Noise mouse
First Claim
1. A cursor controller for controlling movement of a cursor dot or the like on the display of a computer system, the cursor controller comprising:
- (A) a displacement pad and support means therefor;
(B) suspension means mounting the displacement pad to the support means and permitting relative lateral two-dimensional motion therebetween;
(C) displacement transducer means responsive to relative motion between the displacement pad and the support means therefor, the displacement transducer means providing a signal indicative of the direction of relative movement;
(D) a velocity/distance transducer means mounted to be responsive to vibration caused by relative movement between the displacement pad and a surface engaged with the displacement pad, said velocity/distance transducer means producing a signal which is a function of the velocity and distance of relative movement; and
(D) calculating means for deriving signals indicative of the direction and distance of movement desired of the cursor dot, based on the direction of displacement of the displacement pad and the vibration sensed by the velocity/distance transducer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mouse comprises a cover and a displacement pad which is displaced upon movement of the mouse over a surface. Displacement transducer means, e.g., strain gauges mounted in a parallel arm linkage, are used to ascertain direction of motion. Noise created by sliding motion is monitored by a microphone, the output of which is a function of velocity and therefore distance. The microphone may be mounted to the displacement pad, and the pad and microphone covered with a friction and vibration enhancing medium, such as felt. The displacement pad may also be suspending in a computer terminal and be "stroked" to achieve displacement and noise. Calculating means produce cursor dot control signals based on displacement and noise.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A cursor controller for controlling movement of a cursor dot or the like on the display of a computer system, the cursor controller comprising:
-
(A) a displacement pad and support means therefor; (B) suspension means mounting the displacement pad to the support means and permitting relative lateral two-dimensional motion therebetween; (C) displacement transducer means responsive to relative motion between the displacement pad and the support means therefor, the displacement transducer means providing a signal indicative of the direction of relative movement; (D) a velocity/distance transducer means mounted to be responsive to vibration caused by relative movement between the displacement pad and a surface engaged with the displacement pad, said velocity/distance transducer means producing a signal which is a function of the velocity and distance of relative movement; and (D) calculating means for deriving signals indicative of the direction and distance of movement desired of the cursor dot, based on the direction of displacement of the displacement pad and the vibration sensed by the velocity/distance transducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A cursor controller for controlling movement of a cursor dot or the like on a computer display in accordance with movement of the cursor controller, the cursor controller comprising:
-
(A) a housing adapted for sliding motion on a work surface, said sliding motion producing noise; (B) means for determining the direction of motion of housing; (C) a microphone mounted in the housing and responsive to the noise generated by sliding motion, said noise output of the microphone being a function of the velocity and therefore also of the distance of motion;
whereby control signals corresponding to the distance of motion can be drived from the microphone signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A method of deriving control signals for a cursor dot on a computer controlled cathode ray tube display, comprising:
-
(A) providing a mouse for sliding movement on a work surface including a cover and a displacement pad suspended from said cover and contacting the surface; (B) moving the mouse in the desired direction of cursor dot movement, thereby displacing the displacement pad relative to the cover and creating noise during mouse movement by means of frictional and vibrational interaction between the displacement pad and surface; (C) during movement of the housing on the surface ascertaining the direction of displacement of the displacement pad and monitoring the amount of noise created by means of a microphone; and (D) calculating the direction and distance of mouse motion on the work surface respectively from the displacement of the displacement pad and the noise and providing the calculated direction and distance of motion for use in controlling the motion of a cursor dot on a computer-controlled cathode ray display.
-
Specification