Pointing device

• US 20070296698A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kanno, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,279,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A pointing device includes a movement detector adapted to detect movement of an operating object, a pressure detector adapted to detect an operating pressure of the operating object, and a controller adapted to direct movement of a target object, wherein the controller controls the moving direction of the target object in accordance with the detected movement of the operating object and controls the moving speed of the target object in accordance with the operating pressure detected when the operating object is moving.

Claims

1. A pointing device comprising:

a movement detector for detecting movement of an operating object;

a pressure detector for detecting an operating pressure of the operating object; and

a controller for directing movement of a target object by controlling the moving direction of the target object in accordance with the detected movement of the operating object and by controlling the moving speed of the target object in accordance with the operating pressure detected when the operating object is moving.

2. The pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising a light emitting unit for emitting light thereby illuminating the operating object,

wherein the movement detector detects light reflected from the operating object and detects the moving direction of the operating object from the detected light.

3. The pointing device according to claim 2, further comprising a window configured to pass the light emitted by the light emitting unit,

wherein the pressure detector is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the window.

4. The pointing device according to claim 3, wherein the window is formed in the shape of a cross.

5. The pointing device according to claim 2, wherein the pointing device is configured to be capable of being folded.

6. The pointing device according to claim 5, further comprising an open/closed-state sensor for detecting opening and closing of the pointing device.

7. The pointing device according to claim 6, wherein

when the open/closed-state sensor detects that the pointing device is in a closed state, the controller turns off electric power of the pointing device, while when the open/closed-state sensor detects that the pointing device is in an open state, the controller turns on the electric power of the pointing device, and

when no pressure is detected by the pressure detector, the controller does not supply electric power to the light emitting unit.

10. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the movement detector and the pressure detector are disposed one on the other.

8. An inputting method comprising a control procedure including the steps of:

detecting movement of an operating object;

detecting an operating pressure of the operating object; and

directing movement of a target object by controlling the moving direction of the target object in accordance with the detected movement of the operating object and by controlling the moving speed of the target object in accordance with the operating pressure detected when the operating object is moving.

9. An inputting program executable by a computer to perform a control procedure including the steps of:

detecting movement of an operating object;

detecting an operating pressure of the operating object; and

directing movement of a target object by controlling the moving direction of the target object in accordance with the detected movement of the operating object and by controlling the moving speed of the target object in accordance with the operating pressure detected when the operating object is moving.

11. A pointing device comprising:

a first detector for detecting a moving direction and a moving distance of an operating object which is moving and which imposes a pressure to the first detector;

a second detector for detecting the magnitude of the pressure applied by the operating object; and

a controller for controlling the movement of a target object in accordance with the moving direction detected by the first detector and the magnitude of the pressure detected by the second detector,

wherein the first detector and the second detector are disposed one on the other.

12. The pointing device according to claim 11, wherein the first detector and the second detector are formed in the shape of a cross.