Input device for entering data for electronic equipments and so forth

• US 5,446,480 A
• Filed: 05/20/1992
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Au, A.
• Application Number:
  US07/885,234
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/709, 340/710, 340/712, 341/31, 341/34, 178/18, 178/19, 345/157, 345/156, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/163, 345/173, 345/174, 345/145, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

An input device for moving a cursor to a desired point in a display has a sliding member which moves on a two dimensional coordinate system, a location detector which electrically detects the location of the sliding member within that coordinate system, and a switch to allow data entry in correspondence to the desired point indicated in the display corresponding to the position of the sliding member, in response to depression of the sliding member in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coordinate system.

Claims

1. A hand-held type electronic equipment for identifying a two-dimensional coordinate position for use with a display, said electronic equipment comprising:

an input device including a sliding member and switch means and a detector, said input device providing a two-dimensional coordinate system to identify first and second coordinates of said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system, said sliding member being movable on said two-dimensional coordinate system by a respective positioning force applied thereto, said switch means being operatively associated with said two-dimensional coordinate system in order to be selectively actuated by a respective data entry command force exerted on said sliding member when said sliding member is at a desired position on said two-dimensional coordinate system, said detector providing information corresponding to said first and second coordinates of said sliding member in said two-dimensional coordinate system when said data entry command force is exerted on said sliding member;

said detector including a parallel and opposed pair of flat plate resistors and an electrically conductive sheet disposed therebetween, wherein said information corresponding to said first and second components corresponds to continuous values for said position of said sliding member in said two-dimensional coordinate system;

function keys for data and/or command input in correspondence to said position in said display corresponding to said desired position of said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system;

a main body with a display and a keyboard, an integral combination of said input device with said sliding member, detector and switching means and of said main body with said display and keyboard being provided, said input device being provided in a cavity in said main body;

said input device further comprising;

said sliding member having a pushing means on a top surface thereof, for receiving said positioning force for moving said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device, and a projection means on a bottom surface thereof which continuously contacts a top surface of a top one of said flat plate resistors;

a casing which holds said sliding member, said casing including side edges that limit said sliding member to move on said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device within a predetermined area corresponding to the area of said display, a flexible top surface which bears on a top surface of said sliding member, said flexible top surface having an opening therein for providing access to said pushing means for moving said sliding means, and a bottom surface which supports from below said sliding member and said detector at a central part of said casing, so that said detector detects the position of said projection means on said bottom surface of said sliding member; and

said switching means includes a plurality of switches mounted between the bottom of said cavity and a bottom exterior surface of said casing, said plurality of switches being distributed around the periphery of said casing and outside of said central part thereof.

2. The hand-held type electronic equipment according to claim 1, said display comprising an LCD display having a movable mark therein for identifying said desired position in said display corresponding to said first and second coordinates of said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device.

3. The hand-held type electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said input device is such that:

said entry command force is applied approximately perpendicularly to said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device; and

said respective positioning force can easily include a component roughly parallel to said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device which is sufficient to move said sliding member without having a component transverse to said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device which is equal to or greater than said entry command force.

4. An input device comprising:

a casing having an upper wall;

a sliding member having a projection extending from a lower surface thereof, said sliding member disposed within said casing on a two-dimensional coordinate system corresponding with a coordinate system of a display, said sliding member being movable on said two-dimensional coordinate system for identifying a desired coordinate position in said coordinate system of said display; and

a detector disposed within said casing beneath said sliding member, said detector including a pair of parallel and opposed flat plate resistors and an electrically conductive sheet disposed therebetween;

said upper wall of said casing being elastically deformable and engaging said sliding member, said elastically deformable upper wall biasing said projection on said sliding member into continuous sliding contact with said detector; and

said input device further comprising a switching means responsive to a data entry command force applied to said sliding member in a direction perpendicular to said two-dimensional coordinate system, said switching means including a plurality of switches mounted beneath a bottom exterior surface of said casing.

5. An input device comprising:

a sliding member disposed on a two-dimensional coordinate system which is established in correspondence with a coordinate system of a display, said sliding member being movable on said two-dimensional coordinate system for identifying a desired coordinating position in said coordinate system of said display, said sliding member being further operable in a direction perpendicular to said two-dimensional coordinate system by a data entry command force exerted upon said sliding member;

a detector associated with said sliding member for detecting the coordinate position of said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system, said detector generating a sliding member position indicative signal having a first component representative of a first coordinate position of said sliding member on a first coordinate axis of said two-dimensional coordinate system and a second component representative of a second coordinate position of said sliding member on a second coordinate axis of said two-dimensional coordinate system;

a switching means responsive to said data entry command force for permitting data entry at said desired position on said display identified by said sliding member position indicative signal; and

said detector including a parallel and opposed pair of flat plate resistors and an electrically conductive sheet disposed therebetween, wherein,said first and second components of said sliding member position indicative signal generated by said detector correspond to continuous values for said position of said sliding member in said two-dimensional coordinate system;

said flat plate resistors with said conductive sheet therebetween being provided below a bottom surface of said sliding member, and said bottom surface of said sliding member having a projection which extends to continuously contact a top surface of a top one of said flat plate resistors, said two flat plate resistors both contacting said conductive sheet beneath said projection;

said input device further comprising a main body and a keyboard, wherein an integral combination of said sliding member, detector, switching means, display and said keyboard is provided, said input device being provided in a recess in said main body;

said sliding member having a pushing means on a top surface thereof, for receiving a positioning force for moving said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device;

a hollow casing which holds said sliding member, said casing including side edges that limit said sliding member to move on said two-dimensional coordinate system of said input device within a predetermined area corresponding to the area of said display, a flexible top surface which bears on a top surface of said sliding member, said flexible top surface having an opening therein for providing access to said pushing means for moving said sliding means, and a bottom surface which supports from below said sliding member and said detector at a central part of said casing, so that said detector detects the position of said position on said bottom surface of said sliding member; and

said switching means includes a plurality of switches mounted between the bottom of said recess and a bottom exterior surface of said casing, said plurality of switches being distributed around the periphery of said casing and outside of said central part thereof, any one or more of said switches switching when said entry command force is provided sufficiently strongly.

6. An input device comprising:

a casing having an upper wall;

a sliding member having a projection extending from a lower surface thereof, said sliding member disposed within said casing on a two-dimensional coordinate system corresponding with a coordinate system of a display, said sliding member being movable on said two-dimensional coordinate system for identifying a desired coordinate position in said coordinate system of said display;

a detector disposed within said casing beneath said sliding member for detecting the coordinate position of said sliding member on said two-dimensional coordinate system, said detector including a pair of parallel and opposed flat plate resistors and an electrically conductive sheet disposed therebetween; and

a switching means responsive to a data entry command force applied to said sliding member in a direction perpendicular to said two-dimensional coordinate system, said switching means including a plurality of switches mounted beneath a bottom exterior surface of said casing;

wherein said upper wall of said casing is elastically deformable and engages said sliding member, said elastically deformable upper wall biasing said projection on said sliding member into continuous sliding contact with said detector.