WO2007121777A1 - An actuating device and a graphical processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An actuation device for actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus, the actuation device comprising a main body being movable in a two-dimensional manner by a user, wherein a position signal indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of the main body is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to display a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus, and a regulator unit arranged on the main body and adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, a touch signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator.

Description

An actuating device and a graphical processing apparatus

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Austrian Patent Application No. A 697-2006 filed April 25, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The invention relates to an actuating device. The invention further relates to a graphical processing apparatus. Beyond this, the invention relates to a user controlled system.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus.

Moreover, the invention relates to a program element. Further, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium.

The demand for a user-convenient computer mouse increases with the increasing complexity of features of operation system based computer applications, like electronic audiomixers.

DE 199 60 109 Al discloses that video technical systems based on graphical user elements with integrated operating elements for controlling storage and reproduction of data, are now processed in the studio using PCs or workstations for viewing and cutting the video material, but access to individual images of the video material is time consuming, for many users, mainly resulting from the use of software control of the screen menus. To simplify the processes in the system, a control device is provided and generates a control signal with a given event on the graphical user-surface (GUI) and is used for driving a corresponding operating element, which outputs to the user a perceptible check-back signal.

CA 25 34 662 Al discloses an ergonomic computer mouse which may include a system that may couple to a computer that may include a selectably interchangeable pointing device controller, and further may include an ergonomic design that may include a front portion and a rear portion where the front portion is configured to move horizontally and vertically with respect to the rear portion. Further may be included a computer device that may have a generally arch-like, ergonomic configuration.

DE 102 32 415 Al discloses an input device for a data processing system which comprises a first optical sensor for imaging an object outside the sensor, a second optical sensor at a fixed distance from the first sensor that generates a second image of the object, and an evaluation unit that determines the object position by comparison of the two images and generates a command signal for a data processing system based on the calculated spatial position. A corresponding data processing system is disclosed for use with an input device and a method for controlling the data processing system using the input device. Typically the input device can detect movement of a hand or a specific part thereof, such as a finger nail, which is smaller and has a different reflectivity coefficient to the rest of the hand.

However, these conventional system lack sufficient flexibility in use and may therefore lack user- friendliness.

It is an object of the invention to provide a user-friendly input system. In order to achieve the object defined above, an actuating device, a graphical processing apparatus, a user controlled system, a method of actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus, a program element, and a computer-readable medium according to the independent claims are provided.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an actuation device for actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus is provided, the actuation device comprising a main body being movable in a two- dimensional manner by a user, wherein a position signal indicative of an actual two- dimensional position of the main body is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to display a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus, and a regulator unit arranged on the main body and adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, a touch signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator. According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a graphical processing apparatus for displaying a software regulator being actuable by an actuation device is provided, the graphical processing apparatus comprising a position data interface adapted to receive a position signal transmitted from the actuation device and indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of a main body of the actuation device as a basis for displaying a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus, and a touch data interface adapted to receive a touch signal transmitted from the actuation device and indicative of a touch of a regulator unit arranged on the main body of the actuation device by the user, wherein the graphical processing apparatus is adapted to be brought in an operation state in which an actuation of the regulator unit by the user after receipt of the touch signal actuates the software regulator.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a user controlled system is provided, comprising an actuation device having the above mentioned features for actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus, and comprising the graphical processing apparatus having the above mentioned features for displaying the software regulator being actuable by the actuation device.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus is provided, the method comprising moving a main body of an actuating device in a two-dimensional manner by a user, transmitting a position signal indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of the main body from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to display a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus, generating a touch signal upon touching a regulator unit arranged on the main body of the actuation device by the user, and transmitting the touch signal from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator.

According to still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a program element is provided, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method having the above-mentioned features.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a computer-readable medium (e.g. a CD, a DVD, a USB stick, a floppy disk or a harddisk) is provided, in which a computer program is stored which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method having the above-mentioned features.

The system according to embodiments of the invention can be realized by a computer program, that is by software, or by using one or more special electronic optimization circuits, that is in hardware (for instance including one or more microprocessors), or in hybrid form, that is by means of software components and hardware components.

In the context of this application, the term "actuation device" may particularly denote any component or periphery device which allows a human user to manually input information into a data processing system by a mechanical operation (usually using the hand), like touching, pressing, etc.

The term "software regulator" may particularly denote any icon displayable on a display device which allows a user to adjust a parameter (like an audio amplitude, an audio equalizer setting, an image brightness, an image contrast, a degree of image distortion, a frequency filter setting, etc.) in a continuous or stepwise manner. A software panel is an example for such a software regulator. The term "graphical processing apparatus" may particularly denote a device which may comprise a display unit like a liquid crystal display, a plasma device or even a cathode ray tube. Such an apparatus may further have some processing capabilities, like a microprocessor or a CPU. Furthermore, input elements may be provided at such an input/output device, like a keypad, a trackball, a mouse, a joystick or even a microphone of a voice recognition system. On a display of such a graphical processing apparatus, software regulators and mouse pointers/cursors may be displayed. An example for a graphical processing apparatus is a computer.

The term "cursor" may particularly denote a symbol displayable on a screen that shows where the next user-controlled activity may or will take place. It may denote a graphic pointer used with a computer mouse to point to a location on a terminal screen.

