Moveable magnetic devices for electronic graphic displays

• US 6,606,081 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NBOR Corp.
• Original Assignee: Denny Jaeger, Kenneth M. Twain
• Inventors: Jaeger, Denny, Twain, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US09/721,364
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 345/111, 345/108, 345/619, 345/651, 345/678, 345/764, 345/738, 348/594, 348/595
• US Class Current: 345/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

The invention includes moveable magnetic devices, for use in conjunction with electronic displays associated with computers and electronic devices enable manual input devices and control devices to be joined to the display, whereby the electronic device may be controlled, inputs may be made thereto, and the electronic display may be altered in correspondence to these inputs. In one aspect, the invention includes a fader controller comprised of a longitudinally extending track having a portion thereof extending over an image area of an electronic display, and a fader cap joined to the track for longitudinal sliding translation therealong. A plurality of permanent magnets are spaced along the track, and the fader cap includes at least one electromagnet. Conductive rails extend longitudinally on the track, and the fader cap includes contacts that electrically engage the conductive rails. Some of the fader cap contacts are connected to the electromagnet(s), and at least one track interacts with one contact on the fader cap to detect the instantaneous position of the fader cap. The electromagnets are actuated to translate the fader cap distally or proximally along the track. In another aspect, the invention provides a magnetic arrangement for joining one or more controller device to a flat panel electronic display, whereby controllers such as switches, knobs, and faders (slide controllers) may be superposed on the display.

Claims

1. A fader controller, including:

a track extending longitudinally;

a plurality of magnets secured in said track, said magnets arrayed along the longitudinal extent of said track;

a fader cap secured to said track and adapted for slidable translation therealong;

at least one electromagnet disposed in said fader cap and disposed to interact magnetically with said plurality of magnets in said track;

means for supplying power to said at least one electromagnet; and

,

means for selectively actuating and reversing polarity of said at least one electromagnet.

2. The fader controller of claim 1, wherein said means for supplying power includes a plurality of conductive rails extending longitudinally on said track.

3. The fader controller of claim 2, wherein said fader cap includes a plurality of sliding contacts, each disposed to electrically engage at least one of said plurality of conductive rails.

4. The fader controller of claim 3, further including means for detecting the position of said fader cap on said track.

5. The fader controller of claim 4, wherein said means for detecting includes a distributed resistance in one of said plurality of conductive rails.

6. The fader controller of claim 5, wherein another one of said plurality of conductive rails is connected to a common potential.

7. The fader controller of claim 5, further including at least one pair of electromagnets in said fader cap.

8. The fader controller of claim 7, wherein said plurality of conductive rails includes a pair of conductive rails having selectively switchable positive or negative polarity, said pair of electromagnets each connected between a respective one of said pair of switchable conductive rails and said common rail, whereby each of said pair of electromagnets may be selectively operated in selectively reversed polarity.

9. The fader controller of claim 7, wherein said means for supplying power includes a current source connected to said distributed resistance in said one of said plurality of conductive rails.

10. The fader controller of claim 9, wherein said means for selectively actuating and reversing polarity includes a first microprocessor disposed in said fader cap.

11. The fader controller of claim 10, further including a plurality of switches disposed in said fader cap and controlled by said microprocessor, said plurality of switches connected to selectively actuate and reverse polarity of said pair of electromagnets.

12. The fader controller of claim 11, further including touch sensor means secured in said fader cap and disposed to respond to manual touch on said fader cap.

13. The fader controller of claim 12, further including a second microprocessor disposed externally to said fader cap and said track and connected to said conductive rails.

14. The fader controller of claim 13, wherein said second microprocessor is connected to an electronic graphics display with which said fader controller is operatively associated.

15. The fader controller of claim 12, further including means for transmitting a touch sensor signal to said second microprocessor to indicate manual movement of said fader cap.

16. The fader controller of claim 15, further including means for determining the position of said fader cap on said track.

17. The fader controller of claim 16, wherein said means for determining position includes means for supplying a constant current through said one conductive rail, whereby the voltage supplied to said fader cap varies predictably with the position of said fader cap along said one conductive rail.

18. The fader controller of claim 17, wherein said means for determining position includes means for receiving a voltage reading from said one conductive rail and converting said voltage reading to a position coordinate.

19. The fader controller of claim 18, wherein said means for determining position includes subroutines executed by said second microprocessor.

20. The fader controller of claim 13, wherein said second microprocessor includes means for transmitting a command signal to said first microprocessor to translate said fader cap to a selected position on said track.

21. The fader controller of claim 20, wherein said means for transmitting includes means for applying an electronic command signal to one of said conductive rails.

22. The fader controller of claim 1, further including means for releasably securing said track to a flat panel display.

23. The fader controller of claim 22, further including magnetic means disposed at a rear surface of said flat panel display, said track disposed at an opposed, front surface of said flat panel display, and ferromagnetic means disposed in said track for attracting said magnetic means and magnetically adhering said track to said front surface.