Pointing device

• US 8,791,903 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Naoyuki, Kashino, Takashi, Yamaguchi, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US13/005,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-167, 345204-212, 324/409, 324/662, 324/691, 600/546, 341/20, 715/856
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A pointing device is provided. The pointing device is configured to output a movement instruction signal for moving a cursor on a display in an instructed direction and includes: a pointing stick; a cursor movement including a +X sensor, −X sensor, +Y sensor and −Y sensor configured to sense a cursor movement instruction signal for instructing the cursor to move in +X direction, −X direction, +Y direction and −Y direction, respectively, according to an operation to the pointing stick; and a stick Z direction operation detector configured to determine that an instruction signal according to an operation to the pointing stick is different from the cursor movement instruction signals when each of outputs from the +X sensor, −X sensor, +Y and −Y sensor is changed by a corresponding predetermined first threshold value or greater within a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A pointing device configured to output a movement instruction signal for moving a cursor on a display in an instructed direction, with reference to an X direction and a Y direction orthogonally intersecting with each other at an original point on the display, the pointing device comprising:

a pointing stick;

a cursor movement instruction sensor provided for the X direction and Y direction on the display, and including;

a cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor configured to sense a cursor movement instruction signal for instructing the cursor to move away from the original point in +X direction according to an operation to the pointing stick;

a cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor configured to sense a cursor movement instruction signal for instructing the cursor to move away from the original point in −

X direction according to an operation to the pointing stick;

a cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor configured to sense a cursor movement instruction signal for instructing the cursor to move away from the original point in +Y direction according to an operation to the pointing stick; and

a cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor configured to sense a cursor movement instruction signal for instructing the cursor to move away from the original point in −

Y direction according to an operation to the pointing stick; and

a stick Z direction operation detector configured to determine that an instruction signal according to an operation to the pointing stick is different from the cursor movement instruction signals when each of outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor is changed by a corresponding predetermined first threshold value or greater within a predetermined time period.

2. The pointing device according to claim 1,

wherein the stick Z direction operation detector is configured to determine that the instruction signal according to an operation to the pointing stick is different from the cursor movement instruction signals when each of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor is changed by the corresponding predetermined first threshold value or greater within the predetermined time period and when a sum of change amounts of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a second predetermined threshold value or greater.

3. The pointing device according to claim 1,

wherein the stick Z direction operation detector is configured to determine that the instruction signal according to an operation to the pointing stick is different from the cursor movement instruction signals when each of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor is changed by the corresponding predetermined first threshold value or greater within the predetermined time period, when the sum of the change amounts of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a second predetermined threshold value or greater, and when a difference between the change amounts of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor and the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a predetermined third threshold value or smaller and a difference between the change amounts from the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a predetermined third threshold value or smaller.

4. The pointing device according to claim 1,

wherein the stick Z direction operation detector is configured to determine that the instruction signal according to an operation to the pointing stick is different from the cursor movement instruction signals when each of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor is changed by the corresponding predetermined first threshold value or greater within the predetermined time period, when the sum of the change amounts of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor, the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor, and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a second predetermined threshold value or greater, and when a number of successive times where a difference between the change amounts of the outputs from the cursor X positive direction movement instruction sensor and the cursor X negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a predetermined third threshold value or smaller and a difference between the change amounts from the cursor Y positive direction movement instruction sensor and the cursor Y negative direction movement instruction sensor within the predetermined time period is a predetermined third threshold value or smaller reaches a predetermined number of times.

5. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the change of outputs of each of the direction movement instruction sensors is determined while said sensors are being supplied with current, and the change of outputs of each of said sensors is due to a change of an intrinsic value of the respective sensor.

6. The pointing device according to claim 5, wherein the intrinsic value of the respective direction movement instruction sensor is a resistance value.

7. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the direction movement instruction sensors are arranged in a circuit having a star connection configuration.

8. The pointing device according to claim 7, wherein a value of each of the direction movement instruction sensors is measured individually and independently.

9. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein a value of each of the direction movement instruction sensors is measured individually and independently.