The term "touching" may particularly denote a physical contact, wherein not necessarily a force has to be exerted by the user's hand on the regulator unit. Thus, a smooth contact (or an essentially forceless touch) between the user's body and the regulator unit may be sufficient, in contrast to strongly pressing, pushing or clicking.

The term "translating" may particularly denote a data conversion between source data originating from the actuation device and target data to be supplied to an application software running on the graphical processing apparatus. This may include manipulating or re-interpreting the data. By taking this measure, a translating software may give an operation system (like Windows) and/or an application software (like an audiomixer software) the impression that a specific conventional activity (like a mouse click) has occurred, although in fact another activity has occurred (like a touch of an actuation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention). This may allow to use conventional operating systems running a conventional application software with a novel kind of actuation device, without the need of a previous configuration or complex software installation. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a mouse design for an intuitive software control may be provided. According to an exemplary embodiment, a computer mouse (or a similar input device like a trackball or a joystick) may be provided which may be equipped with a rotary regulator. With such a hardware component in combination with a software component to be installed on a computer (or similar data processing device) which allows to control the computer mouse, it may be possible to operate any application running on an operation system installed on the computer and supported by the software of a computer mouse without previous configuration. More particularly, such an actuation device may be advantageously implemented in a system in which software regulators shall be controlled by a computer mouse. According to an exemplary embodiment, simply touching the regulator unit of the computer mouse may trigger a change of the operation mode of the graphical processing apparatus. In other words, when such a touch is detected, a subsequent turning of a turning knob of the regulator unit may be interpreted by the system as an adjustment of a software regulator located at a position of a cursor of the computer mouse on a screen. In other words, without clicking on mouse buttons and therefore in a manner which is much closer related to conventional hardware audio mixer applications, a user may adjust software regulators in software applications in which one or a plurality of such regulators are implemented.

In other words, particularly for use of a software for simulating audio mixers, such audio mixture functions may be integrated in a computer (for instance with a plurality of audio channels, for instance 40 or 150). For this purpose, an operating device may be provided, wherein a computer mouse having a rotary knob may be used for a user convenient actuation of a software regulator, namely only by turning the knob after a previous activation of the input device triggered by a simple touch.

Depending on a current position of the mouse, a simple touch and turn operation of the regulator unit or rotary knob may allow to carry out such an adjustment. A touch sensor may detect the touching and an encoder may decode a degree of turning which can be translated by a filter software installed on the computer into a language of an operation system running on a computer or the like. In other words, touching of the touch sensor may be translated by the filter software into a command of the operating system that a user has clicked a button of a mouse. Turning on the rotary knob may be interpreted and translated by the filter software into the instruction of the operating system that a user has simultaneously clicked on a mouse button and has moved the mouse in upward or downward direction (or alternatively that a scroll wheel has been used). Therefore, these conventional procedures of adjusting software regulators using a computer mouse may be mimicked, simulated or pretended to the operating system (like Windows) and/or to an application software. Therefore, when an application (like a mixer software) is controlled by the operating system, the conventional control signals which the mixer software expects are provided by the operating system, since the signal generated by the actuation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention have been translated into the conventional signals by the filter software.

Embodiments of the invention may allow to keep a mouse fixed on a table and may allow, by simply turning on a button, a replication or reproduction of a hardware mixer function. In order to avoid that a user is confused by an undesired mouse motion on the screen during adjusting a software panel, the mouse pointer may be made invisible (or may be displayed with a reduced size of, for instance, one pixel so that the mouse pointer is made almost invisible) during the operation, and a mouse pointer having a conventional shape may be painted or faded in on the computer display "frozen" at a corresponding position. Thus, the motion of the mouse which may be interpreted by the application software will not confuse a user, since the mouse cursor may be fixed after a touch activation and during software regulator manipulation. Due to the translating feature of the filter software, it is possible to use the computer mouse in combination with the filter software for actuating any rotary or shifting regulator which is supported by an operating system running on the computer (for instance Windows, Unix, Linux, etc.). Therefore, any application running with this operation system may be used in combination with the computer mouse. No specific support of the mouse functionality of the application (for instance audio mixing) is necessary. Furthermore, no configuration is necessary. Therefore, the computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may be a self-contained input device which is employable in a universal manner, since it may be independent of a specifically adjusted software.

As an optional advantageous feature, it is possible to enable a user-defined configuration of a mouse driver software. For instance, a user may be enabled to adjust a correlation between a turning angle and an amount of an alteration of the level of the software regulator. When an acceleration sensor is provided in the actuation device, a measured acceleration may also be taken as a parameter defining an amount of adjustment.

It is possible that a mouse event filter software is installed on a computer (for instance using an installation CD or the like). However, a part or the entire software may also be accommodated in the actuation device, which may be automatically installed upon connecting the actuation device to the computer.

Next, further exemplary embodiments of the actuation device will be explained. However, these embodiments also apply to the graphical processing apparatus, to the method, to the program element and to the computer-readable medium.

The regulator unit may be adapted such that the graphical processing apparatus is bringable in the operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator without clicking. In other words, simply touching, not necessarily clicking a button is required to trigger or initiate an operation mode in which subsequent turning of the regulator unit has a direct impact on the software regulator. This may allow to map or convert a conventional hardware mixer into a software version controlled via the actuation device, giving the user a more real impression of turning a button when actuating the actuation device.

