User Interface Device Having Capacitive Trackball Assembly
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a user interface device comprising a capacitive trackball assembly having;
a conductive trackball; and
a conductive plate proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball;
wherein the user interface device is to transmit a user command responsive to an effective capacitance of the capacitive trackball assembly resulting from a user contact with the conductive trackball.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user interface device (100) includes a capacitive trackball assembly (108) having a conductive trackball (110) and one or more conductive plates (210, 310, 410, 510, 610) proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball (110), thereby enabling the conductive trackball assembly (108) to operate as a capacitive touch sensor. Each user contact point with the conductive trackball (110) modifies the effective capacitance of the conductive trackball assembly (108). The user interface device (100) senses the effective capacitance of the conductive trackball assembly (108) to discern the number of user contact points on the conductive trackball (110) and uses this information, along with other parameters, such as a concurrent sensed rotation vector of the conductive trackball (110), to identify a user command intended by the user. The identified user command may be transmitted to a controlled system (740) to effectuate or modify an operation at the controlled system (740).
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a user interface device comprising a capacitive trackball assembly having; a conductive trackball; and a conductive plate proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball; wherein the user interface device is to transmit a user command responsive to an effective capacitance of the capacitive trackball assembly resulting from a user contact with the conductive trackball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A user interface device comprising:
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a capacitive trackball assembly having; a conductive trackball; and a conductive plate proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball; and a capacitive sense circuit coupled to the capacitive trackball assembly, the capacitive sense circuit to detect an effective capacitance of the capacitive trackball assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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determining an effective capacitance of a capacitive trackball assembly of a user interface device resulting from a user contact with a conductive trackball, the capacitive trackball assembly comprising the conductive trackball and a conductive plate proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball; and determining a number of user contact points in contact with the conductive trackball based on the effective capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification