Substantially stationary pressure sensitive system for providing input to an electrical device, particularly a computer

• US 6,031,520 A
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sergio Salinas De Gotari
• Original Assignee: Sergio Salinas De Gotari
• Inventors: De Gotari, Sergio Salinas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/833,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/162, 345/163, 345/166, 345/161, 345/175
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

A substantially stationary sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device based on the mechanical force applied to a sensor includes first and second laminar springs. The deflection of the laminar springs caused by the force placed on the sensor is measured by opto-electronic systems associated with each laminar spring. The output of the opto-electrical systems on each of two orthogonal axes is an electrical signal which is transformed into a signal usable by the electrical device. One specific application of the system is for a mouse used to control the position of a cursor on a computer screen.

Claims

1. A sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device, said sensor comprising:

a first laminar spring oriented along a first axis;

a second laminar spring oriented along a second axis, said second axis being substantially perpendicular to said first axis;

means for applying force to said first and second laminar springs so as to cause a small mechanical deformation of said first and second laminar springs;

a first and second opto-electronic sensor systems, said first and second opto-electronic sensor systems being constructed and arranged to sense the deformation of said first and second laminar springs, respectively, by the change in the reflection of light from said first and second laminar springs, wherein said first opto-electronic sensor system generates a first electrical signal representative of the force applied to said first laminar spring and wherein said second opto-electronic sensor system generates a second electrical signal representative of the force applied to said second laminar spring;

means for transforming said first and second electrical signals into electrical signals usable by the electrical device.

2. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said opto-electronic sensor systems include means for generating light and means for receiving light, said means for receiving light further including means for providing an electrical signal representative of said received light.

3. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 2 wherein:

each of said means for receiving light is placed substantially orthogonal to each of said laminar springs.

4. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 3 wherein:

the electrical output of said means for receiving light is established by the angular position of said means for generating light with respect to said means for receiving light.

5. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 4 wherein:

said means for transforming said first and second electrical signals into electrical signals usable by the electrical device further includes a comparison circuit.

6. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said comparison circuit generates an electrical signal determined by the distance between one of said means for receiving light and one of said laminar springs.

7. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 6 wherein:

said means for transforming said first and second electrical signals further includes a circuit for transforming the output of said comparison circuit into a digital signal.

8. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said means for transforming said first and second electrical signals further includes a circuit for transforming said digital signal into a signal usable by the electrical device.

9. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 8 wherein:

the transmission of said digital signals to said means for transforming said digital signals into signals usable by the electrical device is triggered by clock pulses.

10. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 9 wherein:

a signal relating to the position of said first laminar spring is conveyed on a clock pulse 90°

out of phase to the clock pulse conveying the position of said second laminar spring.

11. A method for converting an applied mechanical force into an input signal for an electrical device, said method comprising the steps of:

deflecting a first laminar spring in a first direction;

deflecting a second laminar spring in a second direction, said second direction being substantially perpendicular to said first direction;

sensing the deflection of said first and second laminar springs with first and second opto-electronic systems by reflecting light off the surface of said laminar springs;

transforming the output of said first and second opto-electronic systems into an electrical signal usable by the electrical device.

12. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 11 wherein:

said step of transforming the output of said opto-electronic systems into an electrical signal further includes comparing the electrical signal to a reference signal.

13. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 12 wherein:

said step of transforming the output of said opto-electronic systems into an electrical signal further includes converting the signal produced from comparison to a reference signal into a digital signal.

14. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 13 wherein:

said step of transforming the output of said opto-electrical systems into an electrical signal further includes converting the digital signal into a signal usable by the electrical device.

15. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 14 wherein:

the transmission of said digital signal to the computer is triggered by clock pulses.

16. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as fined in claim 15 wherein:

the transmission of said signal relating to the component of the applied force in the x-direction is triggered by a clock pulse which is 90°

out of phase with the clock pulse which triggers the transmission of the signal relating to the component of the applied force in the y-direction.