The regulator unit may be adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the touch signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which the cursor is displayed at a fixed position of the graphical processing apparatus. Upon touching the regulator unit, the cursor may be frozen on a fixed position on the screen. This may avoid confusion of a user, since actuating the actuation device may now have an impact on the software regulator, and not on a position of the mouse on the screen. By simply making the cursor invisible and replacing it by a fixed icon, such a confusion may be avoided. This may allow a user to concentrate on the adjustment of the software regulator, without the need to keep a mouse motion in mind.

The regulator unit may be adapted such that upon termination of the touching of the regulator unit by the user, a touch termination signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to terminate the operation state of the graphical processing apparatus in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator. In other words, when the user does not contact with her or his hand the regulator unit any longer, the application may automatically go back into a conventional operation mode in which a motion of the mouse results in a motion of the cursor on the screen. Therefore, the switch between the different operation modes may be user-convenient, since only starting to touch or finishing to touch the regulator unit may trigger the change of the operation mode.

The regulator unit may be adapted such that upon termination of the touching of the regulator unit by the user, a touch termination signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus indicating that the cursor remains displayed at a fixed position of the graphical processing apparatus until the main body is actuated. In other words, a motion of the mouse pointer or cursor after freezing only occurs when the main body of the mouse is actually moved.

The regulator unit may be adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the graphical processing apparatus is bringable in the operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator, but only provided that a position of the cursor on the graphical processing apparatus corresponds to a position of the regulator unit on the graphical processing apparatus. In other words, only when the user has positioned the cursor on a respective software regulator icon on the screen, turning a knob of the regulator unit has an impact on the adjusted level of the software regulator.

The regulator unit may be adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the graphical processing apparatus is bringable in an operation state in which subsequent rotation of the regulator unit by the user alters a level assigned to the software regulator. Thus, a turning knob of the actuation device may simulate a hardware knob conventionally used in systems like an audiomixer for manually adjusting (multiple) audio parameters in a realistic manner. The actuation device may be adapted to be connectable, particularly adapted to be detachably connectable, to the graphical processing apparatus for data communication. Such a connection may be wired (for instance via a USB connection) or wireless (for instance using Bluetooth, infrared radiation or any other wireless communication scheme). By having the possibility to detach the actuation device from the graphical processing apparatus, it is possible to flexibly use the actuation device with any computer or other graphical processing apparatus. Therefore, the combination of the actuation device and the graphical processing apparatus may be temporarily, allowing the actuation device to be used in a similar manner as a conventional computer mouse.

The regulator unit may comprise a touch sensor, particularly a touch sensor capable of detecting a touch through a dielectric material, adapted for detecting when the user touches the regulator unit. Such a touch sensor may allow to generate the corresponding signal only upon contacting the regulator unit by, for instance, the hand of the user. Therefore, a very sensitive operation of the actuation device may be made possible. Such a touch sensor may comprise a dielectric material on a touch surface, for instance of a plastic material. For example, by a capacitive detection mechanism, a change of the capacity of a capacitor due to the presence of the human hand may be taken as a detection signal. However, other detection principles may be applied, for instance a modification of the electrical conductivity of a surface material (like a metal) upon contacting a hand of a user, change of a temperature due to the touch, etc.

The actuation device may comprise at least one click button (like a mouse button) adapted such that upon clicking the at least one click button by the user, at least one click signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus indicating that the user has triggered a click operation. For example, two such click buttons may be provided, which may have a similar or identical function as in case of a conventional computer mouse. The actuation device may, alternatively, be free of any click button. The function of a third button may be substituted by the regulator unit, thereby allowing to adjust the software regulator with a turning operation. Alternatively, the function of a third button may be maintained, and the regulator unit may be correlated with an other signal than that of the third button. The regulator unit may comprise a rotary knob adapted such that turning the rotary knob by the hand of the user actuates the software regulator. When a user moves her or his hand towards the regulator unit and engages the rotary knob with two fingers, a simple touch may trigger a change of the operation mode of the system: Before touching the regulator unit, the actuation device may be operated as a conventional computer mouse; during touching the regulator unit, the actuation device may be operated to allow a user to actuate a software regulator by a turning motion. When the user turns the knob using the thumb and forefinger, for instance, a quantity of the motion (for instance a turning angle, a turning velocity, a turning acceleration, etc.) may be taken as a basis for a quantity or amount according to which the software regulator level shall be modified.

The rotary axis of the rotary knob may be oriented essentially perpendicular to a surface portion of the main body at which the regulator unit is arranged. Therefore, the geometrical arrangement of the rotary knob may allow a user gripping the actuation device with her or his hand to turn the bottom in an ergonomically advantageous manner, since forefinger and thumb may be, due to the human anatomy, automatically arranged properly to allow a convenient adjustment of the software regulator. However, it is also possible that the rotary knob is arranged in a similar manner as a scroll wheel, namely having a rotation axis essential within the two-dimensional plane in which the mouse is movable. Upon touching such a scroll wheel, one finger may adjust the corresponding software regulator level by turning the scroll wheel.

