Computer control
First Claim
1. A computer control comprisinga housing,a finger element extending above the housing and adapted to be gripped and moved by fingers in at least two dimensions to selected positions,a pair of movable members mounted in the housing and coupled to the finger element for movement in respective orthogonal directions in response to corresponding movement of the finger element,each of said pair of movable members including a light control grating defining alternating light and dark patterns along the corresponding direction of movement,light emitting means and light responsive means disposed alongside each of the respective light control gratings for responding to light changes due to movement of each respective grating relative thereto wherein each light responsive means generates a pair of signals having opposite quadrature related phases for indicating motion in respective plus and minus directions of movement, andmeans responsive to the pairs of signals for providing digital data corresponding to the two dimensional position of the control member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer control includes a control member movably mounted for movement in two dimensions wherein orthogonally related gratings are moved to the corresponding directions to generate pairs of quadrature related signals. Circuitry produces binary signals defining four states for each cycle of quadrature signals to change a corresponding count indicating position of the control member. In another variation patterns each having a plurality of spots with a unique combination of gray levels are sensed by a rectangular array of photosensers to determine the position of the movable member.
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Citations
73 Claims
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1. A computer control comprising
a housing, a finger element extending above the housing and adapted to be gripped and moved by fingers in at least two dimensions to selected positions, a pair of movable members mounted in the housing and coupled to the finger element for movement in respective orthogonal directions in response to corresponding movement of the finger element, each of said pair of movable members including a light control grating defining alternating light and dark patterns along the corresponding direction of movement, light emitting means and light responsive means disposed alongside each of the respective light control gratings for responding to light changes due to movement of each respective grating relative thereto wherein each light responsive means generates a pair of signals having opposite quadrature related phases for indicating motion in respective plus and minus directions of movement, and means responsive to the pairs of signals for providing digital data corresponding to the two dimensional position of the control member.
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23. A computer control comprising
a computer keyboard having a plurality of data entry keys in a planar arrangement defining a key plane, a control device housing mounted in the keyboard below the key plane, pattern means slidably mounted in the control device housing for movement in at least two orthogonal directions parallel to the key plane wherein the pattern means defines respective light control patterns extending in each of the two orthogonal directions, a finger-grippable control element coupled to the pattern means and extending upward from the housing in the key plane for movement in two dimensions in the key plane to selectively move the pattern means to selected positions in its orthogonal directions of movement, and light responsive means for responding to the light control patterns of the pattern means to generate signals indicative of the selected positions of the pattern, means in the respective orthogonal directions.
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35. A computer control comprising
a stationary mask defining light transmissive opening means for passing light therethrough, a movable member having a light control grating for moving across the mask opening means to modulate light passing through the grating and the mask opening means, light emitting means and light detector means disposed upon respective opposite sides of the mask and grating such that the detector means generates an electrical detector signal which varies in accordance with light passing through the mask opening means and grating, said mask and grating being such that light passing through the mask opening means and grating and impinging on the detector means has at least a predetermined intensity, said movable member including an opaque end region at one end of the light control grating such that when the end region is over the mask opening the light intensity impinging on the detector means is reduced to less than the predetermined intensity to produce a corresponding change in the electrical signal from the detector, means responsive to the detector signal for producing position changing control signals when the detector signal corresponds to light intensity above the predetermined intensity, and means for producing edge control signals when the detector signal corresponds to light intensity below the predetermined intensity.
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38. A computer control comprising
a housing, pattern means mounted in the control device housing for movement in at least two orthogonal directions wherein the pattern means defines respective light control patterns in each of the two orthogonal directions, a finger-grippable control element coupled to the pattern means and extending upward from the housing for movement in two dimensions to selectively move the pattern means to selected positions in its orthogonal directions of movement, light responsive means for responding to the light control patterns of the pattern means to generate signals indicative of the selected positions of the pattern means in the respective orthogonal directions, and friction means associated with the finger element and pattern means for producing a retarding force to movement in one of the orthogonal directions substantially greater than a retarding force in the other direction.
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40. A computer control comprising
grating means movable in at least one direction wherein the grating means defines alternating light and dark patterns extending across the direction of movement, a stationary mask having a pair of spaced light transmissive slots disposed adjacent the grating means so that light passing through the slots is modulated by movement of the grating means, a pair of light sensing elements aligned with the respective pair of slots for producing a pair of sensor signals corresponding to the intensity of light passing through the grating means and the respective slots, said slots and grating means being such that the pair of sensor signals have opposite quadrature related phases corresponding to movement of the grating means in the respective opposite directions along the one direction of movement, a pair of signal change means for generating respective change signals corresponding to changes in the sensor signals, a pair of hysteresis trigger means for being operated by the respective change signals to produce square wave signals corresponding to the respective sensor signals, and means responsive to the square wave signals for maintaining a count indicative of the position of the grating means.
