Trackball device

• US 20060208840A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tamotsu, Naka, Yoshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,323,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/0053 periodically operated

Abstract

A trackball device of the present invention includes an operating ball, multiple rollers which rotate by contacting the ball while it is rotated, multipole permanent magnets which co-rotate with these rollers, and a reed switch disposed in a position where it turns on and off as a result of changes in magnetic flux caused by the rotation of the permanent magnets so as to provide tactile feedback when the ball is rotated. The trackball device is configured to make an attractive force generated between the reed switch and permanent magnet affect the rotation of the rollers.

Claims

1. A trackball device comprising:

an operating ball;

a plurality of rollers which rotate by contacting the ball while the ball is rotated;

a multipole permanent magnet which co-rotates with each of the rollers;

a reed switch disposed in a position where it turns on and off as a result of changes in magnetic flux caused by rotation of the permanent magnet so as to provide tactile feedback while the ball is rotated.

2. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein an attractive force generated between the reed switch and the permanent magnet affects a rotation state of the rollers.

3. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein a space is secured between the ball and the rollers when the ball is not operated.

4. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein the ball contacts one or two of the rollers when the ball is rotated.

5. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein four pieces of the reed switch are provided such that two pairs of two opposing reed switches are disposed perpendicular to each other.

6. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet has a ring shape, and a rotation shaft centerline of the permanent magnet is the same as that of the rollers.

7. The trackball device as defined in claim 6, wherein the reed switch is disposed in proximity to the permanent magnet such that a reed direction of the reed switch is perpendicular to the rotation shaft centerline.

8. The trackball device as defined in claim 6 further comprising a wiring board on which the reed switch is mounted, the wiring board having a hole for housing a part of the reed switch.

9. The trackball device as defined in claim 7, wherein the reed switch is disposed under the permanent magnet.

10. The trackball device as defined in claim 7, wherein the reed switch is disposed at a side in a circumferential direction of the permanent magnet.