The regulator unit may comprise an encoder, for example an optical encoder or a mechanical encoder, adapted to generate a turning signal indicative of a quantity of a rotation of the rotary knob by the user. Such an optical encoder may measure an amount of rotation in an optical manner is a very robust and cheap way to accurately determine a rotation quantity.

The actuation device may be ergonomically shaped and dimensioned to enable the user to put a palm on the main body and to simultaneously actuate the regulator unit by a forefinger and a thumb. For this purpose, the actuation device may be shaped in an asymmetric manner, that is to say without an asymmetry axis, thereby imitating the anatomy of the hand and allowing a human hand to be positioned in a convenient manner on a curved surface of the actuation device.

The actuation device may be adapted as a computer mouse. Such a computer mouse may have an optical position detection or a mechanical position detection (for instance implementing a ball being rotated when the mouse is slid along a surface). As an alternative to a computer mouse, it can be also adjusted in a manner of a trackball or a joystick.

The actuation device may be adapted as a plug and play actuation device. In other words, when connecting the actuation device to a graphical processing apparatus, a mouse driver or filter software may be stored on the mouse and may be installed automatically on the computer. Due to the interaction of such a filter software only with the operation system running on the graphical processing apparatus, but not with a specific application, a universal use of the actuation device may be made possible.

In the following, exemplary embodiments of the graphical processing apparatus will be explained. However, these embodiments also apply to the actuation device, to the method, to the computer-readable medium and to the program element.

The graphical processing apparatus may comprise a turning signal data interface adapted to receive a turning signal from the actuation device indicative of a quantity of a rotation of a rotary knob of the actuating device by the user. Therefore, the amount of rotation which can be taken as a basis for an amount of modification of a control level of the software regulator may also be supplied from the actuating device to the graphical processing apparatus.

On the graphical processing apparatus, an actuation device event filter software may be installed which may be adapted to interact with an operating system and/or with an application software installed on the graphical processing apparatus to coordinate data communication between the graphical processing apparatus and the actuation device. Such an actuation device event filter software may be substituted by a wired actuation device event filter circuit, or in a hybrid manner. Alternatively, the actuation device event filter software (or circuit) may also be installed or provided on the actuation device. This actuation device event filter software may intermediate between the data signals received from the actuating device and the signals supplied to an operating system and/or to an application software.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation device event filter software may interact with an application software. In such an embodiment, the actuation device event filter software may receive signals from the operating system and may filter these signals (if necessary) and may transmit the filtered or unfiltered signals to the application software with which a user works with the mouse.

For instance in a scenario, in which an actuation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is used, touching the knob may initiate an operation mode in which the software regulator may be adjusted by a subsequent turning of the actuation device. Conventionally, such a change of the operation mode may be initiated by pointing with the mouse pointer onto the software regulator, pressing the mouse button and maintaining the mouse button pressed. Accordingly, the filter software may translate the touch signal into a signal indicating for an operation system and/or for an application software that a mouse is present and that a mouse button has been pressed, to change the operation mode. Moreover, a turning signal indicative of a turning of the rotary knob may be translated in the command to the operating system that a mouse signal has been received which is a combination of an upward or downward motion of the mouse and a simultaneously pressed button. This may be a conventional way of adjusting a knob using a knob. Therefore, the signals of the inventive actuator device may be translated by the corresponding inventive filter software into a language which is understandable for a conventional (that is to say non-adapted) operation system running on the graphical processing apparatus, like Windows, Linux or Unix and/or which is understandable for an application software.

As an alternative to the previously described embodiment, it is also possible that a touch of the regulator unit only triggers an operation mode allowing subsequently to adjust a software regulator. However, in this alternative embodiment, the filter software may translate the touch signal into a signal indicating for an operation system that a mouse is present and that a mouse button has been pressed only after a subsequent turning of the regulator unit. Taking this measure may prevent faulty input operations by a user. In other words, in this embodiment, a mouse click signal will only be generated when turning the regulator unit after having touched it.

The graphical processing apparatus may be any desired hardware component to be used in combination with the actuating device, for example a computer (particularly a PC or a laptop or a workstation), a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), or any other audio workstation allowing audio mixing. Also a video workstation may be such a graphical processing apparatus. An electronic mixer device simulating a pure hardware configuration of a mixer device may be used.

Any desired operating system, like Windows, Unix or Linux may be installed on the graphical processing apparatus. Furthermore, any desired application being operated by the operating system, for instance an audio editing software application, a video editing software application or any desired process control software application may be installed as well.

The aspects defined above and further aspects of the invention are apparent from the examples of embodiment to be described hereinafter and are explained with reference to these examples of embodiment.

The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to examples of embodiment but to which the invention is not limited. Fig. 1 illustrates a user controlled system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a hardware block diagram of a computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates a software block diagram in Windows XP of a computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates a foam model of a computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 illustrates a CAD polygon mesh of a computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 illustrates a CAD final rendering of a computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The illustration in the drawing is schematically. In different drawings, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

In the following, referring to Fig. 1, a user controlled system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained.

The user controlled system 100 comprises a computer mouse 110 and a graphical processing apparatus 120, namely a computer. The computer mouse 110 may be denoted as an actuation device and is adapted for actuating a software regulator 130 displayed on a display 135 of the graphical processing apparatus 120. By shifting a level indicator 144 (using a mouse pointer 133) along a curved level scale 145 between a minimum level 146 and a maximum level 147, a level of the software regulator 130 may be adjusted, for instance an audio level of an audio signal to be played back using the computer 120.