17. A sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device, said sensor comprising:

a first spring oriented along a first axis;

a second spring oriented along a second axis, said second axis being substantially perpendicular to said first axis, wherein said first and second springs deform when a force is applied; and

a pair of opto-electronic sensor systems, wherein each one of said pair of opto-electronic sensor systems illuminates said first and second springs, respectively, to detect the deformation of the springs, wherein said pair of opto-electronic sensor systems transforms the mechanical deformations of said first and second springs into a first and second electrical signal, said first and second electrical signals being representative of the force applied to said first and second springs respectively.

18. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 17 wherein said first and second springs are laminar springs.

19. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 17 wherein said opto-electronic sensor systems include a light emitting diode and a light receptor.

20. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 19 wherein each of said light receptors is placed substantially orthogonal to each of said laminar springs.

21. A sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device, the sensor comprising:

a first spring oriented along a first axis, the first spring deforming when a force is applied in a first direction;

a second spring oriented along a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the second spring deforms when a force is applied in a second direction;

a first and second sensors, wherein the first sensor illuminates a portion of the first spring to detect the deformation of the first spring and generates a first electrical signal in response thereto, and the second sensor illuminates a portion of the second spring to detect the deformation of the second spring and generates an second electrical signal in response thereto, the first and second electrical signals being representative of the forces applied to the first and second springs, respectively; and

an electrical circuit that transforms the first and second electrical signals into electrical signals usable by the electrical device.

22. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 21 wherein:

the first and second springs are laminar springs.

23. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 22 wherein:

the first and second sensors are a pair of opto-electronic sensor systems, each one of the pair of opto-electronic sensor systems being constructed and arranged to sense the deformation of the first and second laminar springs by the change in the reflection of light from the first and second laminar springs.

24. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 23 wherein:

the opto-electronic sensor systems include a light source and a light sensitive element, the light sensitive element providing an electrical signal representative of the light received from the light source.

25. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 24 wherein:

each of the light sensitive elements is placed substantially orthogonal to each of the laminar springs.

26. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 25 wherein:

the electrical output of the light sensitive element is established by the angular position of the light source with respect to the means for receiving light.

27. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 26 wherein:

the electrical circuit includes a comparison circuit.

28. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 27 wherein:

the comparison circuit generates an electrical signal determined by the distance between one of the means for receiving light and one of the laminar springs.

29. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 28 wherein:

the electrical circuit includes a circuit for transforming the output of the comparison circuit into a digital signal.

30. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 29 wherein:

the electrical circuit includes a circuit for transforming the digital signal into a signal usable by the electrical device.

31. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 30 wherein:

the transmission of the digital signals to the electrical circuit is triggered by clock pulses.

32. The sensor for providing an input signal to an electrical device as defined in claim 31 wherein:

a signal relating to the position of the first laminar spring is conveyed on a clock pulse 90°

out of phase to the clock pulse conveying the position of the second laminar spring.

33. A method for converting an applied mechanical force into an input signal for an electrical device, the method comprising the steps of:

deflecting a first spring in a first direction;

deflecting a second spring in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction;

illuminating the first and second springs with first and second sensors, respectively;

sensing the deflection of the first and second springs with first and second sensors, respectively; and

transforming the output of the first and second sensors into an electrical signal usable by the electrical device.

34. The method for converting an applied mechanical force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 33 wherein:

the steps of deflecting first and second springs are further defined as deflecting first and second laminar springs.

35. The method as defined in claim 34 wherein:

the step of sensing the deflection of the first and second laminar springs further includes sensing the deflection of the first and second laminar springs by reflecting light off the surface of the laminar springs using opto-electronic systems.

36. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 35 wherein:

the step of transforming the output of the opto-electronic systems into an electrical signal further includes comparing the electrical signal to a reference signal.

37. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 36 wherein:

the step of transforming the output of the opto-electronic systems into an electrical signal further includes converting the signal produced from comparison to a reference signal into a digital signal.

38. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 37 wherein:

the step of transforming the output of the opto-electrical systems into an electrical signal further includes converting the digital signal into a signal usable by the electrical device.

39. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as defined in claim 38 wherein:

the transmission of the digital signal to the computer is triggered by clock pulses.

40. The method for converting an applied force into an input signal for an electrical device as fined in claim 39 wherein:

the transmission of the signal relating to the component of the applied force in the x-direction is triggered by a clock pulse which is 90°

out of phase with the clock pulse which triggers the transmission of the signal relating to the component of the applied force in the y-direction.