Computer input device

• US 6,690,355 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eli Neuman
• Original Assignee: Eli Neuman
• Inventors: Neuman, Eli
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H.
• Application Number:
  US10/049,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20030103033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/160, 345/168, 345/172, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

A computer input device consists of a long and slender, pencil like, cylinder which is horizontally and rotatably disposed on two supports at both its ends. A finger touching the cylinder applies a force on it which is countered by reactions at the supports. These reactions are sensed by force sensors and the ratio between them is used to calculate the position of the finger along the cylinder. This position is the “X” input of the device. The same finger can rotate the cylinder around itself in both directions. The angular position of the cylinder is measured by a rotary sensor and is then used as the second, “Y”, input.

Claims

1. A computer input device comprising a horizontal cylinder rotateably mounted on two vertical members, one at each end;

a horizontal member connected to said two vertical members under said cylinder at its own two ends, said horizontal member supported in its middle region by a relatively rigid base, while said two vertical members and said horizontal member are made of resilient material and are designed to provide flexibility in a particular direction as follows;

along the axis of said cylinder for said vertical members and in the vertical direction for said horizontal member, such that when a force is applied on said cylinder at a certain location along its axis, the vertical component of said force will induce vertical deflection in both ends of said horizontal member relative to its supported center and which deflection at one end not necessarily equal to that in the other, and the horizontal component of said force will induce horizontal deflection in both vertical said members;

a rotary movement sensor disposed between said cylinder and its support, designed to provide information about the direction of said cylinder'"'"'s rotation and the magnitude of such rotation;

deflection sensors mounted on said vertical members and said horizontal member in its two deflectable sides;

computing means adapted to accept inputs from said rotary sensor and deflection sensors and to convert them into two distinct outputs in a format which is appropriate for input into computers, out of which said two outputs one represents rotation of said cylinder while the other represents the location of said force along the axis of said cylinder as calculated by the relative size of the reaction in said two vertical members to said force, which reaction being measured by said deflection sensors on said ends of said horizontal member; and

, restraining means to limit said deflection under excessive forces in order to protect said computer input device.

2. The computer input device as in claim 1, wherein said second output is not the location of said force acting along said cylinder'"'"'s axis but the direction and size of the horizontal component of said force as measured by said deflection sensors that are adapted to sense the deflection of said vertical members.

3. The computer input device as in claims 1 or 2 wherein said second output is a user selectable mix between said calculated location of said force and size and direction of said horizontal component of said force.

4. The computer input device as in any of the claims 1 and 2 wherein its size and dimensional proportions are generally like that of a ‘

space bar’

key in a computer keyboard such that said device can be designed to be integrated in computer keyboards instead of said ‘

space bar’

.

5. The computer input device as in claims 1 or 2 wherein its size and dimensional proportions are generally like that of a ‘

space bar’

key in a computer keyboard such that said device can be designed to be integrated in computer keyboards alongside existing ‘

space bar’ and

not instead of same.

6. The computer input device as in any of the claims 1 and 2 wherein said deflection sensors are strain gage devices bonded to said vertical and horizontal members.

7. The computer input device as in claim 1 wherein there is no calculation of position along the axis of said cylinder to provide one of the inputs;

rather, a movement only is imparted to the cursor, direction of said movement is towards that cylinder end with the higher reaction force, and velocity of said movement is proportional to either the ratio of both reaction forces or the difference between said two reaction forces; and

in which computer input device the movement of said cursor stops when there are no more reaction forces detected.