The mouse 110 comprises a main body 112 made of plastic and being movable in a two-dimensional manner (as indicated by arrows 114) along a planar surface 116 on which the mouse 110 is put by a human user carrying the mouse 110 in her or his hand. A position signal indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of the main body 112 on the ground 116 (for instance a mouse pad) is transmittable from the computer mouse 110 to the graphical processing apparatus 120 as a position data signal 118 defining where to display the cursor 133 on a corresponding position on the display 135 of the graphical processing apparatus 120.

Furthermore, a regulator unit 122 is provided on the computer mouse 110 and is arranged on the main body 112. The regulator unit 122 is adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit 122 by a user (not shown in Fig. 1), a touch signal 124 is transmitted from the computer mouse 110 to the graphical processing apparatus 120 to bring the graphical processing apparatus 120 in an operation state in which a subsequent rotation of the regulator unit 122 by the user alters the level 144 of the software regulator 130, without the need to perform a mouse click.

Moreover, a first mouse button 126 and a second mouse button 128 are provided on the main body 112, wherein actuating the first mouse button 126 generates a first button signal 132 and activating the second mouse button 128 generates a second mouse signal 134. The signals 132, 134 may also be transmitted to the graphical processing apparatus 120.

After having touched the regulator knob 122, turning the regulator knob 122 along a curved arrow 136 may initiate the generation of a turning data signal 138 which may also be transmitted to the graphical processing apparatus 120 and which may be indicative of a rotation angle of the know 122.

Therefore, by merely touching the regulator unit 122 with one or more fingers, it is possible to initiate a mode enabling manipulation of the software regulator 130 by turning the regulator unit 122 with one or more fingers, without the necessity to click a button.

When the regulator unit 122 is touched, the cursor 133 is frozen at its present position on the screen 135. That is to say, motion of the mouse body 112 does not move the cursor 133 before the user has stopped touching the regulator unit 136.

The mouse 110 can be detachably connected to the graphical processing apparatus 100 via an interface 142, for instance a USB interface.

In the following, the graphical processing apparatus 120 will be explained in more detail. The graphical processing apparatus 120 is adapted for displaying the software regulator 130 (the currently adjusted position is denoted with reference numeral 144) being actuable by the actuation device 110.

The graphical processing apparatus 120 comprises a position data interface to receive the position signal 118 transmitted from the mouse 110 and indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of the main body 112 of the mouse 110 as a basis for displaying the cursor 133 at a corresponding position on the display 135.

A touch data interface is provided at the graphical processing apparatus 120 and is adapted to receive the touch signal 124 from the mouse 110 being indicative of a touch of the regulator unit 122 arranged on the main body 112 of the mouse 110 by the user.

The graphical processing apparatus 120 is adapted to be brought in an operation state in which an actuation of the regulator unit 122 by the user after receipt of the touch signal 124 actuates the software regulator 130, wherein an amount of actuation, that is to say a modification of the current adjustment 144, depends on the rotating angle of the knob 122, indicated by the signal 138.

In other words, a turning signal data interface is adapted to receive the turning signal 138 from the actuation device 110 indicative of a quantity of a rotation of the rotary knob 122 by the user. On the graphical processing apparatus 120, for instance a personal computer, an actuation device event filter software 150 is installed. The mouse event filter software 150 is adapted to interact with an operating system 160 (for instance Windows XP) installed on the graphical processing apparatus 120 to coordinate data communication between the graphical processing apparatus 120 and the mouse 110. More particularly, the mouse event filter software 150 is adapted to translate the touch signal 124 received from the mouse 110 into a modified touch signal 152 for transmission to a software application 170.

The modified touch signal 152 indicates to the software application 170 that a button of the actuation device 110 has been clicked. In other words, the conventional button click which may conventionally initiate a modification of a software regulator 130 is supplied to the software application 170, although the actual mechanism performed has been a touch of the regulator knob 122.

The mouse device event filter software 150 is further adapted to translate the turning signal 138 received from the mouse 110 into a modified turning signal 154 for transmission to the software application 170. The modified turning signal 154 indicates the software application 170 that a button of the actuation device 110 has been clicked and simultaneously the main body 112 of the actuation device 110 has been moved. This is of course not true, but turning the knob 122 along a direction 136 according to embodiments of the invention corresponds or equals to a conventional click on a button 126, 128 combined with a subsequent motion of the main body 112 in an upward or downward direction.

Due to the configuration unit 150, the inventive device 110 may be used in combination with a conventional operating system 160 and with a conventional application software 170 as well.

On the graphical processing apparatus 120, the application software 170 is installed which is controlled by the operating system 160 and by the filter software 150, using the signals 118, 132, 134 as well as the modified signals 152, 154. For example, the application software 170 may be an audiomixer application for mixing audio components. The conventional mixer software 170 may be used with the new device 110 due to the translating function of the mouse filter software 150. The software architecture of Fig. 1 will be explained in more detail in the following.

