Sensor controls for pointing and control device and such device

• US 20050030285A1
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liang Fu
• Original Assignee: Liang Fu
• Inventors: Fu, Liang
• Granted Patent: US 7,212,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0337 Status LEDs integrated in the mouse to provide visual feedback to the user about the status of the input device, the PC, or the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A first aspect of the present invention includes various sensor controls for pointing and control devices. The sensor controls are much easier and require much less physical effort to operate than conventional controls. The sensor controls have built-in feedback-generating means that produce feedback to the user, similar to conventional controls such as micro switches. The built-in feedback-generating means have simpler structure, they are either commercially available or built with a few commonly available simple components, hence, they should be reliable, and inexpensive to produce. The sensor controls of the present invention with built-in feedback-generating means can be used directly in place of the corresponding conventional controls of pointing and control devices, with no or little impact on any other component. A second aspect of the present invention is a pointing and control device incorporating such sensor controls. The pointing and control device of the present invention allows a user to rest his or her hand and fingers on the housing of the device in a most relaxed and natural posture, and the sensor controls can be operated either by curling a finger (on-and-off controls) or by sliding a finger (motion controls). The present invention greatly improves the posture of the user'"'"'s hand and significantly reduces the corresponding stress that is typical of the prior-art pointing and control devices.

Claims

1. A method of producing control signal with accompanying feedback comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a guiding groove on a surface,

(b) providing a plurality of sensors, each individual said sensor being partially masked and disposed in accordance of said guiding groove such that it monitors an activation zone in said guiding groove, said sensor generating an on signal when any object exists in its said activation zone and generating an off signal when its said activation zone is free of any object, collectively said sensors monitoring an operation zone along said guiding groove, said operation zone consisting of said activation zones of all sensors, said on signals and off signals generated by all said sensors collectively constituting said control signal, the number of said sensors, their spatial distribution, and their interconnection defining a first configuration,

(c) providing a plurality of feedback-generating means, said feedback-generating means being triggered directly by said on signals and said off signals of said sensors, each said feedback-generating means generating, respectively, a first feedback signal and a second feedback signal in response to said on signal and said off signal, said first and second feedback signals generated by all said feedback-generating means collectively constituting said feedback, said feedback-generating means and their connections with said sensors defining a second configuration, said first configuration and said second configuration together constituting a control configuration,

 

whereby said sensors and said feedback-generating means constitute a sensor control that can be used to generate various types of said control signals with said feedback signals by selectively activating a subset of said sensors with an object inside said guiding groove, whereby said feedback-generating means are built into said sensor control, whereby with different said control configuration said sensor control responds differently, whereby said feedback-generating means produce corresponding said feedback, and whereby operating said sensor control requires negligible effort.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in one of said control configuration said sensors are connected in parallel and share one said feedback-generating means, whereby said sensor control functions as a switch control that generates a said on signal with a said first feedback signal when an object moves into said operation zone and generates a said off signal with a said second feedback when said object leaves said operation zone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in one of said control configuration said sensors are divided into a plurality of subgroups and said guiding groove is divided accordingly into sub guiding grooves, each said subgroup of sensors sharing a said feedback-generating means that generates distinct said first and second feedback signals, each said sub guiding groove mapping to a direction and a specific position inside said sub groove maping to a magnitude, hence an object in a specific location inside a specific sub guiding groove causes said sensor control to generate said control signals indicative of said direction and said magnitude, whereby said sensor control function as a multi-direction-magnitude control that generates control signals indicative of multiple said directions and multiple said magnitudes, and whereby said feedback signals are indicative of said direction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in one of said control configuration said guiding groove forms a closed loop and all said sensors share one said feedback-generating means, an object moving along said guiding groove activates and deactivates said sensors in a sequence, whereby said sensor control functions as a loop motion control that generates control signals indicative of movement of an object in said guiding groove.

5. A sensor switch control that generates on and off control signals with accompanying feedback comprising:

(a) a guiding groove on a surface,

(b) a plurality of sensors connected in parallel and share a common power source, each individual said sensor being partially masked and disposed in such a manner that it monitors an activation zone inside said guiding groove, said sensor generating an on signal when any object exists in its said activation zone and generating an off signal when its said activation zone is free of any object, said activation zones of all said sensors constituting an operation zone,

(c) a feedback-generating means that is connected to said sensors and is triggered directly by said on signals and said off signals of said sensors, said feedback-generating means may further use said common power source, said feedback-generating means generating, respectively, a first feedback signal and a second feedback signal in response to said on signal and said off signal, whereby said sensor switch control generates said on signal with said first feedback signal when any object exists in said operation zone and generates said off signal with said second feedback signal when said operation zone is free of any object, whereby operating said sensor switch control requires negligible effort, and whereby said feedback-generating means are built into said sensor switch control.

6. The sensor switch control of claim 5 wherein said first and second feedback signals are of a predetermined duration.

7. The sensor switch control of claim 5 wherein said first feedback signal persists until said sensor switch control is deactivated, and said second feedback signal is of a predetermined duration.

8. A pointing and control device that controls at least one piece of equipment comprising:

(a) a housing of suitable dimension to be held by a hand, said housing having a substantially flat undersurface and a contoured upper surface that fits in a palm comfortably,

(b) a plurality of guiding grooves on exterior surface of said housing, each said guiding groove supports a finger with a curvature conforms to the natural relaxed position and posture of the finger, the portion of a said guiding groove facing the fingertip curving inwardly to form a recess,

(c) a plurality of sensor switch controls in each said recess, each said sensor switch control has a predetermined activation zone so that it generates an on signal when any object exists in said activation zone and generates an off signal when said activation zone is free of any object, said sensor switch controls are arranged in said recesses such that said activation zones are of a safe distance away from the natural and relaxed position of the corresponding fingertips but being easily reachable by the corresponding fingertips,

(d) a plurality of feedback-generating means, said feedback-generating means being directly triggered by said sensor switch controls, each said feedback-generating means generating a first feedback signal in response to said on signals and a second feedback signal in response to said off signals,

(e) a plurality of motion controls that are capable of generating motion signals,

(f) a circuitry, including a communication link to said equipment and possibly a microprocessor, that processes the signals from said sensor switch controls and said motion controls and communicates with said equipment via said communication link,

 

whereby a user can rest his or her hand and fingers on said pointing and control device in the most comfortable and natural posture without any risk of inadvertent activation of said sensor switch controls, and whereby the user can activate said sensor switch controls by curling the corresponding fingers into corresponding said activation zones without having to apply a stressful activation force, and whereby the user receives said first feedback signal and said second feedback signal as confirmation of activation and deactivation of said sensor controls, respectively.

9. The pointing and control device of claim 8 wherein each said sensor switch control has a said feedback-generating means that generates distinct said feedback signals, whereby said feedback signals are indicative of which sensor switch control being activated and deactivated.

10. The pointing and control device of claim 8 wherein said sensor switch controls are divided into a plurality of groups, each said group sharing one said feedback-generating means, whereby said feedback signals are indicative of said group.

11. The pointing and control device of claim 8 wherein all said sensor switch controls share one said feedback-generating means, whereby a said first feedback signal is generated when any said sensor switch control is activated and a said second feedback signal is generated when any said sensor is deactivated.