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46. A computer control comprising
grating means movable in at least one direction wherein the grating means defines alternating light and dark patterns extending across the direction of movement, a stationary mask having a slot disposed adjacent the grating means so that light passing through the slot is modulated by movement of the grating means, a light sensing element aligned with the slot and having a first resistance connected in series therewith to produce sensor signals corresponding to the intensity of light passing through the grating means and the slot, said first resistance having a resistance value sufficiently high to produce a peak magnitude of sensor signal greater than a predetermined magnitude, voltage responsive means for generating a pulse when a peak magnitude of the sensor signal exceeds the predetermined magnitude, a counter for counting pulses from the voltage responsive means, a plurality of resistance means controlled by outputs of the counter for selectively connecting adjustment resistances in parallel with the first resistance to reduce the magnitude of sensor signal to below the predetermined magnitude, and means for converting the sensor signal to a binary signal useful in controlling a computer.
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49. A computer control comprising
a pattern member having a plurality of light control patterns arranged in a two dimensional array wherein each pattern includes a plurality of regions each having a predetermined gray level selected from a pluralilty of different gray levels and wherein the combination of gray levels formed by the plurality of regions of each pattern differs from all the other patterns so as to define a code identifying the position of each pattern in the two dimensional array, light means for illuminating the pattern member, a rectangular array of light sensing elements for detecting the gray levels of the plurality of regions of at least one pattern on the pattern member, finger-engageable means for moving either the pattern member, the array of light or light sensing elements relative to the other, and means for determining the coding thereof to indicate the position of the pattern member relative to the array of light sensing elements.
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53. A computer control comprising
a stationary mask having light transmissive opening means for passing light therethrough; -
a movable member having a light control grating extending near to but in spaced relationship to the stationary mask for moving across the mask opening to modulate light passing through the grating and the mask opening means; a single light detector element disposed upon one side of the grating and the mask opening means; a pair of light emitting diodes disposed upon the other side of the grating and the mask opening means wherein the light emitting diodes are spaced in a direction parallel to control grating; means for alternately energizing the light emitting diodes at a rate which is at least twice a normal maximum rate of movement of grating cycles past the mask opening means; means connected to the light detector element and operated in timed relationship with the alternately energizing means for generating a pair of detector signals corresponding to light intensity received by the light detector element during energization of the respective pair of light emitting diodes; said mask opening means, said grating, said light detector element and said pair of light emitting diodes being spaced and arranged relative to each other so the pair of detector signals have quadrature related phases; and means responsive to the pair of light detector signals for indicating a position of the grating relative to the mask to control a computer. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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55. A computer control comprising
a finger grippable element movable in two dimensions in a two dimensional area of element movement, computer means including a monitor having a two dimensional display on which a marker can be generated and moved within the two dimensions of the display, means operated by movement of the finger grippable element for moving the marker on the display in correspondence with the movement of the finger grippable element in at least two different modes of movement including a first mode wherein the marker on the display is moved a large increment for each predetermined increment of movement of the finger grippable element, and a second mode wherein the marker on the display is moved a small increment which is substantially less than the large increment for each predetermined increment of movement of the finger grippable element, and operator controlled switch means associated with the finger grippable element for operating the marker moving means selectively in the two different modes in correspondence with operation of the switch means.
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61. A computer control comprising
grating means movable in at least one direction wherein the grating means defines alternating light and dark patterns extending across the direction of movement, a stationary mask having a slot disposed adjacent the grating means so that light passing through the slot is modulated by movement of the grating means, a light sensing element aligned with the slot and having variable resistance means connected in series therewith to produce sensor signals corresponding to the intensity of light passing through the grating means and the slot, said variable resistance means having a high resistance value sufficiently high to produce a peak magnitude of sensor signal greater than a predetermined magnitude, voltage responsive means for generating a pulse when a peak magnitude of the sensor signal exceeds the predetermined magnitude, a counter for counting pulses from the voltage responsive means, means controlled by outputs of the counter for selectively adjusting the resistance means to reduce the magnitude of sensor signal to below the predetermined magnitude, and means for converting the sensor signal to a binary signal useful in controlling a computer.
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62. A computer control having fine and coarse modes of marker positioning, comprising:
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a finger grippable element movable in two dimensions in a two dimensional area of element movement; computer means including a monitor having a two dimensional display area in which a marker can be generated and moved; means operated by movement of the finger grippable element for moving the marker on the display in first and second modes of movement; said marker moving means during the first mode of movement including means for moving the marker within a first area of marker movement about a current position of the marker in correspondence with movement of the finger grippable element within the area of element movement; said first area of marker movement being only a portion of the two dimensional display area of the monitor; said marker moving means during the second mode of movement including means for moving the marker within a second area of marker movement about a current position of the marker in correspondence with movement of the finger grippable element within the area of element movement; and said second area of marker movement being larger than the first area of marker movement such that the first and second modes of movement define respective fine and coarse modes of marker positioning. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. A computer cursor control comprising:
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a housing; plate means slidably mounted in the housing; said housing including means for retaining the plate means in the housing and for permitting sliding movement of the plate means in two dimensions relative to the housing; a finger grippable element operatively connected with the plate means and extending upward from the housing for enabling an operator to grip the element and to move the element within a two dimensional area of movement to move the plate means correspondingly in the two dimensions; position determining means including light modifying pattern means mounted on the plate means, and light emitting and detecting means mounted on housing for sensing movement of the plate means in the two dimensions to determine the position of the finger grippable element in the two dimensional area; computer means including a monitor with a cursor; and means responsive to the position determining means for positioning the cursor on the monitor display at a position corresponding to the position of the finger grippable element. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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Specification