As can be taken from Fig. 1, the signals 118, 132, 134, 124, 138 are transmitted from the mouse 110 to the operating system 160 installed on the computer 120. The mouse event filter software 150 is installed on the computer 120 and is, functionally, installed between the operating system 160 and the application software 170.

The mouse event filter software 150 comprises two software components.

A first software component of the mouse event filter software 150 carries out a filter or translation function (that is to say translates the signals 124, 138 into signals 152, 154, for instance) each time that the operating system 160 recognized that a mouse event has occurred. In such a scenario, the operating system 160 informs the mouse event filter software 150 that a mouse event has occurred. The mouse event filter software 150 then has the possibility to filter or manipulate the mouse signals before transmission to the application software 170. In other words, the mouse event filter software 150 may intervene when a mouse event has occurred.

A second software component of the mouse event filter software 150 may inform the operating system 160 that the mouse event filter software 150 and its function are present in the system. When the operating system 160 has this information, it may address the mouse event filter software 150 in case of a mouse event.

Therefore, the second software component may start the filter function by informing the operating system that the actual filter software (comprising a DLL), namely the first software component, is present. At the same time, the second software component may have the function to generate an image of a fixed cursor on the screen. Alternatively, this function may also be fulfilled by a separate (third) software component.

In the following, a mouse design for intuitive software control according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained.

Nowadays, many studios and recording environments are based on a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

Due to the performance and the low cost of the solution, the category of home and project studios had grown rapidly in the last few years. Also in the professional area, the wide range of high quality plug-ins leads to the replacement of outboard gear by software.

But the increasing quantity of available hardware controllers shows that many users are not satisfied with moving the mouse up and down to turn a knob.

It is important for them to have a tactile possibility to control the applications. A computer mouse is in many cases the main tool when working on a DAW. Even with an external controller just a few of the various functions and parameters can be controlled. So the hand is in contact with the mouse nearly at all time.

The mouse may transmit the real movement on a surface in a corresponding movement on the screen, where the cursor represents the position of the hand. This fact is an initial point of embodiments of the invention, which will be explained in the following.

Next, an example of a typical almost photorealistic DAW software mix is taken as a basis.

A mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may give a user the ability to turn every knob on the software console with the hardware encoder on the mouse, if the cursor points on it. When moving the mouse, the user virtually slides with his or her hand over the mixing desk and once he or she grabs for example a pan pot, he or she can turn immediately. This concept does not work only with a software mixer but also with all kinds of software containing rotary or sliding elements, for instance audio editing software, video editing software or process control software.

One aspect of the mouse design according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is that the user may have the feeling to touch the displayed equipment on the screen directly.

To reach this and give the user the high or maximum comfort by using the product, exemplary embodiments may include at least one of the following features:

- Every rotary or sliding element can be moved directly without selecting it with a mouse click

- No configuration of the used software is needed

- No additional software is required besides the mouse filter software

Due to the independence of a certain software, a global possibility of software control may be necessary, because this flexibility cannot be achieved with a mechanism based on non-ambiguous allocation (for instance MIDI, Musical Instrument Digital Interface).

Based on these considerations, exemplary embodiments of the invention use the full capacity of a cursor as a common control instance.

The functionality of the hardware encoder to control every desired knob or fader is based on an interaction between two single stages - the mouse hardware and the filter software.

Whenever the user touches the hardware encoder, a signal is generated to inform a software that the user wants to turn a certain knob.

On the basis of this signal, the software can interpret the ensuing data as rotary motion.

Next, a hardware configuration will be explained.

Some basic mouse functions (navigation, left and right button) may be provided by an USB microcontroller and an optical mouse sensor IC (for instance Cypress enCoRe CY7C63723, Agilent ANDS-2610).

The signal may be generated via a charge transfer sensor IC which is capable to detect touch through a dielectric material. It is connected to a rotatable electrode inside the plastic knob of the hardware encoder. The logic output of the sensor IC controls a SPST analog switch which is connected to the microcontroller. The analog switch emulates a pressed third mouse button as long as the encoder is touched. This action may be transmitted via the USB interface.

When the user turns the encoder, it generates the signal which the microcontroller interprets as a Z-scroll wheel movement. To meet favored features and get the possibility to set up certain parameters, exemplary embodiments of the invention may use a specially developed encoder.

Inside the knob, a cylindrical electrode may be located which is connected via the encoder axis to the sensor circuit and the charge transfer IC may be aligned to it closely. A high value is set on a good feeling when turning the encoder. So mechanical parts of quality potentiometers may be used to produce a torque of a high grade potentiometer combined with an endless rotation.

The output signal may be generated by an optical encoder. In between of two phototransistors and an infrared LED is a pin wheel with high resolution. The wheel is fixed with the encoder axis. When turning the knob, the phototransistors are turned on and off in a quadrature output pattern, which is converted by the microcontroller and transmitted as a Z wheel data via USB. Anyway, it is optionally possible to extend the mouse with a Z wheel, because the software can differentiate between the data of the encoder and the Z wheel via the received status if the encoder is touched or not.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a mouse hardware 200.

A USB controller 201 is shown as well as the knob 122. When the knob 122 is touched by a user, a signal 124 is sent to a charge transfer sensor 202. The charge transfer sensor 202 triggers an SPST analog switch 203. An output of the SPST analog switch 203 is connected to the USB controller 201.

