Hand activated input device with horizontal control surface

• US 8,581,845 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nikfarjam, Jonathan S., West, Patrick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, TONY O
• Application Number:
  US11/855,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 345/161, 345/163, 345/166, 345/156, 345/204, 345/157
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04774 with additional switches or sensors on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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

Abstract

A cursor control device horizontally positioned operating surface is mounted on a vertical shaft connected to a biaxial joint which is enclosed in the base of the device. The hand of the operator rests on the operating surface and tips it in any direction so the shaft follows the movement of his/her hand. The motion is interpreted as X and Y coordinates on a computer display screen. The coordinate information is digitized and sent to the main computer to display a cursor on the display screen.

Claims

1. A hand responsive device for controlling a cursor on a computer screen comprising:

a base;

a contacting surface situated on top of the base to be activated by multiple fingers of an open hand;

a shaft supporting the contacting surface;

a horseshoe shaped member suspended off the base, wherein the shaft is coupled to the horseshoe shaped member;

a biaxial device supporting the horseshoe shaped member permitting angular movement of the shaft in the contacting surface so that the contacting surface angularly tips in any direction based on pressure from the multiple fingers of the open hand, the biaxial device comprising a first arm and a second arm, wherein the horseshoe shaped member is coupled to the first arm and the shaft freely rotates around the first arm, and wherein the second arm is orthogonally oriented with respect to the first arm and is mounted to the base by at least one stanchion positioned on at least a first end of the second arm;

sensors responsive to the movement of the shaft for converting the angular movement into electrical signals, wherein the sensors measure a rotation of the first arm and the second arm relative to the base; and

logic circuit for translating the rotation of the first arm and the second arm that has been sensed into digital signals to move the cursor on the computer screen.

2. The hand responsive device of claim 1, wherein the contacting surface is a substantially flat and substantially horizontal surface surrounded by a second surface so that a hand operating the device rests on both surfaces.

3. The hand responsive device of claim 2, wherein the computer is a laptop computer and the hand responsive device and the second surface are incorporated into the laptop computer.

4. The hand responsive device of claim 2, wherein activation buttons surround the substantially flat and substantially horizontal surface of the device.

5. The hand responsive device of claim 1, wherein the substantially flat horizontal surface replaces a touch responsive touch pad in a laptop computer and a resting portion for the hand is a surface of the laptop computer surrounding the touch responsive surface.

6. The hand responsive device of claim 1, wherein such device is a standalone device which function as a mouse substitute.

7. The hand responsive device of claim 6, wherein the contacting surface is a curved surface which comfortably supports the hand.

8. The hand responsive device of claim 7, wherein activation buttons are contained on a appendage of the contacting surface which portion is not necessarily contacted to tilt the contacting surface.

9. The hand responsive device of claim 7, wherein the shaft of the device extends out of a cover for the device which contains activation buttons.

10. The hand responsive device of claim 1, wherein a first of the sensors is situated on a first vertical member of the horseshoe shaped member, and wherein a second of the sensors is situated on a second vertical member of the horseshoe member.

11. The hand responsive device of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the first arm and the second arm are measured as analog X and Y signals and are translated into digital signals by the logic circuit.

12. The hand responsive device of claim 11, wherein the logic circuit converts the digital signals into computer interface signals.

13. The hand responsive device of claim 12, wherein the computer interface signals constitutes one of USB, HID, Firewire and Bluetooth protocols.

14. A method for movement of a cursor across a computer screen, the method comprising:

having a tipable plate supported by a shaft for contact by multiple fingers of an open hand resting face down on a substantially flat surface for movement of the plate in angular motion around a tipping point for the plate, wherein the substantially flat surface is situated on top of a base and is coupled to at least one force exerting mechanism situated on the base, the at least one force exerting mechanism maintaining the substantially flat surface in a horizontal orientation with respect to the base;

having a horseshoe shaped member suspended off the base, wherein the shaft is coupled to the horseshoe shaped member;

having a biaxial device supporting the horseshoe shaped member permitting angular movement of the shaft, the biaxial device comprising a first arm and a second arm, wherein the horseshoe shaped member is coupled to the first arm and the shaft freely rotates around the first arm, and wherein the second arm is orthogonally oriented with respect to the first arm and is mounted to the base by at least one stanchion positioned on at least a first end of the second arm;

providing for a sensing of the angular motion of the plate around its tipping point and converting the angular motion to orthogonal data components, wherein the sensing measures a rotation of the first arm and the second arm relative to the base ; and

converting the orthogonal data to digital data for interpretation of a movement of the cursor on the computer screen.

15. A user operated cursor control device comprising:

a base;

a substantially flat horizontal control surface upon which the user may rest his hand palm down while operating the device, wherein the horizontal control surface is situated on top of the base and is coupled to at least one force exerting mechanism situated on the base, the at least one force exerting mechanism maintaining the horizontal control surface in a horizontal orientation with respect to the base;

a vertical control shaft upon which the horizontal control surface is mounted;

a horseshoe shaped member suspended off the base, wherein the vertical control shaft is coupled to the horseshoe shaped member;

a biaxial joint supporting the horseshoe shaped member permitting angular movement of the shaft and the control surface, the biaxial joint comprising a first arm and a second arm, wherein the horseshoe shaped member is coupled to the first arm and the shaft freely rotates around the first arm, and wherein the second arm is orthogonally oriented with respect to the first arm and is mounted to the base by at least one stanchion positioned on at least a first end of the second arm, wherein the second arm is rotatable with respect to the stanchion; and

sensors capable of measuring the angular displacement of the shaft and converting it to signals indicating orthogonal coordinates on a computer screen, wherein the sensors measure a rotation of the first arm and the second arm relative to the base.

16. The device of claim 15 including a microprocessor housed within the device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the microprocessor:

interprets the output of the sensors as a displacement vector; and

presents the displacement vector to an external computer.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the first arm and second arm intersect.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the sensors are rotary potentiometers.