Computer input device

• US 5,808,603 A
• Filed: 02/06/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mei Yun Chen
• Original Assignee: Mei Yun Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Mei Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANNAVA, ASHOK K
• Application Number:
  US08/795,641
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/158, 345/163, 345/166, 74/471
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks

Abstract

A computer input device is comprised of an upper shell a center body and a lower shell, wherein the upper shell is operated so to slide along x axle and y axle, thus the object of controlling the movement and positioning of a cursor on a computer screen is achieved. A structure for detecting the displacements on the direction of x axle and on the direction of y axle is arranged inside the computer input device, and an x axle photoelectric set and a y axle photoelectric set for detecting the action of optic grid piece is also arranged inside the computer input device, and the structure for detecting the displacements on the direction of x axle and on the direction of the y axle is arranged on the same plane by a design of bracing wires, thus the width of the whole structure is became thinner, and volume of the computer input device is reduced so that the computer input device of the present invention may be proper installed on the notebook type personal computer.

Claims

1. A computer input device which comprises:

an upper shell which is divided into an upper shell planking and an upper shell bottom plate, a medium key, a right key, a left key and a buckling block being installed on the upper shell planking, the upper shell bottom plate being installed with a buckling hole for being combined with said upper shell planking, bracing wires being connected between the centers of the right and left sides of said upper shell bottom plate, and there being grooves installed on the front and rear side walls thereof;

a center body comprising a top cover, a lower base and a sliding bar, the lower base being a flange hollow buckling base locating on the center of shell planking, the top cover being engaged with the lower base the right and left side walls of which being installed with holes and the front and rear walls being installed with grooves, and a groove being positioned on the center of the sliding bar, which is penetrating through said groove, the two ends of the sliding bar being crossed over the groove of the upper shell bottom plate so to slide freely between the top cover and the bottom base and on the groove of the upper shell, there are bracing wires connecting between the two ends of the sliding bar which is penetrated downwards through the slot of sliding bar and then is penetrating through the shell planking so to pull an active optic grid piece inside the lower shell to move forwards and backwards, while the bracing wires connected on the upper shell bottom plate being penetrated through holes on the left and right sides of lower bases, and then being penetrated through shell cover plate so to pull another active optic grid piece within the lower shell to move forwards and backwards; and

a lower shell being divided into a shell planking and a lower shell bottom plate, a buckling block being installed on the shell planking, and a flange hollow buckle base being installed on the center thereof, the bracing wires of the two ends of the sliding bar and the bracing wires on the center of the right and left sides of upper shell bottom plate being penetrated through the hollow buckle base into the inside of lower shell, while a buckling base being installed on the lower shell lower base, which can be connected with the buckling block of shell planking, structures for detecting the respective movements of x axle and y axle being installed on the medium of the shell planking and lower shell bottom plate, the two structures being comprised of respective base covers, light emitted diodes, active optic grid pieces, fixing optic grid pieces, lower bases and photoelectric sets, wherein the front and rear sides of the base cover are installed with groove, the base cover is engaged with the lower base, while the lower bases are connected with a lower shell bottom plate, the two active optic grid piece is penetrated through the groove of the base cover so to slide freely between the base cover and the lower base, the light emitted diode is installed between the base cover and the active optic grid piece, and the fixing optic grid piece is installed between the active optic grid piece and lower base, while photoelectric set is installed between the fixing optic grid piece and lower base, the active optic grid piece have a optic grid piece section which are fromed by two rows of separated optic grid pieces for matching with two photoelectric transistors of photoelectric set to detect the displacement and moving direction of said active optic grid piece, wherein

by the aforementioned structure, the two active optic grid piece is pulled by the ingeniously designed bracing wires, therefore the conventional limitation that the two active optic grid piece must be alternative arranged is overcame so that the two active optic grid pieces may be parallel installed on the same plane, thus not only the width and volume of the whole device and the range for the movement of hand are greatly reduced, but also the computer input device of the present invention may be properly installed on the notebook type personal computer.

2. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of conduits are installed on the proper position of the lower shell and the lower base, which is used to facilitate the movement and rotation of a bracing wire pulled by a force so to drive fluently and linearly x axle active optic grid piece and y axle active optic grid piece, thus the movement of a cursor could be controlled exactly.

3. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the two active optic grid pieces may be tiltly installed on the same plane.

4. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein a control circuit may be installed on the lower shell bottom plate.

5. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the bracing wires may be changed to be installed on the front and rear ends, and the positions of the hole and the groove on the top cover of the center body may be changed with each other.

6. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the two base cover installed on the lower shell may be deleted, while the shell planking of the lower shell is directly overlapped on the two bottom base, thus the width of lower shell is reduced.

7. The computer input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the photoelectric section of the two active optic grid piece may be designed as three rows of optic grid piece which are alternative arranged with each other and each of the three rows is matched with a photoelectric set having three photoelectric transistor, thus the resolution is increased.