Pointing device including a moveable puck with mechanical detents

• US 20060158429A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wenstrand, John Stewart, Hoen, Storrs T., Harley, Jonah A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A pointing device includes a moveable puck that is capable of moving over a surface in a puck field of motion. The surface includes a detent feature defined within the puck field of motion for engaging with a detent feature of the moveable puck.

Claims

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a surface having a puck field of motion defined thereon; and

a moveable puck operable to move within said puck field of motion;

wherein said surface includes a detent feature defined within said puck field of motion for mechanically engaging with at least a portion of said moveable puck.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said detent feature is an indentation in said surface mapping to a cursor position on a display.

3. The pointing device of claim 2, wherein said moveable puck includes a protruding element in sliding contact with said surface, said indentation in said surface being capable of mating with said protruding element when said moveable puck is positioned over said indentation to enable selection of a selectable item on the display corresponding to the location of said indentation in said surface.

4. The pointing device of claim 3, wherein said indentation in said surface includes at least three indentations and said protruding element on said moveable puck includes at least three corresponding protrusions.

5. The pointing device of claim 4, wherein each of said indentations has an area larger than an area of a corresponding one of said protrusions.

6. The pointing device of claim 3, wherein said moveable puck is capable of being oriented with respect to said surface to prevent said protruding element from mating with said indentation in said surface.

7. The pointing device of claim 3, wherein said protruding element on said moveable puck comprises a spring-loaded protrusion in sliding contact with said surface.

8. The pointing device of claim 7, wherein said surface comprises an additional indentation, said additional indentation dividing said surface into two regions.

9. The pointing device of claim 8, wherein said additional indentation is annular, with a first region inside an annulus and a second region outside the annulus.

10. The pointing device of claim 9, wherein motion of said moveable puck within said first region causes the cursor on the display to operate in a first mode, and wherein motion of said moveable puck within said second region causes the cursor on the display to operate in a second mode.

11. The pointing device of claim 9, wherein motion of said moveable puck within said first region causes the position of the puck to map to a position of a cursor position on the display, and wherein motion of said moveable puck within said second region causes the position of the puck to map to the velocity of a cursor on the display.

12. The pointing device of claim 3, wherein said protruding element of said moveable puck includes a fixed protrusion surrounded by a compliant layer, said compliant layer compressing upon the application of a predetermined force to said moveable puck to allow said fixed protrusion to mate with said indentation in said surface.

13. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said detent feature comprises a protruding element on said surface mapping to a cursor position on a display and wherein said moveable puck includes an indentation capable of mating with said protruding element when said moveable puck is positioned over said protruding element.

14. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said detent feature comprises an annular indentation in said surface mapping to a cursor position on a display, and wherein said moveable puck includes an annular ridge capable of mating with said annular indentation when said moveable puck is positioned over said annular indentation.

15. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said surface includes an indentation, said indentation having an edge comprising a scalloped region shaped to receive at least a portion of said moveable puck, said scalloped region mapping to a selectable item on a display.

16. A method for selecting an item on a display by mapping a position of a puck in a pointing device to a position of a cursor on a display, the method comprising:

providing a surface having a puck field of motion within which said puck is moveable, aid surface comprising a first detent feature corresponding to a selectable item on the display, aid puck comprising a second detent feature;

determining a current position of the puck within said puck field of motion on said surface that corresponds to a cursor position pointing to said selectable item on the display;

maintaining the current position of said puck by engaging said first detent feature of said surface corresponding to the first selectable item with said second detent feature of said puck; and

selecting said selectable item on the display using said puck.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sensing motion of said puck within said puck field of motion on said surface; and

causing the cursor to move on the display in response to said puck moving in said puck field of motion;

wherein the magnitude and direction of motion of the cursor is determined by the magnitude and direction of motion of said puck in said puck field of motion.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

installing said puck at an orientation with respect to said surface to prevent said second detent feature on said puck from mating with said first detent feature on said surface.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said second detent feature on puck comprises a spring-loaded protrusion in contact with said surface, and said surface includes an indentation, said indentation dividing said surface into one or more regions.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said indentation is annular and divides said surface into a first region inside an annulus and a second region outside the annulus.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sensing motion of said puck within the first region to cause the cursor to operate in a first mode; and

sensing motion of said puck within the second region to cause the cursor to operate in a second mode.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sensing motion of said puck within the first region to cause the position of said puck to map to the position of the cursor; and

sensing motion of said puck within the second region to cause the position of said puck to map to the velocity of the cursor on the display.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein said second detent feature on said puck comprises a fixed protrusion surrounded by a compliant layer, and further comprising:

causing the compliant layer to compress by the application of a predetermined force to said puck; and

mating said fixed protrusion with said first detent feature on said surface when said compliant layer is compressed.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein said first detent feature comprises annular indentations in said surface, and said second detent feature comprises an annular ridge, and wherein said determining includes positioning said puck over one of said annular indentations to mate said annular ridge with said annular indentation.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein said first detent feature includes an indentation, said indentation having an edge comprising a scalloped region shaped to receive at least a portion of the moveable puck defining said second detent feature, and wherein said determining includes engaging said puck with said scalloped region.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein said first detent feature comprises an indentation in said surface, and said second detent feature comprises a protruding element in moveable contact with said surface, and wherein said determining includes positioning said puck over said surface to mate said protruding element with said indentation.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein said first detent feature comprises a protruding element on said surface, and said second detent feature comprises an indentation, and wherein said determining includes positioning said puck over said surface to mate said protruding element with said indentation.