Single touch dual axis input device

• US 6,731,267 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cornelia Frances Tuoriniemi, Veijo Matias Tuoriniemi
• Original Assignee: Cornelia Frances Tuoriniemi, Veijo Matias Tuoriniemi
• Inventors: Tuoriniemi, Veijo Matias, Tuoriniemi, Cornelia Frances
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US09/525,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/169, 345/163, 345/158
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03546 using a rotatable ball at the tip as position detecting member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 finger actuated display peripheral interface input device having a first axis roller for inputting positional information for a first axis and coupled to a transducer for producing a first signal indicative of the rotation of said first axis roller. A second axis roller and transducer is used for inputting positional information for a second axis and produce a second signal indicative of the rotation of said second axis roller. A first switch is adapted to produce a first switch signal upon actuation of said first switch. Both of the rollers can be rotated simultaneously or selectively. The miniature size rollers are located so close to each other that both axis rollers can be rotated simultaneously by a touch a finger pad of a distal phalanx of one finger to simultaneously change positional information in said first and second axes.

Claims

1. A finger actuated display interface input device comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a first elongated axis roller mounted on the surface of the housing, parallel to the housing, with substantially its entire manipulable length being small enough to fit under a thumb of a human for inputting positional information for a first axis;

(c) a first transducer coupled to said first axis roller for producing a first signal indicative of the rotation of said first axis roller;

(d) a second, elongated axis roller mounted on the surface of the housing, parallel to the housing, with substantially its entire manipulable length being small enough to fit under a thumb of a human for inputting positional information for a second axis;

(e) a second transducer coupled to said second axis roller producing a second signal indicative of the rotation of said second axis roller;

(f) at least one switch adapted to produce at least one switch signal upon actuation of said switch by pressure from a user'"'"'s finger;

(g) said first axis roller and said second axis roller being selectively rotatable for selectively inputting positional information for the first axis or for the second axis respectively; and

(h) said first axis roller and said second axis roller being located so close to each other that both axis rollers can be rotated simultaneously by a touch of a finger pad of a distal phalanx of one finger to simultaneously change positional information in said first and second axes;

(i) said first axis roller and second axis roller being operable whether or not the housing is placed on a planar working surface.

2. The input device of claim 1 having a second switch adapted to produce a second switch signal upon actuation of said second switch by a downward.

3. The input device of claim 1 wherein said device is so constructed that pressure against one or both of the rollers and downward movement of at least one of the rollers or downward movement of a roller bed relative to the housing causes actuation of at least one said switch.

4. The input device of claim 1 wherein said input device is a computer mouse independent from a stationary surface being able to hold in user'"'"'s hand between fingers.

5. The input device of claim 4 further comprising a microphone able to receive audio speech from a user'"'"'s mouth and converting it to audio speech signal and forwarding it to a host computer.

6. The input device of claim 1 wherein said housing is a portable computer.

7. The input device of claim 1 wherein said housing is a portable telephone and said first and second axis rollers are coupled to move cursor on telephone display.

8. The input device of claim 1 wherein said housing is a TV remote control and said first and second axis rollers are coupled to move cursor on TV display.

9. The input device of claim 1 wherein said housing is a computer keyboard.

10. The input device of claim 1 wherein said housing can be mounted to a spoke of a steering wheel to control at least a microcontroller based device.

11. The input device of claim 1 embedded to a handheld joystick.

12. The input device of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said first and second axis rollers differentiate.

13. The input device of claim 1 wherein said rollers have structured surface elements.

14. The input device of claim 13, wherein said structured surface elements are grooves.

15. The input device of claim 12 wherein said structured surface elements are threads.

17. The input device of claim 1 wherein the switch functions are selectable from a group of following standard mouse functions;

click, double-click, press and rotate, select by pressing rotating and releasing, and drag and drop.

19. The input device of claim 1 wherein said first axis roller and said second axis roller are arranged one overlying the other so as to form an X-shape when viewed from a perspective that is orthogonal to both a main longitudinal axis of said first axis roller and a main longitudinal axis of said second axis roller.

20. The input device of claim 1 wherein said first axis roller and said second axis roller are arranged together so as to form an T-shape when viewed from a perspective that is orthogonal to both a main longitudinal axis of said first axis roller and a main longitudinal axis of said second axis roller.

21. The input device of claim 1 wherein said first axis roller and said second axis roller are arranged together so as to form an L-shape when viewed from a perspective that is orthogonal to both a main longitudinal axis of said first axis roller and a main longitudinal axis of said second axis roller.

16. A finger actuated display interface input device, independent from planar working surface comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) only one elongated axis roller, said axis roller being sufficiently small enough to fit under a finger pad of a distal phalanx of one finger of a human being for inputting positional information for a first axis;

(c) a transducer coupled to said axis roller for producing a signal indicative of the rotation of said axis roller;

(d) at least one switch adapted to produce at least a one switch signal upon actuation of said switch by pressure from a user'"'"'s finger against said axis roller, and downward movement of said axis roller or downward movement of a roller bed relative to the housing causes actuation of said switch;

(e) said axis roller being selectively rotatable for selectively inputting positional information for the first axis;

(f) said axis roller being disposed to the surface of the housing, parallel to the housing and said axis roller being rotatable by a touch of one finger to simultaneously change positional information and make selections without lifting a finger from said axis roller.

18. The input device of claim 16 wherein the switch functions are selectable from a group of following standard mouse functions;

click, double-click, press and rotate, select by pressing rotating and releasing, and drag and drop.