Palm-top wireless trackball

• US 5,668,574 A
• Filed: 06/26/1995
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jarlance Huang
• Original Assignee: Chung-Chin Chen
• Inventors: Jarlance-Huang
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/494,352
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/167, 345/157, 345/156, 345/163, 345/184, D14/101, D14/114, 273/148 B, 74/471 XY, 200/6 A, 200/5 R, 200/6 R, 200/341, 348/734
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus

Abstract

A palm-top wireless trackball including a mainframe to hold a circuit board on the inside, a hand-hold portion defined within said mainframe and having two smoothly curved opposite sides fitting the palm and the finger cushions, an operation area in the hand-hold portion, a smoothly curved stop flange raised from the bottom of the operation area, a transverse groove adjacent to the stop flange for resting the middle finger, and a transparent shade covered on the operation area to hold a transmitter on the inside, permitting the transmitter to be controlled by the circuit board, a circular ball holder raised from the top side of the operation area to hold a trackball for permitting the trackball to be rotated within the ball holder to trigger the circuit board in sending a corresponding radio signal through the transmitter, a drag key disposed in front of the smoothly curved stop flange and connected to the circuit board for operation by the forefinger, and an enter key transversely mounted on the hand-hold portion around the ball holder and connected to the circuit board for operation by the thumb.

Claims

1. A palm-top wireless trackball comprising a mainframe to hold a circuit board, said mainframe comprising a hand-hold portion having two smoothly curved opposite sides fitting palm and finger cushions of a user, an operation area in said hand-hold portion, a smoothly curved stop flange extending from a bottom side of said operation area, a transverse groove formed in a bottom side of said hand hold portion adjacent to said stop flange for resting a middle finger of a user, a transparent shade on a front end of said operation area to cover a transmitter, permitting said transmitter to be controlled by said circuit board, a circular ball holder extending from a top side of said operation area opposite to said stop flange, a trackball rotatably located within said ball holder to control said circuit board in sending a corresponding radio signal through said transmitter, a drag key disposed on a front of said smoothly curved stop flange and connected to said circuit board for operation by the forefinger of a user, and an enter key mounted on said hand-hold portion adjacent to said ball holder and connected to said circuit board for operation by the thumb of a user.

2. The palm-top wireless trackball of claim 1 wherein said enter key comprises an arcuate key transversely disposed between said hand-hold portion and said ball holder extending partially around said ball holder for operation by a thumb of a left hand or a thumb of a right hand of the user.

3. The palm-top wireless trackball of claim 1 wherein said ball holder further comprises a cap covering said ball holder to hold said trackball in place, said cap having a smoothly curved top side fitting said trackball and a circular center opening, through which a part of said trackball protrudes from said ball holder, said ball holder having a smoothly curved top edge fitting the smoothly curved top side of said cap and disposed in flush with said enter key.