Pointing device

• US 6,184,866 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Varatouch Technology Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Michael D., Schrum, Allan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US08/939,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/162, 345/164, 200/5.A
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/0474 characterised by means converting mechanical movement into electric signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type

Abstract

A pointing device comprises a substrate with an electrically conductive surface and a resilient boot. The resilient boot resiliently supports a resistive surface to contact the electrically conductive surface in a pressed mode when a force is applied to push and deform the resilient boot against the electrically conductive surface. The resilient boot is made of a resistive rubber material. The resistive surface has a voltage variance and is curved to be rocked on the electrically conductive surface in the pressed mode. The voltage variance is detected on the electrically conductive surface and a variable signal is generated and processed. At least one inner switch is provided near the center region of the electrically conductive surface and the inner switch is activated by the resistive surface in the pressed mode. When the force is removed, the resistive resilient boot returns to its undeformed state and the resistive surface is spaced from the electrically conductive surface in a rest mode.

Claims

1. A pointing device comprising:

a substrate having an electrically conductive surface;

a resilient boot supported by said substrate along an outer edge, said resilient boot spaced from said electrically conductive surface in a rest mode and displaceable relative to said substrate by a force and resiliently returning to said rest position with removal of said force, said resilient boot having electrical contact with a plurality of spaced contacts distributed adjacent said outer edge, said plurality of spaced contacts being voltage-potential-energized to form a voltage variance over a resistive rocking-surface of said resilient boot, said resistive rocking surface displaceable to contact a portion of said electrically conductive surface at an electrical contact position to generate a signal through said electrically conductive surface with said voltage variance in a pressed mode, said resistive rocking surface displaceable to rock on said electrically conductive surface to change said electrical contact position between said resistive rocking surface and said electrically conductive surface to produce a corresponding change in said signal.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resilient boot is substantially circular.

3. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resilient boot comprises an annular bellow connected between said resistive rocking surface and said outer edge.

4. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resistive rocking surface is convex.

5. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resilient boot comprises resistive material.

6. The pointing device of claim 5, wherein said resistive material comprises resistive rubber.

7. The pointing device of claim 6, wherein said resistive rubber material comprises rubber embedded with carbon or other conductive material.

8. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of spaced contacts comprises two pairs of equally spaced opposite contacts, each said pair of opposite contacts being energized with a voltage potential.

9. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resistive rocking surface has a resistance of under about 50 kilo-ohms.

10. The pointing device of claim 9, wherein said resistive rocking surface has a resistance of about 5,000 to 10,000 ohms.

11. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resistive rocking surface has a substantially uniform resistance.

12. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said resistive rocking surface is deformable.

13. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive surface comprises at least one electrical switch separated from an outer conductive portion by a nonconductive switch ring, said at least one electrical switch activated with said resistive rocking surface connecting said switch and said outer conductive portion across said nonconductive switch ring.

14. The pointing device of claim 13, wherein said at least one electrical switch comprises a conductive material.

15. The pointing device of claim 13, wherein said resilient boot comprises a stick extending from said resistive rocking surface and generally aligned with said center region of said electrically conductive surface.

16. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising a digital wake up device which activates said plurality of spaced contacts to produce said voltage variance over said resistive rocking surface only when said resistive rocking surface contacts said electrically conductive surface.

17. A pointing device comprising:

an electrically conductive surface;

a diverter including a resistive rolling surface having a voltage variance and means for resiliently supporting said resistive rolling surface in an undeflected mode spaced from said electrically conductive surface, said resistive rolling surface being movable to contact a portion of said electrically conductive surface and to roll over said electrically conductive surface to contact a different portion of said electrically conductive surface in a deflected mode.

18. The pointing device of claim 17, wherein said means comprises a flexible member connecting said resistive rolling surface to a substrate fixed relative to said electrically conductive surface.

19. The pointing device of claim 18, wherein said flexible member is generally annular having an inner edge connected to said resistive rolling surface and an outer edge connected to said substrate.

20. The pointing device of claim 18, wherein said flexible member comprises a bellow.

21. The pointing device of claim 18, wherein said flexible member comprises resistive rubber.

22. The pointing device of claim 21, wherein said resistive rubber comprises carbon or other conducting material embedded in rubber.

23. An electrically conductive surface in a pointing device for contacting a resistive surface having a voltage variance when the resistive surface is pushed toward the electrically conductive surface and rolled to transfer the voltage variance, said electrically conductive surface comprising:

at least one inner switch;

an outer conductive region; and

a nonconductive gap separating each of said at least one inner switch from said outer conductive region.

24. The electrically conductive surface of claim 23, wherein said at least one inner switch is substantially circular and said outer conductive region is substantially annular.

25. The electrically conductive surface of claim 23, wherein said nonconductive gap comprises a nonconductive ring.

26. The electrically conductive surface of claim 23, wherein said at least one inner switch and nonconductive gap are substantially smaller in area than said resistive surface.

27. The electrically conductive surface of claim 23, wherein the at least one inner switch is electrically conductive and activated when said resistive surface connects said inner switch and said outer conductive region.

28. The electrically conductive surface of claim 23, wherein said at least one inner switch, outer conductive region, and nonconductive gap are substantially planar.

29. The electrically conductive surface of claim 23, wherein said at least one inner switch is located near a center region of said electrically conductive surface.

30. A pointing device comprising:

a substrate having an electrically conductive surface;

a resilient member supported on the substrate to move between a contact mode and a noncontact mode, the resilient member including a resistive rocking surface which is energizable with a voltage variance, the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member being spaced from the electrically conductive surface in the noncontact mode, the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member contacting the electrically conductive surface in the contact mode at an electrical contact position to generate a signal with the voltage variance, the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member being displaceable to rock on the electrically conductive surface to change the electrical contact position between the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member and the electrically conductive surface of the substrate to produce a corresponding change in the signal.

31. The pointing device of claim 30, wherein the resistive surface of the resilient member comprises resistive rubber.

32. The pointing device of claim 30, wherein the resistive surface of the resilient member has a substantially uniform resistance.

33. The pointing device of claim 30, wherein the electrically conductive surface of the substrate is continuous.