Capacitive pointing stick apparatus with floating conductive cone for symbol manipulation in a graphical user interface

• US 6,437,772 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Thomas G., Smith, Barton Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/725,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/161, 345/157, 345/160, 345/159, 345/169, 345/168, 345/184, 744/71.XY, 341/20, 341/21, 341/22, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39
• US Class Current: 345/160
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A structure is provided for a user-manipulable input device, such as an in-keyboard, joystick-type device, for allowing a user to provide input to a computer graphical user interface (GUI). The structure includes a user-manipulable, articulating member, and a plurality of stationary, electrically conductive sensors. The articulating member also has an electrically conductive member. The physical disposition of the articulating member and the sensors provides narrow gaps, across which are measurable capacitances. As the user manipulates the articulating member, the capacitances change in value. Circuitry produces signals related to the capacitances, and the signals are processed, according to a transfer function, to generate GUI input signals. The sensors are preferably sensing electrodes, incorporated into a circuit board. The articulating member is preferably a cone-shaped member, having a conductive surface which faces the sensors. The articulating member is mechanically coupled to the board holding the sensors by a flexing member that biases the articulating member to a quiescent position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing manipulation by a user and for producing signals related to the manipulation, the apparatus comprising:

an articulating member which articulates responsive to user manipulation thereof, the articulating member including an electrically conductive member;

a plurality of sensors disposed about the articulating member to face the electrically conductive member of the articulating member, whereby respective capacitances exist between the electrically conductive member and respective ones of the sensors, the capacitances having values which vary related to articulation for the articulating member;

detection means for each sensor for detecting respective capacitances and for outputting articulation signals responsive to the detection of the respective capacitances;

a planar member wherein the sensors are disposed on the planar member and wherein the articulating member is movably coupled to the planar member and wherein the articulating member further includes;

an anchoring member, which is annular in shape, rigidly coupled to the planar member;

a movable member which is movable responsive to user manipulation thereof; and

a coupling member, physically coupled between the anchoring member and the movable member, the coupling member being flexible to allow movement of the movable member relative to the anchoring member;

wherein the coupling member is shaped so as to have a quiescent position and a collapsed position, a physical transition between the quiescent position and the collapsed position providing a user with tactile feedback.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the coupling member is one of dome shaped and shaped as an annular arch.

3. An apparatus for sensing manipulation by a user and for producing signals related to the manipulation in X and Y directions, the apparatus comprising:

an articulating member which articulates responsive to user manipulation thereof, the articulating member including an electrically conductive member;

a planar member;

a plurality of sensing electrodes wherein the sensing electrodes each comprise tapered shapes of varying area so as to produce desired transfer functions between articulation of the articulating member and the values of the articulation signals wherein the sensing electrodes are disposed in parallel to the planar member and about the articulating member to face the electrically conductive member of the articulating member, whereby respective capacitances exist between the electrically conductive member and respective ones of the sensing members, the capacitances having values which vary related to articulation for the articulating member;

detection means for each sensing electrode for detecting respective capacitances and for outputting articulation signals responsive to the detection of the respective capacitances; and

processing means to receive the respective capacitance and output a Z force signal responsive to a Z component of force applied to the articulation member; and

calibration means applied to individual articulation signals for providing a unique scaling value for each articulation signal

wherein the scaling value is calculated from a set of reference values, at least one reference value for each sensing electrode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sensing electrodes each comprise a taper selected from a group of tapers of:

a taper of decreasing area and a taper of increasing area.

5. An apparatus for sensing manipulation by a user and for producing signals related to the manipulation in X and Y directions, the apparatus comprising:

an articulating member which articulates responsive to user manipulation thereof, the articulating member including an electrically conductive member;

a planar member;

a plurality of sensing electrodes disposed on the planar member and about the articulating member to face the electrically conductive member, whereby respective capacitances exist between the electrically conductive member and respective ones of the sensing electrodes, the respective capacitances comprising values which vary related to articulation for the articulating member;

an oscillator circuit for each sensing electrode, wherein the frequency of the oscillator is dependent on the value of the respective capacitance, selection means to enable one oscillator at a time, in a temporal sequence; and

detection means for each sensing electrode for detecting the respective capacitance and for providing an output an articulation signal responsive to detection of said respective capacitance;

processing means to receive the respective capacitance and output a Z force signal responsive to a Z component of force applied to the articulation member; and

calibration means applied to individual articulation signals for providing a unique scaling value for each articulation signal;

wherein the scaling value is calculated from a set of reference values, at least one reference value for each sensing electrode.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising calibration means applied to individual articulation signals for providing a unique scaling value for each articulation signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scaling value is dynamically updated.

8. An apparatus for sensing manipulation by a user and for producing signals related to the manipulation, the apparatus comprising:

an articulating member which articulates responsive to user manipulation thereof, the articulating member including an electrically conductive member;

a planar member;

a plurality of sensors disposed about the articulating member to face the electrically conductive member of the articulating member, whereby respective capacitances exist between the electrically conductive member and respective ones of the sensors, the capacitances having values which vary related to articulation for the articulating member;

processing means to receive the respective capacitance and output a Z force signal responsive to a Z component of force applied to the articulation member; and

calibration means applied to individual articulation signals for providing a unique scaling value for each articulation signal;

wherein the scaling value is calculated from a set of reference values, at least one reference value for each sensing electrode.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the processing means includes summing individual articulation signals to produce the Z force signal.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, further including quiescent detection means to receive the articulation signal and output a signal responsive to user manipulation of the articulating member.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein user manipulation is detected when changes in any articulation signal exceed a threshold.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said detector means includes an oscillator circuit, whereby the frequency of the oscillator is dependent on the value of the respective capacitance.

13. An apparatus for sensing manipulation by a user and for producing signals related to the manipulation, the apparatus comprising:

an articulating member which articulates responsive to user manipulation thereof, the articulating member including an electrically conductive member;

a planar member;

a plurality of sensors disposed about the articulating member to face the electrically conductive member of the articulating member, whereby respective capacitances exist between the electrically conductive member and respective ones of the sensors, the capacitances having values which vary related to articulation for the articulating member;

a detection means for each sensing electrode to detect the respective capacitance and output an articulation signal responsive to said respective capacitance;

quiescent detection means to receive said articulation signal and output a signal responsive to user manipulation of the articulating member; and

wherein the scaling value is calculated from a set of reference values, at least one reference value for each sensing electrode.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, further including processing means to receive the respective capacitance and output a Z force signal responsive to a Z component of force applied to articulation member.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein processing means includes summing individual articulation signals to produce the Z force signal.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein user manipulation is detected when changes in any articulation signal exceed a threshold.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said detector means includes an oscillator circuit, whereby the frequency of the oscillator is dependent on the value of the respective capacitance.

18. An apparatus for sensing manipulation by a user and for producing signals related to the manipulation, the apparatus comprising:

an articulating member which articulates responsive to user manipulation thereof, the articulating member including an electrically conductive member;

a planar member;

a plurality of sensors disposed about the articulating member to face the electrically conductive member of the articulating member, whereby respective capacitances exist between the electrically conductive member and respective ones of the sensors, the capacitances having values which vary related to articulation for the articulating member;

a detection means for each sensing electrode to detect the respective capacitance and output an articulation signal responsive to said respective capacitance; and

calibration means to scale the output of each detection means;

wherein the calibration means is applied to individual articulation signals for providing a unique scaling value for each articulation signal; and

wherein the scaling value is calculated from a set of reference values, at least one reference value for each sensing electrode.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further including processing means to receive the respective capacitance and output a Z force signal responsive to Z component of force applied to articulation member.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein processing means includes summing individual articulation signals to produce the Z force signal.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further including quiescent detection means to receive the articulation signal and output a signal responsive, to use manipulation of the articulating member.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein user manipulation is detected when changes in any articulation signal exceed a threshold.