Relative manipulated variable input device

• US 5,815,139 A
• Filed: 04/29/1997
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SMK Corporation
• Original Assignee: SMK Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Osamu, Mizuki, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRACY
• Application Number:
  US08/848,669
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/159, 345/160, 345/168, 345/173, 345/174
• 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: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point

Abstract

The present invention concerns a relative manipulated variable input device which is capable of controlling the cursor movement in correspondence to the direction and amount of tilt of a control button and controlling the speed of the cursor movement in accordance with the force applied to the control button as well. Output data is generated using relative position data calculated from the difference between a pressed position and a reference position and a contact resistance value r_p. The output data, which represents the direction and amount of tilt of the control button, is output in accordance with the force applied to the control button. The relative position data represents the direction and amount of tilt of the control button and the output data is produced based on the relative data. Hence, the cursor movement can be controlled by the direction and amount of tilt of the control button, and by changing the force exerted on the control button to change the contact resistance value r_p, different output data corresponding to the force exerted on the control button can be provided even if the direction and amount of tilt of the control button are held unchanged.

Claims

1. A relative manipulated variable input device comprising:

a tablet sheet formed by a pair of opposed tablet film sheets and disposed in parallel with a very small gap defined therebetween;

a control button disposed above said tablet sheet so that, when tilted in a desired direction while being depressed, said control button presses said tablet sheet continuously at different positions;

position detecting means for detecting, as a pressed position, a position of contact between said pair of tablet film sheets by depression of said control button;

contact resistance detecting means for detecting a contact resistance value at said pressed position; and

reference position setting means for storing a first pressed position of said tablet sheet as a reference position at least until a force applied to said control button is removed,

wherein output data, representing a direction and an amount of tilt of said control button when said button is depressed, is generated using said contact resistance value and relative position data calculated from a difference between said pressed position and said reference position.

2. The relative manipulated variable input device of claim 1, wherein said output data is generated by multiplying said relative position data by a corrective constant determined by said contact resistance value.