High resolution finger input controlling device in an arbitrarily defined range

• US 6,215,478 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chen, Mei-Yun, Fu-Kuo Yeh
• Original Assignee: Chen, Mei-Yun, Fu-Kuo Yeh
• Inventors: Chen, Mei-Yun, Yeh, Fu-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US08/979,808
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/163, 345/127, 345/128, 345/66, 345/157, 345/161, 345/168, 364/190, 364/188, 340/706
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04733 with a joint having a nutating disc, e.g. forced by a spring
• 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: 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 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

The present invention discloses a high resolution finger controlling input device in an arbitrarily defined range which comprises a finger controlling element having a plurality of thin layered sensing surface, which when closely scribed, can produce 0 and 1 binary signals of displacement; and a formative positioning unit, capable of producing 0 and 1 signals in any defined range divided by the coordinate axes so that the cursor may correspondingly acquire the effective displacement and positioning in absolute coordinate mode. The finger controlling element may be formed with a touch input board with a input medium thereon. The input medium has a stopping end provided on touch input board in a short distance. The stopping end is formed into a rod or on end thereof is formed into a top pin for touching with finger to transmit finger force or human static electric charges, so that the cursor may stably perform fine displacement to correspond to each point on the display at any degree of resolution while the input medium is working at the limited region on the touch input board. The device of the present invention is a convenient, stable, precisely working and compact sized saving cost product.

Claims

1. A high resolution finger controlled input device movable over an arbitrarily defined range, comprising:

a finger controlled element having a plurality of thin layered sensing surfaces, which when closely scribed, can produce 0 and 1 binary signals representing a relative displacement of the input device; and

a formative positioning unit, capable of producing 0 and 1 signals in any defined range divided by coordinate axes, wherein a total number of signals 0, 1 for each axis is divided into numbers of signals CN for each of a plurality of different speed regions,

wherein C1 represents a number of signals in a low speed region and C2 . . . CN represent numbers of signals in higher speed regions,

wherein each speed region corresponds to a different respective displacement multiple rate K1, K2 . . . KN,

wherein a product of C1, C2 . . . CN with each respective corresponding displacement multiple rate K1, K2 . . . KN is summed to obtain a value at least equal to a corresponding display resolution,

wherein at least two recorders are installed for each axis to record numbers CN above C1 and C2, the sum of the data in the at least two recorders being C, and

wherein said position unit is further arranged to add 2 to the sum C2 . . . CN, and to subtract 1 from C1 in order to keep the sum of data in all of the recorders, and therefore increase the sum by 1 so that the total displacement is 1;

whereby a sensing surface of the finger controlled element is scribed to form an input range corresponding to an entire display resolution, which enables the finger controlling element to make low speed point-to-point fine displacement within said region, and when in high speed movement, to make an accelerated displacement and to enable return to the original point such that the cursor is able to be controlled effectively with respect to each point on the display.

2. A high resolution finger controlling input device movable over an arbitrarily defined range, comprising:

a touch input board arranged to detect movement of a finger;

a formative positioning unit arranged to produce 0 and 1 signals in any defined range divided by coordinate axes, wherein a total number of signals 0, 1 for each axis is divided into numbers of signals CN for each of a plurality of different speed regions,

wherein C1 represents a number of signals in a low speed region and C2 . . . CN represent numbers of signals in higher speed regions,

wherein each speed region corresponds to a different respective displacement multiple rate K1, K2 . . . KN,

wherein a product of C1, C2 . . . CN with each respective corresponding displacement multiple rate K1, K2 . . . KN is summed to obtain a value at least equal to a corresponding display resolution,

wherein at least two recorders are installed for each axis to record numbers CN above C1 and C2, the sum of the data in the at least two recorders being C, and

wherein said position unit is further arranged to add 2 to the sum C2 . . . CN, and to subtract 1 from C1 in order to keep the sum of data in all of the recorders, and therefore increase the sum by 1 so that the total displacement is 1;

whereby a sensing surface of the touch input board is scribed to form an input range corresponding to an entire display resolution, which enables the finger controlling element to carry out a low speed point-to-point fine displacement within said region, and when in high speed movement, to carry out an accelerated displacement and to enable return to the original point such that the cursor is able to be controlled effectively with respect to each point on the display.