Cursor positioning apparatus

• US 6,034,670 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mei Yun Chen
• Original Assignee: Mei Yun Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Mei Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/720,472
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163, 345/165, 345/166, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/168
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane

Abstract

This is an improvement of a cursor positioning apparatus for a computer display device which includes an upper case, a center body and a lower case. It controls the movement and positioning of a cursor through the sliding movement of X-axis and Y-axis. There are also photo electric components for detecting the movement of photo grid and the displacement of the sliding bar in X-axis and Y-axis. The sensing signals are sent to a control circuit board and computer for further processing. The present invention may further have a curve-shaped slot in the upper case engaging with a square center pillar in the center body. The center pillar further engages with the lower case, and thus becomes an integral part of a keyboard. The present invention can be rotationally operated about a fixed axis point. A user can use hand and wrist to control the movement and positioning of the cursor on a display device without moving the arm. It is better ergonomically designed and structured than the conventional mouse.

Claims

1. A cursor positioning apparatus, comprising:

an upper case including an upper case cover which has a left, a center and a right input key and a locking lug, and an upper case base board which has three contact switches located under the input keys and a locking slot engageable with the locking lug;

a center body including a cover having within which two light emitting diodes, a base engageable with the cover having a circular disk at a bottom which has snap hook disposed thereunder, a X-axis sliding bar, which is a X-axis movable photo grid located between the cover and the base, having a transparent and non-transparent photo grid zone formed therein and two sliding blocks respectively located at both ends thereof, a Y-axis sliding bar which is a Y-axis movable photo grid located between the cover and the base, having a transparent and non-transparent photo grid formed therein and two sliding blocks respectively located of both ends thereof, wherein the base has a X-axis photo transistor and a Y-axis photo transistor, each having a stationary photo grid disposed thereon, the base further having upward peripheral flanges with two pairs of U-shaped slots symmetrically formed therein and facing each other and enabling the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids to slide therethrough; and

a lower case including a lower case cover which has a circular opening in the center, a lower case base board which has a plurality of curve-shaped concave slots forming an annular ring in the center, and a control circuit board screwed between the lower case cover and the low case base board, wherein the control circuit board has a circular opening in the center, cut away notches at the four corners respectively and a plurality of electric components disposed thereon.

2. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids are vertically placed in the pair of U-shaped slots respectively without interfering with each other.

3. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the circular opening of the lower case cover has a smaller diameter then an upper portion of thereof.

4. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the circular disk of the center body has a protrusive circular body below the bottom thereof for reducing friction when the circular disk rotates.

5. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein a top surface of the circular disk is not higher than the surface of the lower case cover when the circular disk is placed in the circular opening of the lower case cover.

6. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the circular disk has snap hooks located thereunder, which are engageable with the circular opening of the lower case cover, and bottoms of the snap hooks are slidable in the concave slots of the lower case base board.

7. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the circular disk has a plurality of studs located thereunder.

8. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein the studs are slidable in the concave slots of the lower case base board.

9. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 8, wherein the concave slots of the lower case base board control the rotation angle of the center body.

10. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein the concave slots are formed under the bottom of the circular disk and the studs are located on the bottom surface of the lower case base board.

11. A cursor positioning apparatus, comprising

an upper case including an upper case cover which has a left, a center and a right input key and a locking lug, and an upper case base board which has a locking slot engageable with the locking lug;

a center body including a substantially square cover, a base which is engageable with the cover having a circular disk at a bottom and upward peripheral flanges forming two pairs of symmetrical U-shaped slots therein, a X-axis sliding bar which is located between the cover and the base having two sliding blocks located at both ends thereof and a linear slot axially formed on a top thereof for housing a rope therein, and a Y-axis sliding bar which is located between the cover and the base having two sliding blocks located at both ends thereof and a linear slot axially formed on a top thereof for housing the rope therein, wherein the rope is shielded by a tube; and

a lower case including a lower case cover, a lower case base board having a bearing and a bearing seat located at a center of a concave bottom thereof, and a control circuit board screwed between the lower case cover and the lower case base board, wherein the control circuit board includes;

a X-axis movable photo grid having a transparent and non-transparent photo grid zone formed therein which has a hollow shaft concentrically located thereof winding the rope thereon for turning the X-axis movable photo grid, the hollow shaft engaging with a shaft and a bearing on the control circuit board;

a Y-axis movable photo grid having a transparent and non-transparent photo grid zone formed therein which has a hollow shaft concentrically located thereof winding the rope thereon for turning the Y-axis movable photo grid, the hollow shaft engaging with a shaft and a bearing on the control circuit board;

a X-axis photo electric means having a light emitting diode above a photo transistor which has a stationary photo grid disposed thereon, and a through slot for the X-axis movable photo grid to slide therein;

a Y-axis photo electric means having a light emitting diode above a photo transistor which has a stationary photo grid disposed thereon, and a through slot for the Y-axis movable photo grid to slide therein;

a spindle screwed with the lower case base board of the center body engaging with the bearing and the bearing seat of the lower case base board; and

electric components including resistor, capacitor, inductor, transistor, and IC electrically connected.

12. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the X-axis sliding bar and the Y-axis sliding bar are vertically placed in the symmetrical U-shaped slots without interfering with each other.

13. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the lower case cover has a circular opening in a center and a diameter at a lower portion of the circular opening is smaller than that of an upper portion of the circular opening.

14. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the rope is fixedly engaged with the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids.

15. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids has bulges formed on a peripheral rim thereof for limiting the rotation of the respective X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids within a full circle by a stopper stud located on the control circuit board.

16. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the rope drives the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids in order to render the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids to be operated in a small size space.

17. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 15, wherein the bulges are formed on the hollow shaft of each of the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids.

18. A cursor positioning apparatus, comprising

an upper case including a plurality of input keys and a curve-shaped engaging slot located inside for preventing dust form entering therein;

a center body including a cover which has two light emitting diodes located therein, a base engageable with the cover having upward peripheral flanges forming two pairs of symmetrical U-shaped slots therein, a X-axis sliding bar which is a X-axis movable photo grid having a transparent and non-transparent photo grid zone formed therein and two sliding blocks located at two ends thereof, a Y-axis sliding bar which is a Y-axis movable photo grid having a transparent and non-transparent photo grid zone formed therein and two sliding blocks located at two ends thereof, a X-axis photo transistor having a stationary photo grid disposed thereon, a Y-axis photo transistor having a stationary photo grid disposed thereon, and a square center pillar running through the center body having snap hooks on a top and bottom for engaging respectively with the upper case and the base of the center body, wherein the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids are slidably engaged with the symmetrical U-shaped slots of the base and the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids and the X-axis and Y-axis photo transistors are located between the cover and the base of the center body; and

a lower case located below a right portion of a keyboard as an integral part thereof having a square opening and grooves formed inside for allowing the sliding blocks of the X-axis and Y-axis movable photo grids to move therein.

19. A cursor positioning apparatus, as recited in claim 18, wherein the curve-shaped engaging slot has an angle less than 180 degrees and controls the rotation angle of the upper case.