Cursor control

• US 4,313,113 A
• Filed: 03/24/1980
• Issued: 01/26/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Thornburg, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Curtis, Marshall M.
• Application Number:
  US06/133,365
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 340/365 A, 340/709, 340/365 R, 178/18-20
• US Class Current: 345/159
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/28 Multiple-action keys, e.g. keys depressed by two or more amounts or movable in two or more directions to effect different functions or selections
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

A graphic input device for controlling the movement of a cursor upon a visual display. The device includes a number of variable resistance pressure transducers corresponding to the primary orthogonal directions of cursor movement. Each pressure transducer comprises a first electrode for selecting the direction of movement and a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, one of the electrodes being made of an electrically resistive elastomeric material. A manipulable force transmitting device is provided to move the electrodes toward one another and into contact, the contact area being variable with the force applied, so that the resistance across the electrodes is high when the contact area is small and lower when the contact area is larger. The device is connected to the visual display via an electrical circuit which supplies signals to move the cursor in a selected direction at a speed inversely proportional to the resistance condition.

Claims

1. A graphic input device for controlling the movement of a cursor upon a visual display, characterized by including,

variable resistance pressure transducer means including four sets of switches, each controlling cursor movement in one of four orthogonal directions and comprising,

first electrode means, including a resistive elastomeric pad, for selecting the direction of movement of the cursor, and

second electrode means, including a spherical contact, spaced from said first electrode means,

one of said first or second electrode means being mounted for movement upon a cantilever spring arm,

force transmitting means, associated with and overlying each of said switches and comprising four finger actuable keys arranged in a diamond pattern with the free ends of said underlying cantilever spring arms meeting at the center of the diamond, for actuating said transducer means by moving said cantilever spring arms so as to vary the electrical resistance across said first and second electrode means in an inverse relationship to the applied pressure, and

circuit means connecting said variable resistance pressure transducer means to said visual display for moving the cursor in a selected direction at a slow speed when a high resistance condition is present and at a higher speed in the selected direction as said resistance condition is lowered.