Computer input device using the movements of a user's fingers
First Claim
1. An apparatus for converting the movements of a user'"'"'s fingers into at least one electrical signal suitable for input into at least one electrical signal suitable for input into a computing machine, the apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting the movement of a first finger in a first plane;
means for differentially moving a second finger in substantially the first plane in an amount proportional to, and in a direction in opposition to, the movement of the first finger such that the user can accurately control the position of the first finger;
means for encoding the differential movement of the first finger in the first plane into a first electrical position signal proportional to the movement of the first finger in the first plane such that the user can control a position parameter using the fine motor movements of the fingers; and
base means for supporting and stabilizing said detecting means and said differentially moving means on a work surface to enable said detecting means and said differentially moving means to be controlled with a single hand.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an input device for a computing machine which allows a user to input one, two, three, or more position signals controlling the same number of parameters. Such parameters can be the x, y, and z axis positions of a cursor on a display. The present invention includes structures for encoding the movement of the users fingers into position signals. The present invention is arranged so the differential movement of two of the user'"'"'s fingers in a first plane generates one of the position signals. The differential movement provides that as a first finger is moved, a second finger is moved in an opposite direction and an amount proportional to the movement of the first finger. The differential movement of the user'"'"'s fingers allows for more efficient, precise, and less tiresome operation by a user than with other input devices. Embodiments of the present invention can possess movement in one, two, three, or more, degrees of freedom and are able to generate one, two three, or more, position signals. In a preferred application of the present invention, apparatus embodying the present invention possessing three degress of motion can be adapted to interactively control a cursor'"'"'s horizontal, vertical and zoom movements on the x, y, and z axes, respectively, on a computing machine display.
72 Citations
36 Claims
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1. An apparatus for converting the movements of a user'"'"'s fingers into at least one electrical signal suitable for input into at least one electrical signal suitable for input into a computing machine, the apparatus comprising:
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means for detecting the movement of a first finger in a first plane; means for differentially moving a second finger in substantially the first plane in an amount proportional to, and in a direction in opposition to, the movement of the first finger such that the user can accurately control the position of the first finger; means for encoding the differential movement of the first finger in the first plane into a first electrical position signal proportional to the movement of the first finger in the first plane such that the user can control a position parameter using the fine motor movements of the fingers; and base means for supporting and stabilizing said detecting means and said differentially moving means on a work surface to enable said detecting means and said differentially moving means to be controlled with a single hand. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 29)
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- 12. An apparatus for converting the movements of a user'"'"'s fingers into at least one electrical signal suitable for input into a computing machine as defined in claim wherein the means for detecting comprises a first finger receptacle.
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18. A system for generating user controlled input signals to a computing machine comprising:
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first receptacle means for receiving a first finger of a user such that the movement of the first finger is transferred to the first receptacle means; second receptacle means for receiving a second finger of the user such that the movement of the second receptacle means is transferred to the second finger; differential movement means for moving the second receptacle means in a first plane and in a direction opposite to the direction of, and an amount proportional to, the movement of the first receptacle means in the first plane; means for mounting the first receptacle means to allow movement in a second plane; first encoding means for generating a first electrical position signal proportional to the movement of the first receptacle means in the first plane, the first electrical position signal capable of being translated into a position in a first dimension; second encoding means for generating a second electrical position proportional to the movement of the first receptacle means in the second plane, the second electrical position signal capable of being translated into a position in a second dimension such that the user can generate two electrical position signals capable of being input to a computing machine using fine motor movements of two fingers; and base means for supporting and stabilizing said differential movement means and said mounting means on a work surface to enable control of said apparatus in both said planes with a single hand. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28)
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30. A system for inputting two or more parameters to a computing machine using the movements of a user'"'"'s fingers to control the values assigned to the parameters, the system comprising:
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a first finger receptacle means; a second finger receptacle means; differential movement means for (a) allowing the first finger receptacle to be moved in a first plane and for (b) moving the second finger receptacle in a direction in the first plane in opposition to the movement of the first finger receptacle; first means for encoding the movement of the first finger receptacle in the first plane into a first electrical position signal, the first electrical position signal being translatable into a first parameter; means for mounting the first finger receptacle to allow it to be moved in a second plane; second means for encoding the movement of the first finger receptacle in the second plane into a second electrical position signal, the second electrical position signal being translatable into a second parameter, the first and the second means for encoding responding to fine motor movements of the user'"'"'s first and second fingers to control the first and the second cursor parameters; and base means for supporting and stabilizing said differential movement means and said mounting means on a work surface to enable control of said apparatus in both said planes with a single hand. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification