and aesthetic factors. The compensation or conversion method is a transformation which simulates the sensor being disposed at the ideal location regardless of where it is actually placed. This is done by defining a user vector space, a sensor vector space and a reported vector space. The actuation of the ball occurs in the user vector space which corresponds a detected movement in the sensor vector space. The motion detected in the sensor vector space is transformed to movement in the reported vector space which simulates the movement of the ball as if the sensor were located in the ideal location.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Mihai Albulet