Pointing device

• US 5,973,668 A
• Filed: 07/12/1996
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US08/678,859
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/163
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

In the pointing device of the present invention, a sensor is connected via an amplifier section to a microcomputer. Further, a reference voltage generator is connected to the microcomputer and the amplifier section. With this construction, the microcomputer modifies a coefficient, used when calculating a reference voltage for determining a cursor speed, in response to the size of a force applied to the sensor by an operator.

Claims

1. A pointing device comprising:

a sensor for detecting respective components of an applied external force in the X direction and Y direction, converting said components to signals and outputting the signals;

an amplifier section for respectively amplifying outputs from the sensor;

a reference voltage generator for outputting to the amplifier section a reference voltage for adjusting an offset voltage output from the amplifier section when no external force moving the cursor is applied to the sensor; and

a microcomputer for modifying a coefficient, used when a reference voltage for determining a cursor speed is calculated, in response to the size of an output from the amplifier section.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising:

an operation section;

a first electrode fixed to the operation section; and

a plurality of second electrodes respectively provided for an X direction and a Y direction at positions opposite to the first electrode, wherein

an electrostatic capacity between the first electrode and second electrodes, changing as a result of an operation in the operation section, is detected as external force components in the X direction and the Y direction.

3. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the microcomputer calculates change amounts of the amplifier outputs and calculates moment forces for respective external forces in an X direction and a Y direction from these change amounts, and selects a coefficient for a class equivalent to the calculated moment force from classes divided in advance for each moment force.

4. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising initial offset voltage stabilizer for adjusting an offset voltage of each direction after start-up of the pointing device, and carrying out monitoring and adjustment of the offset voltages for a fixed time from start-up.

5. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising offset voltage adjuster for carrying out monitoring and adjustment of the offset voltage every fixed time while the pointing device is in operation.

8. The pointing device of claim 4, further comprising offset voltage adjuster for carrying out monitoring and adjustment of the offset voltage every fixed time while the pointing device is in operation.

6. A personal computer utilizing a pointing device, the pointing device comprising:

a sensor for detecting respective components of an applied external force in the X direction and Y direction, converting to the components signals and outputting the signals;

an amplifier section for respectively amplifying outputs from the sensor;

a reference voltage generator, for outputting to the amplifier section a reference voltage for adjusting an offset voltage output from the amplifier section when no external force moving the cursor is applied to the sensor; and

a microcomputer for modifying a coefficient, used when a reference voltage for determining a cursor speed is calculated, in response to the size of an output from the amplifier section.

7. A method for calculating a speed of a pointing device cursor, comprising the steps of,

(a) initializing an offset voltage,

(b) monitoring and adjusting the offset voltage every fixed time,

(c) reading outputs from an amplifier,

(d) calculating amplifier output change amounts,

(e) determining whether or not the change amounts are larger than a specified voltage,

(f) determining whether or not it is time to adjust the offset voltage,

(g) reinitializing the offset voltage at the time of adjusting the offset voltage, if the change amounts are less than the specified voltage,

(h) calculating a reference voltage for determining a cursor speed from the amplifier output change amounts, and

(i) assembling data and outputting the data to a host device.