Pointing device

• US 20050093822A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagano Fujitsu Component Limited
• Original Assignee: Nagano Fujitsu Component Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kazuo, Nakamura, Shuji, Nishino, Takeshi, Kiryu, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04744 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04755 Magnetic sensor, e.g. hall generator, pick-up coil
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A pointing device including a base section, an operating section shiftably supported on the base section, a magnet carried on one of the base section and the operating section, and a magneto-electro transducer carried on the other of the base section and the operating section at a location close to the magnet. The operating section includes a first part securely holding one of the magnet and the magneto-electro transducer and supported on the base section shiftably in a desired horizontal direction relative to the base section, and a second part connected to the first part and elastically biasing the first part toward a home position in a horizontal shifting range during a period when the first part is horizontally shifted along the base section. The second part of the operating section is provided integrally with a major portion substantially surrounding an entire circumference of the first part, a first connecting portion connected to the first part at one end of the major portion and a second connecting portion connected to the base section at another end of the major portion; the major portion exerting an even elastic biasing force irrespective of a shifting direction of the first part on the base section.

Claims

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a base section;

an operating section arranged shiftably in a desired direction relative to said base section;

a signal generating part for detecting a relative displacement between said base section and said operating section to generate an analogue signal;

a switch mechanism capable of being actuated by a relative motion between said base section and said operating section in a direction different from said relative displacement to generate a signal; and

a processing part for processing said analogue signal generated from said signal generating part and said signal generated from said switch mechanism as input data;

wherein said processing part suspends processing said analogue signal generated from said signal generating part during a period when said switch mechanism is actuated, even if said relative displacement is detected.

2. A pointing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processing part suspends processing said analogue signal generated from said signal generating part during a predetermined time after said switch mechanism is shifted from an actuated condition to a non-actuated condition.