Pointing device

• US 6,400,353 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tsuken Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Tohoku Electric Power Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tsuken Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Tohoku Electric Power Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Akama, Noriko, Ikehara, Mitsuo, Akama, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/486,532
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-161, 345/163, 345/166, 345/167, 345/169, 345/184, 200/5.R, 200/5.ER, 200/211, 200/531, 200/547, 273/148.R, 463/36, 463/37, 463/47, 341/20, 341/23, 341/33, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A pointing device which can be operated by a disabled person with a declined muscular strength, even when the person lies in a bed, to move a cursor and make a click separately not only by one hand but also by a body portion having a motor function with a light touch without any complex movement and large motion, and which does not need any operation area. The device comprises a flat cursor-moving switch for moving a cursor, a ring-shaped clicking switch for making a right click and a left click, a cloth sheet which is detachably attached to the rear of the cursor-moving switch if necessary and spread on the place where the cursor-moving switch is operated to enable the installation of the cursor-moving switch on a place other than a flat surface, a controller which measures the direction and distance of the movement of the cursor made by the operation of the cursor-moving switch, detects the click made by the operation of the clicking switch, and transmits the data thereon, and cables and connectors with which the controller, the switches and a personal computer are connected to each other. The cursor-moving switch has a structure in which the operation button is returned to the center automatically when not used.

Claims

1. A pointing device comprising:

a flat cursor-moving switch for moving a cursor;

a cloth sheet which is attached to the rear of the cursor-moving switch and spread on a place where a lying operator'"'"'s hand or finger is laid on to install the cursor-moving switch to be operated on a rugged, irregular or non flat surface;

a band-shaped clicking switch provided at the band with an electrode for making a right click and a left click and provided at overlapping portion of the band with a detachable fastening member adjustable in size according to the size of wearing portion;

a controller which measures the direction and distance of the movement of the cursor made by the operation of the cursor-moving switch, detects the click made by the operation of the clicking switch, and transmits the data to a personal computer; and

cables and connectors with which the controller, the switches and the personal computer are connected to each other,

wherein cursor-moving switch has a structure in which an operation button is automatically returned to the center position when the cursor-moving switch is not in use.

2. The pointing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the cloth sheet is detachable from the cursor-moving switch.

3. The pointing device as recited in claim 1 or 2 further comprising a relay box between the clicking switch and the controller, thereby allowing a variety of switches such as a respiration switch, a pressure sensitive switch and the like to be used in addition to the clicking switch.

4. The pointing device as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cursor-moving switch comprises:

a flat substrate;

an input electrode disposed on upper surface of the substrate;

an operation electrode horizontally slidable on the surface of the input electrode;

direction electrodes opposingly disposed at two orthogonal axes on the substrate; and

an elastic member for keeping the center of the operation electrode at the crossing position of the two orthogonal axes,

wherein the operation electrode is automatically returned by the elastic member to its center position when not used.

5. The pointing device as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cursor-moving switch comprises:

a flat substrate;

an input electrode disposed on upper surface of the substrate;

an operation electrode horizontally slidable on the surface of the input electrode;

direction electrodes opposingly disposed at two orthogonal axes on the substrate; and

an elastic member for keeping the center of the operation electrode at the crossing position of the two orthogonal axes,

wherein the elastic member is made of a flat volute spring, its periphery is fixed at the substrate, and its center portion is engaged with the center of the operation electrode.

6. The pointing device as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cursor-moving switch comprises:

a flat base plate;

an operation button disposed on the upper surface of the base plate, the operation button having a shield disk horizontally movable;

optical devices to detect operation-direction for detecting interrupted signal of optical axis by the shield disk, the optical devices being symmetrically disposed at two orthogonal axes on the base plate; and

an elastic member for keeping the center of the operation button at the crossing position of the two orthogonal axes,

wherein the operation button is automatically returned to its center position when not used.

7. The pointing device as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cursor-moving switch comprises:

a flat base plate;

an operation button disposed on the upper surface of the base plate, the operation button having a shield disk horizontally movable;

optical devices to detect operation-direction for detecting interrupted signal of optical axis by the shield disk, the optical devices being symmetrically disposed at two orthogonal axes on the base plate; and

an elastic member for keeping the center of the operation button at the crossing position of the two orthogonal axes,

wherein the elastic member is made of a coil spring, its one end is fixed at the base plate, and the other end is engaged with the center of the operation button.