Furthermore, an encoder 204 of the knob 122 generates the signal 138 and supplies this signal 138 to the USB controller 201. Furthermore, an optical mouse sensor 205 is provided which communicates in a bi-directional manner with the USB controller 201.

A left button 126 of the mouse 200 and a right button 128 of the mouse 200 send corresponding signals to the USB controller 201.

Furthermore, a USB interface 210 is provided via which (processed) data may be sent to a PC (like the graphical processing apparatus 120).

In the following, referring to Fig. 3, a software configuration will be explained.

In control software applications, faders and knobs can be moved by clicking at their current position and moving the mouse in the desired direction. The software recognizes the turning request by the hardware generated third mouse button click, saves the current mouse position and the cursor is frozen on the screen. Then the software can reinterpret the subsequent Z wheel data from the encoder in an appropriate mouse movement, which can be up/down movement, circular movement or a left/right movement of the cursor. Then, the internal mouse position is manipulated by the software. As a result, the desired knob is moving. Whenever the cursor reaches the boundary of the screen, the software takes care, that the turning of the knob is not interrupted. Hence, the software restores the cursor at the starting position and continues turning the knob. To avoid additional input for the mouse position, the data of the optical mouse sensor is ignored by the software for the time the encoder is touched.

When the user looses his or her hold on the encoder, the software interprets this as the end of the active input. But not until the mouse is moved, the cursor position is restored and the frozen cursor on the screen is reactivated. The last named function is important for the control of faders and sliding elements. Would the cursor be reactivated immediately when the touch is over, the user would have to move the mouse to the new position of the fader, if she or he wants to control the same fader again. This feature admits that, beside knobs, faders are easy to handle. In the following, an implementation in "Windows XP" is explained as one possible example how the above defined functionality can be achieved. It can be implemented as well in other operating systems, like Unix or Linux.

To gain the required functionality, an operating system wide mouse event filter may be provided. To feed the filter with the information about a mouse event, a call-back function may be implemented which may be a Dynamic Linked Library (DLL). This may be injected into the operation system by an additional control application. So the system may be allowed to load a copy of the filter into every thread opened by an application (for instance a DAW). The filter may be informed by every mouse event and can respond to it. If it receives a touch signal, it reacts on incoming Z wheel data by sending corresponding Y data to the operation system, and storing the current position. At the same time, the incoming X and Y data that occur from unintentional mouse movement may be ignored, by not calling the next item in the corresponding hook chain. The filter takes care not to filter messages that were sent by itself. To solve the problem of communicating between the different copies of the filter, the principle of inter process communication (IPC) with a shared memory may be used.

Fig. 3 illustrates such a mouse software block diagram 300 in Windows XP. A user 301 may instruct a mouse 302 which has an impact on operation system 303. By a call-back function 304, a control application 305 may influence the operation system 303. A call-back command 306 is sent from the operation system 303 to a DLL unit 307 (xyz.dll). Copies 308 may be sent from the DLL unit 307 to a first application 308 (for instance a DAW) and/or to a second application 310 (for instance a plug-in). An IPC 311 communication with a RAM 312 is possible.

Next, referring to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6, a design of a computer mouse according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained.

While working with a mouse, a user should have the feeling that her or his hand is just at the right position to turn the desired knob on the screen. At the same time, the design should support the usual workflow with a computer mouse. To combine these requirements in an ergonomic product, the following guidelines may be followed for the product design:

- The mouse should offer a pleasant basic position for the hand - The encoder should be easy to grab without any circuitous movements

- The form should provide the required freedom for the fingers during turning the encoder.

To achieve these features, it is possible to disengage conventional mouse designs and develop an asymmetric mouse form. The palm may rest on the body of the mouse and the side of the hand on the pad. This may allow for a smooth navigation without any exertion of the hand. The forefinger and the thumb may be able to grab the encoder directly and adjust it accurately.

The prototyping illustrated in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6 contained three stages of development. In consequence of various form studies the model was built by surface modeling of polyurethane form (see foam model 400 of Fig. 4).

By vacuum forming, a hollow PS form of the exemplar was built, which was used for testing the hardware.

For a final prototype, an all embracing 3D CAD model (see CAD polygon mesh 500 of Fig. 5) was constructed with the external dimensions of the foam model 400 and all additional necessary details like, for instance, the mouse lens position or the joint design (see CAD final rendering 600 of Fig. 6).

A final model can be realized with stereo lithography, which is based upon the 3D CAD data. A laser beam builds the prototype slice by slice in a vessel of liquid epoxy resin. So a high positioning quality of the product design may be guaranteed.

It should be noted that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps and the "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.

It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Implementation of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments shown in the figures and described above. Instead, a multiplicity of variants are possible which use the solutions shown and the principle according to the invention even in the case of fundamentally different embodiments.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. An actuation device for actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus, the actuation device comprising a main body being movable in a two-dimensional manner by a user, wherein a position signal indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of the main body is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to display a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus; a regulator unit arranged on the main body and adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, a touch signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator.

2. The actuation device of claim 1, wherein the regulator unit is adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the graphical processing apparatus is bringable in the operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator without clicking.

3. The actuation device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the regulator unit is adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the touch signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which the cursor is displayed at a fixed position of the graphical processing apparatus.

4. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the regulator unit is adapted such that upon termination of the touching of the regulator unit by the user, a touch termination signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to terminate the operation state of the graphical processing apparatus in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator.

5. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the regulator unit is adapted such that upon termination of the touching of the regulator unit by the user, a touch termination signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus indicating that the cursor remains displayed at a fixed position of the graphical processing apparatus until the main body is actuated by the user.

6. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the regulator unit is adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the graphical processing apparatus is bringable in the operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator, provided that a position of the cursor on the graphical processing apparatus corresponds to a position of the regulator unit on the graphical processing apparatus.

7. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the regulator unit is adapted such that upon touching the regulator unit by the user, the graphical processing apparatus is bringable in an operation state in which subsequent rotation of the regulator unit by the user alters a level assigned to the software regulator.

8. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 7, adapted to be connectable, particularly adapted to be detachably connectable, to the graphical processing apparatus for data communication.

9. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the regulator unit comprises a touch sensor, particularly a touch sensor capable of detecting a touch of a user through a dielectric material, adapted for detecting when the user touches the regulator unit.

10. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one click button adapted such that upon clicking the at least one click button by the user, at least one click signal is transmittable from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus indicating that the user has triggered a click operation.

11. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the regulator unit comprises a rotary knob adapted such that rotating the rotary knob by the user actuates the software regulator.

12. The actuation device of claim 11, wherein a rotary axis of the rotary knob is oriented essentially perpendicular to a surface portion of the main body at which surface portion the regulator unit is arranged.

13. The actuation device of claim 11 or 12, wherein the regulator unit comprises an encoder, particularly an optical encoder, adapted to generate a rotation signal indicative of a quantity of a rotation of the rotary knob by the user.

14. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 13, being ergonomically shaped and dimensioned to enable the user to put a palm on the main body and to simultaneously actuate the regulator unit by a forefinger and by a thumb.

15. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 14, being shaped in an asymmetric manner.

16. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 15, adapted as a computer mouse.

17. The actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 16, adapted as a plug and play actuation device.

18. A graphical processing apparatus for displaying a software regulator being actuable by an actuation device, the graphical processing apparatus comprising a position data interface adapted to receive a position signal transmitted from the actuation device and indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of a main body of the actuation device as a basis for displaying a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus; a touch data interface adapted to receive a touch signal transmitted from the actuation device and indicative of a touch of a regulator unit arranged on the main body of the actuation device by the user; wherein the graphical processing apparatus is adapted to be bringable in an operation state in which an actuation of the regulator unit by the user after receipt of the touch signal actuates the software regulator.

19. The graphical processing apparatus of claim 18, comprising a rotation signal data interface adapted to receive a rotation signal from the actuation device indicative of a quantity of a rotation of a rotary knob of the actuating device by the user.

20. The graphical processing apparatus of claim 18 or 19, having installed an actuation device event filter software adapted to interact with an operating system and/or with an application software installed on the graphical processing apparatus to coordinate data communication between the graphical processing apparatus and the actuation device.

21. The graphical processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the actuation device event filter software is adapted to translate the touch signal received from the actuation device into a modified touch signal for transmission to the operation system and/or to the application software.

22. The graphical processing apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the modified touch signal pretends the operation system and/or the application software that a button of the actuation device has been clicked.

23. The graphical processing apparatus of claim 19 and any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein the actuation device event filter software is adapted to translate the rotation signal received from the actuation device into a modified rotation signal for transmission to the operation system and/or to the application software.

24. The graphical processing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the modified rotation signal pretends the operation system and/or the application software that a button of the actuation device has been clicked and simultaneously the main body of the actuation device has been moved.

25. The graphical processing apparatus of any one of claims 20 to 24, having installed an application software adapted to be controlled by the operating system, wherein the software regulator is provided as part of the application software

26. The graphical processing apparatus of any one of claims 18 to 25, wherein the software regulator comprises at least one of the group consisting of a software knob and a software fader.

27. The graphical processing apparatus of any one of claims 18 to 26, adapted as at least one of the group consisting of a computer, a personal computer, a workstation, a laptop, a Digital Audio Workstation, an audio workstation, a video workstation, an audiomixer, and an electronic mixer device.

28. The graphical processing apparatus of any one of claims 18 to 27, having installed at least one of the group consisting of an operation system, Windows, Unix, Linux, an audio editing software application, a video editing software application, and a process control software application.

29. A user controlled system, comprising an actuation device of any one of claims 1 to 17 for actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus; the graphical processing apparatus of any one of claims 18 to 28 for displaying the software regulator being actuable by the actuation device.

30. A method of actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus, the method comprising moving a main body of an actuating device in a two-dimensional manner by a user; transmitting a position signal indicative of an actual two-dimensional position of the main body from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to display a cursor on a corresponding position on the graphical processing apparatus; generating a touch signal upon touching a regulator unit arranged on the main body of the actuation device by the user; transmitting the touch signal from the actuation device to the graphical processing apparatus to bring the graphical processing apparatus in an operation state in which subsequent actuation of the regulator unit by the user actuates the software regulator.

31. A program element of actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus, which program element, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method of claim 30.

32. A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program of actuating a software regulator displayed on a graphical processing apparatus is stored, which computer program, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method of claim 30.