Touch-sensitive pointing device with guiding lines
First Claim
1. A touch-sensitive pointing device, in the form of a touchpad, for controlling at least two coordinates of a movement of a cursor on a computer display and/or the vertical and horizontal scrolling in a window on a computer display, said pointing device comprising:
- a touch-sensitive sensor surface generating signals dependent on at least one of the placement, and movement of a finger in physical contact with said sensor surface;
wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface comprises a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged substantially parallel and with a mutual distance from each other between 0.2 mm and 3 mm;
wherein said corrugated area being configured to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction thereon with application of a first finger pressure mode, and to provide a second friction which is lower in a direction parallel to said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area.
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Abstract
A touchpad- or touch screen-based device has a touch-sensitive sensor surface and can generate electrical and/or optical signals dependent on the placement and/or movement of a finger physically contacting the sensor surface. The sensor surface comprises a corrugated surface in at least one sub-area, thereby providing a user with two modes for finger movement across the sensor surface, namely a first mode for sliding movement at a first finger pressure, and a second mode for guided movement at a second finger pressure higher than the first finger pressure.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A touch-sensitive pointing device, in the form of a touchpad, for controlling at least two coordinates of a movement of a cursor on a computer display and/or the vertical and horizontal scrolling in a window on a computer display, said pointing device comprising:
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a touch-sensitive sensor surface generating signals dependent on at least one of the placement, and movement of a finger in physical contact with said sensor surface; wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface comprises a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged substantially parallel and with a mutual distance from each other between 0.2 mm and 3 mm; wherein said corrugated area being configured to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction thereon with application of a first finger pressure mode, and to provide a second friction which is lower in a direction parallel to said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A touch-sensitive pointing device for controlling at least two coordinates of a movement, said pointing device comprising:
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a touch-sensitive sensor surface generating signals dependent on one of the placement, and movement of a finger in physical contact with said sensor surface; wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface comprises a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged substantially parallel and with a mutual distance from each other; wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is such that, when said touch-sensitive pointing device is in use, said finger is simultaneously in contact with at least three neighbouring ridges; wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is between 0.1 mm and 3 mm; wherein corrugation amplitude of said corrugated area is between 0.05 mm and 2 mm; wherein said corrugated area being configured to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction on said corrugated area with application of a first finger pressure mode, and to provide a second friction which is lower in a direction parallel to said ridges of said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method of using a touch-sensitive pointing device for moving a cursor on a computer display from a first cursor position to a second cursor position in response to a finger'"'"'s movement on a touch-sensitive sensor surface of said touch-sensitive pointing device, wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface is provided with a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight and mutually parallel lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged at a distance a from each other, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) bringing said finger in contact with said touch-sensitive sensor surface at a first point on said touch-sensitive sensor surface; b) aligning said cursor with a first coordinate of said second cursor position by moving said finger across said corrugated area to an intermediate point on said touch-sensitive sensor surface while applying a first finger pressure; c) bringing said cursor to said second cursor position by moving said finger from said intermediate point to a second point on said touch-sensitive sensor surface in a guided movement along said ridges in said first direction while applying a second finger pressure higher than said first finger pressure; and d) configuring said neighbouring ridges to have a mutual distance from each other between 0.2 mm and 3 mm; e) configuring said corrugated area so as to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction thereon with application of a first finger pressure mode on said corrugated area, and to provide a second friction lower in a direction parallel to said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification