Scrolling apparatus providing multi-directional movement of an image

• US 20040001042A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Fisher, Steven W., Muss, Timothy Michael, Lindhout, Daan
• Granted Patent: US 7,193,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention is a scrolling apparatus may be incorporated into an input device, such as a pointing device or a keyboard, for example, and operatively connected to a host computer to scroll an image along multiple axes relative to a display screen. The scrolling apparatus includes a rotatable member with the configuration of a wheel or a ball. In addition, the scrolling apparatus includes a depressible actuator located around the rotatable member. Both the rotatable member and the actuator, which scroll the image in different scrolling directions or at different scrolling velocities, for example, may be utilized for scrolling the image.

Claims

1. An apparatus for scrolling an image in multiple directions relative to a display screen, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having at least one aperture therein;

a rotatable member at least partially located within the housing, a portion of the rotatable member protruding outward through the aperture;

at least one depressible actuator extending around the rotatable member and positioned immediately adjacent to the rotatable member; and

a directional switch located within the housing for detecting depressions of the actuator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member is a scroll wheel that rotates about a predetermined axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member is a sphere that rotates about a plurality of axes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a solid ring extending entirely around the rotatable member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a plurality of discrete, independently-depressible actuator portions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the actuator portions include two actuator portions located on opposite sides of the rotating member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the actuator portions have a semi-circular shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the actuator portions include four actuator portions distributed around the rotatable member at four locations separated by ninety degrees.

9. An apparatus for scrolling an image in multiple directions relative to a display screen, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having at least one aperture therein;

a rotatable member at least partially located within the housing, a portion of the rotatable member protruding outward through the aperture; and

a depressible and ring-shaped actuator extending around the rotatable member and positioned adjacent to the rotatable member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the rotatable member is a scroll wheel that rotates about a predetermined axis.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the rotatable member is a sphere that rotates about a plurality of axes.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a directional switch is located within the housing for detecting depressions of the actuator.

13. An apparatus for scrolling an image in multiple directions relative to a display screen, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having at least one aperture therein;

a rotatable member at least partially located within the housing, a portion of the rotatable member protruding outward through the aperture; and

a pair of depressible actuators extending around opposite sides of the rotatable member and positioned adjacent to the rotatable member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the actuators have a semi-circular shape.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a directional switch is located within the housing for detecting depressions of the actuators.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the rotatable member is a scroll wheel that rotates about a predetermined axis.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the rotatable member is a sphere that rotates about a plurality of axes.

18. An apparatus for scrolling an image in multiple directions relative to a display screen, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having at least one aperture therein;

a rotatable member at least partially located within the housing, a portion of the rotatable member protruding outward through the aperture;

at least one depressible actuator extending around the rotatable member; and

indicia located on the actuator and pointing radially outward relative to the rotatable member.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indicia are arrows.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indicia are located forward of the rotatable member, behind the rotatable member, and on two sides of the rotatable member.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the actuator is a ring that extends entirely around the rotatable member, the indicia being located on an exterior of the ring in four locations.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the actuator includes four actuator portions distributed around the rotatable member, each actuator portion including the indicia.

23. An input device for moving a cursor relative to a display screen, the input device comprising:

a housing having at least one aperture therein;

a rotatable member at least partially located within the housing, a portion of the rotatable member protruding outward through the aperture;

at least one depressible actuator extending around the rotatable member and positioned adjacent to the rotatable member; and

a primary key and a secondary key located on opposite sides of the actuator.

24. The input device of claim 23, wherein the rotatable member is a scroll wheel that rotates about a predetermined axis.

25. The input device of claim 23, wherein the rotatable member is a sphere that rotates about a plurality of axes.

26. The input device of claim 23, wherein a directional switch is located within the housing for detecting depressions of the actuator.

27. A method of scrolling an image in relation to a display screen, the method comprising steps of:

providing an input device having a rotatable member and an actuator;

configuring the input device to transmit a first signal to a host computer when the rotatable member is rotated and to transmit a second signal to the host computer when the actuator is depressed; and

incorporating data into the signal that directs the host computer to scroll the image.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing includes mounting the rotatable member at least partially within an aperture formed in a housing of the input device.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing includes positioning the actuator around the rotatable member.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing includes forming the actuator to be a ring.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing includes forming the actuator to be a plurality of discrete actuator portions distributed around the rotatable member.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of incorporating includes directing the host computer to scroll the image in a specific direction.